Impending Doom

I swear everybody gets crankier or at least more moody/depressed about this time of year.  My theory: the start of school is the first huge indication that summer is fast ending and the gloomy sub-human temperatures of winter are closing upon us.  I, like my mothers before me, find my main consolation in Halloween.  Nothing gets me excited quite like the macabre holiday the provides the perfect excuse to build and wear a costume, plus decorate my abode like the forbidden crypt of an evil enchantress.  I want to make some new labels for my potion/poison/creepy ingredients bottle collection that I display at Halloween each year.  I can't remember what I've got until I pull them out (except Truth Serum, I know I've got Truth Serum).  Still, I would welcome suggestions.
This is what has been rolling around in my brain thus far:

Witch Hazel
Distilled Hemlock
Eye of Newt
Dragon Heartstring
Bat Blood
Earthworm Skins
Melted Witch
Spider Legs
Tarantula Hair
Deadly Night Shade
Black of Night
Corpse/Mummy Dust
Whole Transylvanian Toadstools
Toad Warts
Ogre Snot
Aged Mucus

Votes?  Suggestions?

Tale As Old As History

Sooooo... the stinkin' masters is done.  But that is not what I came to blog about.

I love music and I'm glad I learned as much about it as I did in school, but if I had hit my epiphany much earlier in the educational process, I would now be announcing my degree in costume design or textile construction something-or-other.  I just can't help it.  I love costumes.  And I've found some particularly fun interpretations of Disney princesses lately, thanks to my long-time favorite blog/site Costumer's Guide.  The first is a fabulous 1960s styled draft of the "official" princesses (don't get me started on my bitterness that Meg and Jane are not included with them as I think they are much more dynamic characters than most of the princesses):

Magnifique, n'est-ce pas?  Apparently Disney is slowly releasing each one a limited edition doll.  *Eep*

Now Flavorwire posted this great article featuring the work of Claire Hummel, who did the Disney Princesses Through a Historical Lens, which has some really awesome interpretations and you can even buy prints!

My favorites:

I love the detailing on these last two.  Snow White has apples worked into the design and Aurora has spindles.  Awesomeness. 

Anyone who knows me knows my princess is most decidedly Belle, and I liked her picture but I hate the look on her face.  Plus I think I would have placed her gown a little earlier in the 18th century to keep the rounder hoop shape and I think the wider neckline is more appropriate to those earlier decades too.  And it makes sense - I doubt that the wardrobe would have the most current fashions sitting around.  The gown more likely originally belonged to the prince's mother or aunt, don'tcha think?

And here are the first historical renderings I came across quite a while ago, by Foxy Lady Jacqueline:

So fun.  And lastly, Suburbanbeatnik's sketches of Belle:

I love the sketch; it reminds me of the concept art for Beauty and the Beast.  I think the color drawing is pretty too.


Thus ends my celebration of historical renderings of Disney princesses.  Which, by the way, the drawings are all property of those who drew them, to whom I tried to give proper credit, and the characters, of course, belong entirely to the enormous corporate giant that is Disney. 

What do you do when you're uninspired to write about Bach?

A couple night ago I was staring at my paper and trying to get started on the section about Bach and his sonata for solo flute.  (I should clarify this is C.P.E. Bach that I refer to, not his father Johann Sebastian.)  And nothing was coming.  And then I was talking to Mom on the phone and couldn't really be that productive, so I went to Yearbook Yourself as I'd always meant to but never had.  I started with the usual, plugging mine and Indy's faces into the provided photos and got some amusing results:

Cute and amusing, yes.  As are Indy's:

But that fun ran out and I was still on the phone with Mom.  That's when I realized I really wasn't using this great tool to its full advantage.  I give you Benita:

I must admit I was a bit shocked at how well my husband's face fit on these women.  But, to be fair, I then did the opposite.  Dan the man:

I gotta say, I make a pretty good lookin' black man.

Einstein on Crisis

I love quotes.  Have for a long time.  This is the best one I've heard in a while.

"Let's not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress.

"Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born form the dark night. It's in crisis that inventive is born, as well as discoveries, and big strategies. Who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome. Who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent, and is more respectful to problems than to solutions. Incompetence is the true crisis.

"The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There's no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It's in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch. To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism. Let us work hard instead.

"Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it."

 - Albert Einstein

When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Her

I don't know if you can tell how awesome this little old lady is, but I totally plan to wear this outfit someday.  And as soon as senility sets in, I'm adding a big floppy hat and a large bag that looks like a stuffed dead animal with a zipper down its back.

First weeks of school are just the Monday of the semester.

This is how I've felt all week.

This is how I feel all the time.

Note: I do not yet have a dog. :(

And this just makes me want one all the more.

Star Wars

This is old, but fantastic:



Don't talk back to Darth Vader.