The Seven Swans: Part One

One of my favorite fairy tales has always been "The Seven Swans" by the Brothers Grimm. It might be because of the birds and themes of flying, or maybe its because even in its original form, the heroine takes a more active role than in many of the classical fairy tales. I'll bring you the story part-by-part each week. I hope you enjoy it.

Once upon a time, there lived a king and his eight children. The queen had died, and the king was beside himself with grief. He knew he must marry again, but he couldn't get his beloved wife out of his head.

One day, as he was hunting in the woods, the king became separated from his men. No matter which way he turned, the forest seemed to swallow him up, and it seemed he might never return home to his children. Suddenly, the king saw a light. It was a strange, penetrating light that seemed to seek him out. The king followed the light until he came upon a cottage carved out of the base of an old tree. The king strode inside, forgetting to knock. (He was the king after all.) Sitting inside the cottage was a beautiful young woman. She didn't seem to be doing anything in particular. Just waiting. The king was captivated by her looks. A voice came from behind, and the king spun around to see, what else, but a hideous witch. The witch beseeched the king to marry her daughter, and the king, under some strange spell, agreed. The following morning he took the young woman home with him to his castle, which suddenly wasn't so very hard to find at all. Announcing the marriage to his horrified people, the king noticed how his new bride glared at his seven sons and daughter, and he knew he must keep his children safely locked away.

The king asked his baker to look after the children, and the baker took them to an abandoned tower on the old castle grounds. The king would come to visit his children once a week. He groaned for his stupidity at falling into the trap of the witch, but knew that if he ended the marriage, things would get even worse. Eventually, his new bride grew curious as to where the children had gone. The king wouldn't answer her questions. So the queen followed him to the old tower and saw where he met his sons and daughter. Jealous that perhaps he would never love her own children so well, the new queen came up with a plan to get rid of the little princes and princess. 

The next day, the new queen rode to the tower. The children had been playing hide-and-go-seek, and the princes were still trying to find the princess when the new queen strode in. Raising her arms she cast a spell on the sons of the king. The air rose and swirled around the room, until the boys were lifted up on the currents, arms outstretched towards the ceiling. They twisted and screamed until their screams no longer sounded human, and their movements looked deliberate as though they could fly. The new queen lowered her arms. The princes had turned to swans. The princess let out a gasp. The queen turned, cursing for forgetting one of the children. The princess ran from the room, down the stairs and out the door, heading for the woods. As she ran she heard the cries of the queen behind her. A great rush of wind knocked her to the ground. The princess looked up to see seven swans flying overhead, making their way towards the sea. Her brothers were leaving her.

The Christmas Story

"But the angel said to her 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.' "

-Luke 1:30-33

Quote of the Week

"I write so the endangered thoughts roaming naked and vulnerable through the misty jungles of my mind aren't slain by the guns of practical living."

-Kim Krizan

August Rush

Alright, so this movie is about sugary sweet and hopeful as they come. But that doesn't mean you should discredit August Rush, a musical urban fairy tale that gives a twist to the classic orphan-finding-his-parents fable. The orphan, Evan, "believes in music like some people believe in fairy tales." If he could only play it loud enough, maybe his parents could hear him. Its this young boy's undying belief in the power of music that sets the film apart and binds together the film's otherwise implausible plot points. The hypnotic melody of a street performer draws Evan's parents to the rooftop where they meet. Rock and classical overlap as characters thinking about each other play at separate venues. The sounds of the street inspire the ten year-old Evan to write a symphony that is played in Central Park. The music is the movie's core, and its what makes it such a beautiful film. Despite the syrup.

Quote of the Week

Luke: Very romantic.

Lorelai: Says the man who yelled "finally" at the end of Love Story.

