Hm…

When I read “Twilight” I couldn’t help thinking it was very similar to a story I wrote when I was… 15-ish perhaps. Well, it was like we both made a potato soup, different but the same dish. I tossed it aside thinking people will say, “It’s like Buffy come up with something else.”

Yesterday I read, ”Hex Education” and it was also very similar to a story I wrote about that time… I didn’t finish it because I felt it was silly and no one wants to read crap like that. But maybe my stories aren’t crap after all? Very similar ones have been published so…

(Found picture here)

Dreams

I don’t know when but it was a few days ago I dreamt that… I don’t really know why but I was being chased, and yesterday I did again. Not me running down a dark alley with a scary monster behind me kind of chase but more like in “The Fugitive”, constantly being on the run and hiding, getting spotted and forced to run again. I was hiding, wearing wigs and there was no one I could trust.

Not sure it’s important but the first dream I was in Brazil (?) and being chased by some gang of drug people and the second dream I was in some eastern European country and being chased by a group of people. So, in both dreams I’m abroad and more than one person after me.

So many books, so little time

I still haven’t finished the books I got from the library or “The Dubliners” (yes Sarah, it does take surprisingly long time to read such a short book) and today I got my package from Adlibris!! I want to start read all of them at once! Which one should I read? Tricky...

“The Gun Seller” by Hugh Laurie. Apparently he wrote it back in 1996 (feels like yesterday to me…) On the back of the book: When Thomas Lang, a hired gun with a soft heart, is contracted to assassinate an American industrialist, he opts instead to warn the intended victim – a good deed that doesn’t go unpunished. Within hours Lang is butting heads with a Buddha statue, matching wits with evil billionaires, and putting his life (among other things) in the hands of a bevy of femme fatales, whilst trying to save a beautify lady… and prevent an international bloodbath to boot.

“The Duchess” by Amanda Foreman. Wanted to read the book before I saw the movie. Back of the book: Beautiful, glamorous and charismatic, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, was an icon of her age; she was also a compulsive gambler, an influential political operator, a drug addict, a doting mother and adulteress.
In a world of decadence and excess, of great houses. Extravagant parties and sexual intrigue, Georgiana, like her descendant, Diana, Princess of Wales, was publically adored but personally troubled. From her complex ménage à trios with her husband and best friend to her vast gambling debts; from her adoration of her children to her passionate but doomed love for Earl Grey. She was a fascinating, contradictory woman whose story still resonates today. I’m guessing they don’t mean tea when they are talking about Earl Grey.

“American Eve” by Paula Uruburu (which is a very funny name). I read that Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the books about Anne of Green Gables used Evelyn Nesbit to base her character Anne on. Anyway, I read some about this Evelyn and I wanted to read more so I got the book. Back of the book: By the time of her sixteenth birthday in 190, Evelyn Nesbit was already know to millions as the most photographed woman of her era, an iconic figure who set the standard for female beauty, and whose innocent sexuality was used to sell everything from chocolate to perfume. Women wanted to be her. Men just wanted her. But when Evelyn’s life of fantasy became all too real and her insanely jealous millionaire husband, Harry K. Thaw, murdered her lover, New York City architect Sanford White, the most famous woman in the world became infamous as she found herself at the center of the “crime of the century” and a scandal that signaled the beginning of a national obsession with youth, beauty, celebrity and sex.

“Gypsy, a memoir” by Gypsy Rose Lee. I have been wanting to read this book for some time now but I never got around to buy it, then the other day (week) I saw the movie and loved it so I had to get the book. Back of the book: The memoir, which Gypsy began as a series of pieces of ‘The New Yorker’, contains photographs and newspaper clippings from her personal scrapbooks and an afterword by her son, Erik Lee Preminger. At turns touching and hilarious, Gypsy describes her childhood trouping across 1920’s America through her rise to stardom as The Queen of Burlesque in 1930’s New York – where gin came in bathtubs, gangsters were celebrities, and Walter Winchell was king.
Gypsy’s story features outrageous characters – among them Broadway’s funny girl, Fanny Brice, who schooled Gypsy in how to be a star; gangster Waxy Gordon, who fixed her teeth; and her indomitable mother, Rose, who lived by her own Golden Rules: “Do unto others… before they do you.” I have no clue who Walter Winchell is… or Waxy Gordon.

Aw…

Finished “Pride and Prejudice” last night and it was so… dreamy! I want a white muslin gown and take a walk in the garden with a perfect gentleman and later have tea in front of a fire and discuss the day with my beloved sister (too bad I don't have one). Analyzing people’s character &c, while embroidering a cushion.

