Posted by admin on Aug 5, 2011 in
geekery,
random
I’ve always found the Disney Princesses fascinating. Each has their own distinct story- generally that of emotional hardship and lack of physical freedom, and each of them manages to rise above their situations and find peace and love. Sure, all of them seem to need a man to do so, but the happy ever after tale is one that’s repeated throughout books and films, so it’s understandable in that context. The Disney Princesses seem to have it all- the looks, the power and yet they remain unfulfilled till they find love. First love can be tricky though, as the Princesses have never dated so don’t understand how romance can become stale, or what’s needed to make a marriage work. Will there still be singing and fairy godmothers in the happy ever after?
Thinking on this topic reminded me of a feature I’d seen in the Times a few years ago. It took me a while to remember the name of the artist (stupid brain) but when I finally worked out it was Dina Goldstein the images were every but as good as I remembered. Dina took the Disney Princess premise and translated it into ‘happily never after’, all the various life choices that may have befallen the famous frocked ones- and where they might have enede up. She adds some gritty reality to Disney, and I love how playful her photots are- even when they show harsh realities.
Take Princess Jasmine for example- she may have got her Prince, but war in the Middle East means she can’t rest easy. Snow White has to contend with handling many children and lazy husband, whilst Pocahontas becomes a crazy cat lady. This series of photographs really doesn’t age, and seems as timeless as the movies themselves. Check out the rest of the Fallen Princesses project (and more) below.
Read more…
Tags: Dina Goldstein, Disney Princesses, Fallen Princesses, Giselle Natassia
Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2011 in
Design and Home,
random 
Climbing is great physical exercise, but it’s not the prettiest of sports. Those ugly shoes, the crampons, the hi-vis jackets (if you’re outdoors).. it’d great for the heart but not so much for the mirror. Japanese design agency Nendo decided to reclaim this sport and has created a beautiful looking climbing wall, complete with rectangular mirrors and vintage looking photo frames. This is no ‘concept mock up’, this is their actual work for the ILLOIHA fitness club in Japan.
The theme used was the idea of ”becoming beautiful through movement“, and Nendo merged elements from Tokyo’s high fashion district (such as the picture frames, bird cages, mirrors and vases) to create a unusual looking wall that still gave a fulfilling fitness experience. Not only did they succeed in beautifying the traditional climbing wall, but Nendo also hoped to inspire newcomers to the gym to try something they might not otherwise have thought about. Read more…
Tags: fitness climbing wall, LLOIHA OMOTESANDO, Nendo
Posted by admin on May 26, 2011 in
beauty,
random 
Aladdin
Alice in Wonderland
Sometimes long descriptions prove unnecssary and a few simple lines will do instead. Marvel at the artistry of Katie Alves, and the Disney inspired eye makeup scenes she has created. These are beautiful, well executed and amazingly detailed- enjoy!
Disney Castle Read more…
Tags: Disney art, Disney eyeshadow, Katie Alves
Posted by admin on May 6, 2011 in
geekery,
random 
I love it when people are creative and there’s something about this cool superhero font that really makes me smile. Created by artist Fabian Gonzalez, the cool font captures 26 famous superheroes in style, delineating each character with cleverly drawn symbols. The subtlety of this font is what really attracts me, as it requires thought to work out each superhero, and though some are obvious ( S for Superman, Z for Zorro) others require more work. Want to know who they all are? Answers after the jump! Read more…
Tags: Fabian Gonzalez, superhero font
Posted by admin on Apr 25, 2011 in
beauty,
random 
Nail art continues to be a rising trend, but I’ve just stumbled across something that could be equally exciting. Still in its infancy, the world of Lip Artistry (or Lip Art) is all about creating cool looking designs using the lips as a base. I’m totally in love with the creations by Paige Thompson, that were created for a project she called Animal-ipstick. Paige is very creative with her designs, and I’m torn about which I like most- the crab (see below) for the cute factor or Pikachu for the geek factor?
Read more…
Tags: Animal-ipstick, Animalipstick, lip art, lip artistry, Paige Thompson
Posted by admin on Apr 1, 2011 in
beauty,
books,
Celebrity,
lists,
news,
random The Royal Wedding is almost upon us and Kate Middleton will soon be exchanging her surname for ‘Windsor’ or Mr and Mrs Prince William. Whether you’re a staunch royalist or find the whole things a waste of time, there’s one thing you won’t be able to avoid. Well, two things actually if you count people’s opinions on the subject.