-Gilmore Girls

I Haven't Posted In A While, And I Need To Clean Out Photo Files, So Here's Some Random Photos For Your Pleasure

To Write Love On Her Arms

"To Write Love On Her Arms" is a group that's trying to help people quit cutting, and I thought the name was such a beautiful picture of hope. Cutting wasn't brought to mainstream attention until Princess Diana confessed to struggling with it in 1996. Now it's so common it's joked about constantly ("I wish my lawn were emo so it'd cut itself."). They're even releasing a comedy this weekend called "Wristcutters: A Love Story." The truth is that cutting is serious, and i think the more it is honestly discussed, the better. There is no reason to hurt yourself, no matter what your circumstances are.

American Gangster

Two words: Denzel Washington. Two more words: Russell Crowe. Add to that it's directed by Ridley Scott, director of "Gladiator" and "Kingdom of Heaven." Do you think I want to see this film?

Quote of the Week

"Give me the songs of a nation, and I care not who writes its laws."

-Ravi Zacharias

Fashion Flash: Scarlett Johansson @ Venice Film Festival

I love this dress. I love the idea of arriving at a film premiere in Venice by boat. With Josh Hartnett waiting for you.

Fashion Flash: Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has such an elfish beauty. I love this retro-inspired dress...cinching dresses and blouses in with belts has always been a "thing" with me.

I Want To...

i want to climb Mount Kilamonjaro.
I want to see anacondas in Brazil.
I want to sail the seas as a pirate, not the pillaging sort, but the sort who sings songs and wears lots of stripes.
I want to be a cab driver.
I want to attend the Academy Awards, wear a Vera Wang, and sit in between Lauren Bacall and Heath Ledger.
I want to learn how to uncork a wine bottle with style, like fancy waiters do.
I want to hike the whole Appalachian trail.
I want to backpack through Europe, and learn a million languages.
I want to dance barefoot under the stars.
I want to be able to curl my hair and have it not go straight in half an hour.
I want to wear high heels and not trip.
I want to sword fight on horse back.
I want to paint...with my feet.
I want to travel around like a gypsy and wear a hundred bracelets.
I want to invent my own language.
I want to fly...I'm not sure how.
I want to fall...into sync, in love, into a mystery, into something I wasn't expecting.

Mary Cassat Prints

I love the simplicity and blocks of rich, yet muted colors in these prints. Mary Cassat is one of my favorite artists. She paved the way for other female artists and drew attention to how the little moments in life could be just as beautiful as the grandiose ones. (Pardon the big word.)

Quote of the Week

"Here come my tax dollars at work to arrest me."

-National Treasure 2

Silent Sea

I was happy in my harbour
When you cut me loose
Floating on an ocean
And confused
Winds are whipping waves up
Like skyscrapers
And the harder they hit me
The less I seem to bruise

Oh when I
Find the controls
I'll go where I like
I'll know where I want to be
But maybe for now
I'll stay right here
On a silent sea

-KT Tunstall "Silent Sea"

Old Fashioned Funky Chair

This chair makes me happy. I think because in some ways it reminds me of that worn, old-fashioned type of chair that's perfect to cuddle up in with a mug of hot cocoa and a good book. On the other hand, it's print is kinda modern and funky. Almost Dr. Suess-ish. It's at www.anthroplogie.com.....a website you should definitely check out (if you haven't already.)

Spiral Jetty

Isn't this cool? It's an environmental piece created in Utah....it's real! Reminds me of a Tim Burton movie set piece.

Favorites

Chai Lattes with Soy Milk, White Pizza and smoothies,
Bluesy jazz music and Ol' Blue Eyes,
Animated movies by Pixar or Ghibli,
And standing in the rain for no reason at all.

Big, furry dogs to cuddle with as I read
Books about history, or fantasy, or art,
Hooded sweatshirts and hand-made knee-high socks,
And laying in the grass on a cool autumn night.

Dancing and singing like no one can see me,
Splashing through the creek with my jeans rolled up,
Writing, forever writing, about everything
And laughing so hard my ribs ache from it all.