The second unavoidable occurrence of this wedding is the HUGE amount of tat that will be sold in conjunction, with everyone eager to make sure they have got their eBay fill worth of products. Coaster, tea towels, all the usual tat will be rolled out, but amongst those spectacularly undesirable pieces of merchandise (Kate and William coaster anyone?) is the truly overwhelming in terms of relevance to the subject matter. You can’t blame companies for wanting to get some of the moolah that will be floating around, but these Royal Wedding tie ins are truly embarrassing.
Kate the Royal Wedding Fairy
This is a book about a fairy called Kate, who is a royal wedding fairy was created by Daisy Meadows. It’s the latest in the line of Fairy books she has written, but though the words ‘sell out;’ are never mentioned, this particular fairy isn’t quite the same as ‘Emma the Easter fairy’ or her ‘Florence the Friendship fairy’ books.
The story descriptions is as follows: ‘Kate the Royal Wedding Fairy makes sure that all weddings are happy and magical! But when mean Jack Frost steals the True Love Crown, the Fairyland royal wedding is sure to be a disaster. Can Kirsty and Rachel find the crown so the royal couple will live happily ever after…? I wonder what the name of the Royal Prince is?
Kiss Me Kate Beer
Castle Rock Brewery have created a limited edition Royal Wedding beer called ‘Kiss me Kate. I actually find this idea rather cute, as we Brits do love our booze, I just find the pink label and hearts decorating it a little sickly. It will be available on draught and from Morrisons stores during April. The head brewer says, ‘Kiss Me Kate will be elegant, tasteful and British to the core. It’ll be brewed to 5%, pale in colour and, we’re sure it’ll be the ideal way to toast the couple’s future happiness’. Not that Ms Middleton would ever drink beer though, I reckon she’s a white wine spritzer kind of girl. Find out more from Castle Rock Brewery here. Read more…
Tags: Crown Jewels condoms, Kate Middleton, Lydia Leith, Prince William, Royal Wedding, Royal Wedding novelty souvenir, Royal Wedding souvenir
Posted by admin on Mar 14, 2011 in
random,
travel 
The Little Mermaid was one of my two favourite Disney films as a child (the other was Aladdin, which is why Al made it onto my childhood crush list). I adored Princess Ariel; I loved her long red locks, her drive for exploration and life, and really enjoyed how she teed off her parents (though in retrospect, they were just looking out for her). I thought her costume was great (if not ideal for adolescents) and that all the songs were incredibly catchy and engaging. I can still sing the first few verses she sang as she swam around her treasure cave;
‘Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat?
Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?
Wouldn’t you think I’m the girl
The girl who has everything?
Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here, you’d think
Sure, she’s got everything
I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got who’s-its and what’s-its galore
You want thing-a-mabobs?
I’ve got twenty
But who cares? No big deal. I want more’. (You’re humming this in your head now, aren’t you?)
I grew up slightly terrified of octopi and Sea Witches (inevitably related) and have been known to google ‘mermaid costume’ on eBay in my spare time (they tend to all look like porno outfits).
However, I didn’t hit puberty and think, ‘Wow, y’know that lifelong dream of becoming a real life mermaid? Well here’s my chance…’ and go on to pose in revealing outfits, sporting a tail to delight dinner guests.
How do you make the jump from paddling pool to a full of tail flouncing and pouting? Is it a slow transition, ‘Yes, my Zara, she did always love to tie her legs together and pretend she was a fish’, or ‘Yes, that girl was a big fan of posing on rocks and it kinda went from there. Just look at her aquarium…’
Some people, somehow, globally, all made the same mermaid life decision at kinda the same time, as this year the first ever WORLD Mermaid Awards are being held in Las Vegas. It’s no whimsy or flight of fancy- tickets are a whopping $35- $195, which shows real dedication. The full price tickets gets you two days at the convention, the awards, and access to the pool party.
So what exactly is the World Mermaid Awards- how do you qualify, what do you need to do, and is there a winner? Read more…
Tags: Hannah Mermmaid, Little Mermaid, Princess Ariel, World Mermaid Awards