Swishy skirts, camo pants, and warm knit hats,
Gloves and big mugs full of steaming coffee,
Peter Pan, Bat-Man, and Enter Sandman,
And the Bible, which I try to read every day....

Flight

Quote of the Week

"Don't kill us! Kill eachother!"

-Porco Rosso

Quote of the Week

"The sun never set on the British Empire...because God didn't trust the British in the dark."

-From the board game "Apples to Apples"

Working Crush

Ever had a "working crush"? It's not the kind of crush where you like someone romantically. It's when you really admire someone's work and they're on the top of your list of people you'd like to collaborate with. Well, I have a "working crush" on Christian Bale. He's an incredible actor, and he brings such an intensity to every role that he plays that you're never thinking of him as being "Christian Bale." He's completely that character at that moment. He also has the most believable American accent of any British actor. Ever. And he's in a good percentage of my favorite movies (Newsies, Little Women, Howl's Moving Castle, Batman Begins, etc, etc, etc.)

Environmental Art: The Gates

A couple of years ago, New York City housed an environmental art peice called "The Gates", a series pf hundreds of gates that ran through Central Park. Environmental art isn't art that's "green" or "eco-friendly." Rather, it's art that changes our environment, something that literally becomes a part of our surroundings. I love "The Gates" for it's simplicity and boldness. I wish I could have seen it in person.

The Music That's Rockin' My World

I found out about Leeland from my brother, and boy am I addicted. Leeland has a sound reminiscent of Coldplay or the Fray, with a passionate Christian message. Perfect music for driving with the windows rolled down...as I do every morning on my way to school.

Howl's Moving Castle

I've recently fallen in love with the beautiful animation of Miyazaki. His films have an ethereal lyricism to them...(to use some big words.) Howl's Moving Castle, the story of a girl cursed to look like a 90-year old woman and her lover, a vain, cowardly wizard who's possesed by demons of his own, iscompletely different than any American animated film. Period. I could analyze all of it's elements, talk about the wonderful music, all star cast (yay for Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, and Billy Crystal!), and layered story....but I'll let you see all of that for yourelf.

Onion Pie Vanity

I just finished baking a red onion pie with a cheese scone crust, and it turned out so well I just thought I'd announce it to the world (or at least the small slice of it that reads my blog.)

Stardust

This movie was "the one" I had been waiting for all summer. "Stardust" carries on the complicated but wonderful genre of "romantic fantasy action comedy" established by neo-classics such as "The Princess Bride" and "Lady Hawk." The film flollows the story of Tristan, an English shop boy who tries to catch a falling star to impress the snobby Victoria. The star is actually a girl named Yvaine, and immortal witches and bratty princes are after her as well. Newcomer Charlie Cox is wonderful as Tristan, and Robert DeNiro shows a side I'd definitely never seen before as the supposedly villainous Captain Shakespeare, a pirate who just wants to cut hair and wear feather boas. I could write more, but it might take a while...

Poem by Bronte

"My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring
And carried aloft on the winds of the breeze;
For above and around me the wild wind is roaring,
Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas.

The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing,
The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;
The dead leaves beneath them are merrily dancing,
The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky

I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing
The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray;
I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,
And hear the wild roar of their thunder today!"

Quote of the Week

"Stop that! She almost doesn't know any better!"

-Martye Murray

The Philadelphia Story

What a brilliant comedy! This witty story about an irresistable socialite and the men who love her has some of the best dialogue I've ever heard in a film. It's sharp-witted, fast-paced, ironic and intelligent. Besides, I'll gaze at Cary Grant or James Stewart any day.

Pirates

I have always loved pirates. Even before "Pirates of the Caribbean" came out. I loved reading "Treasure Island" and watching movies like "Hook", "The Swiss Family Robinson", "Kidnapped" and "Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." Recently, I've been reading up on the history of pirates, and am completely fascinated. Women were involved in piracy more than most people expect! There's Anne Bonnie, the Southern lady who sailed away with her pirate lover and found her freedom disguised a a male pirate. Or Mary Read, who pleaded "her belly" when she was supposed to hang and was set free because she was pregnant. Or even Blackbeard's wife, who married him even after he killed her fiancee and gave her his finger in a box. She never believed that her fiancee was acually dead, and would wait for him each day on the docks to come back to her. Some say her ghost still haunts the docks of coastal North Carolina....

Fashion: Rihanna

Doesn't Rihanna just ooze confidence here? Great fashion, great attitude, awesome photograph.

Ocean's 13

I love this movie! It's like James Bond sans the erotically named sluts plus a wicked sense of humor and lots of attractive men instead of just one. I can't imagine what it was like to film in the hotel they used in the movie...it was completely gorgeous, the people were completely gorgeous...everyone must have had a lot of fun at work.

Random Garish Clown Photo That Somehow Struck My Fancy

Marchesa Dresses

Somehow, these dresses seem both historic and space-agey. I'm not sure I'd wear them, but they're pretty cool, so why not blog about them?

Panda Tank Happiness

I love the boldness of this top. First of all, I love tank tops in general (I'm a casual girl at heart.) Secondly, the pastel florals of spring are getting a little old...especially after I featured them heavily in my last film (every female character wore floral...I kid you not.) Thirdly, the pandas aren't overtly "I'm a cute little panda"-ish, a theme which we have Hello Kitty to thank for. (Smile.) The top is from Delia's.

Crafty Shoes

Shoes seem to be sporting a bit more of a "custom look" these days. These are all from Urban Oufitters, but you could recreate most of them with a little fabric paint, ribbon, and an old pair of Keds. Add one more thing to my crafty to-do list....

8 Random Things About Me

1: When I was in middle school, I went through this feminist streak where I refused to cook. But after I saw everyone praising my younger brother for the food he made, I got jealous and have loved cooking ever since.

2: I've never read the Harry Potter books. Too busy with Lord of the Rings and The Prydain Chronicles.

3:I would love to have a big, old house from the 1800's with a library with one of those ladders on wheels that rolls around the book shelves.

4: I have a very strong affection for rassberries.

5: When I was little, I believed that Darth Vader lived in my closet.

6: i also believed that the Vietnam War was fought by Vietnamese elephants on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. I can thank my uncle for that one...

7: I've always wanted ruby slippers.

8: I always carry a notebook and pen.

Casino Royale

Normally I'm not an advocate of James Bond. As alluring as he can be, every single one of his films loses me once he starts rolling into bed with women named such things as Pussy Galore or Honey Ryder. But Casino Royale, despite it's flaws, is a stunning film. The cinematography is incredible....it's stark, yet rich, incorporating lots of high-exposure, light drenched shots in with the more moody settings you'd expect. When Bond is whiping the blood off of his face after killing a man, the frantic, shaking camera angles do as much to propel the story along as the acting. The movie opens in harsh black and white, more like moving, artistic mug shots than traditional black-and-white-films. But the scene that will stick with me the most was, in my opinion, sheer brilliance. Bond comes to check on his partner, Vesper Lynd, after they've just killed a man. He finds her sitting in the shower, still in her evening gown, silently crying over the thing she has just done. Bond simply sits in the shower with her and holds her. It was such a wonderful moment. It's moments like that that make great movies.

POTC: At World's End Soundtrack

This soundtrack is incredible. It incorporates electric guitar and reminds me of those fantasy movies from the eighties I used to watch with my dad. Gives me goosebumps. I ran out and bought it right after I saw the film.

Illustration

A illustration from one of my favorite picture books, "Her Stories." Why do books have less and less pictures as you get older? This ilustration is from the story "Man and Woman Started Even." Quite a story for an elementary school girl to read.

Photography

Normally, I'm not into Vogue. Too stuffy. But the photographs of Keira Knightley in this issue are stunning. Even though the thought of wearing couture on safari is absurd.