My favorite character was probably Mr Bennet, seems like such a sweetheart and I love his humor. But Mr Bingley was adorable too, such a puppy.

I’ll read more Austen real soon and I’ll read them in chronological order so next in line is Mansfield Park. And I’ll finish with “Sense and Sensibility” since that was the first book I read but in Swedish and hated every minute of it so I hope it will be better this time.

Picture found here

Summer reading

(I am so copying my friend Sarahs idea)

“Do you prefer reading to cards? That is rather singular.'' Mr Hurst to Elizabeth, Pride and Prejudice

Summer Reading List
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Atonement by Ian McEwan (if I can snatch it from the library)
And the rest to be decided

Four easy steps to the perfect summer reading:
1. If the weather allows it read outside, either at your favorite spot in the shade or on the beach while sun bathing. If the weather is “Swedish” sit by the window or under a big umbrella and listen to the rain.
2. Make sure you’re comfortable, sun block, mosquito net, pillows, blanket, sunglasses etcetera
3. Something cold to drink or a cup of tea and/or some strawberries or a salad to nibble on.
4. A stalk of good books

Be your own best friend

Okay, look yourself in the mirror and take a look at your new best friend. Don’t be your own enemy; there are plenty of people out there willing to be that person but your best friend? Who’s better to be your best friend than you?
Me 1: Yeah right, I'll give it a week...
Me 2: Oh shut up, you'll do great!

Cutie

I might have a little crush on Howlin’ Pelle… He was singing live the other day and it’s pretty horrible but I like it. Around 1:43 he messes up, so cute.

Movies

Twelve Monkeys: Terry is a weird man… (On Top 250)

Bladerunner: Um… what’s so brilliant about this movie? But Daryl Hannah was kind of hot. (On Top 250)

Heathers: What a weird-ass movie… but Christian Slater was actually kind of cute, and I like vintage Winona too. It’s pretty far from the info at IMDB “A girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics”

Cheaper by the dozen II: Sucks! There was nothing good about this movie (well, I love Bonnie Hunt, she’s so cute).

Singin' in the Rain: I like it, it was cute! And I feel like dancing. (On Top 250)

Ziegfeld Follies: (Recommended by Dita Von Teese) I have a crush on the pink ballerina, think it's Cyd Charisse.

Found picture here

I always forget to write down what movies I see, I know I forgotten a few. Um, a Russian movie (my first) Night Watch, which I kind of liked, there’s was a mood and atmosphere that I really enjoyed, maybe the story wasn’t that good but… I just know I’ve seen more movies… Oh, Pan’s Labyrinth (On Top 250), which I had high hopes for but I clearly expected too much. Atonement, um… okay I guess but I was mainly checking out the garden and the house.

Weird dream…

I have weird dreams sometimes. Yesterday I dreamt that I discovered a sixth finger on my left hand, between my pinky and ring finger, a small weak sick looking finger, sharp and boney. As the dream progressed the finger got bigger and I could retract it like a cat do with its claws, and then I got another finger between the thumb and the index finger on the left hand, it was under the skin and more like a cat claw feel to it, curbed you know. Ideas? What the hell was this one about?

I like it…

I wish she had nipples though, looks weird without them. I like it, I would have it on my wall as art.

Found picture here

Right now…

Obsessing about photography, I spent way too much time looking at pictures on the net. I like Ellen Von Unwerth and it was funny because I’ve always thought that some pictures of Dita that made me think of the Hole album “Live through this” and guess what, Ellen took those pictures…

And she also took my favorite picture of Vanessa Paradis are also by Ellen.

This picture is pretty damn nice too, I love the hair!! (I think it's a wig though)

All pictures found here.

I love this!

Just follow the advice and you’ll be popular in no time. Hilarious video from 1947.

Love!

Don’t know how I ended up on this site, no clue but I love it and want to spend a lot of money on kitchen supplies, sprinkles and whatnot. Oh, and eat cupcakes everyday!! Yummy! I love decorating cakes but I’m not very good. All pictures by Her Royal Highness Bakerella, click the picture for more about the cake.

More books read

Finished “Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging” and… no wonder you read headlines about thirteen year old British kids pregnant with their second child. A lot of sex and stupid kids.

Read another book by Sonya Hartnett even though I didn’t like the first one I read. This time it was “The devil Latch” and I just didn’t get it.

Then it was a very annoying book called, “Star-crossed” by Rachael Wing. At first I thought it took place in American and though, “Why don’t they have a car” but apparently it takes place in England (I think). Apparently she was only sixteen when she wrote it and that’s pretty impressive. I didn’t like it at all though, silly and an idiotic leading lady, and the most annoying thing is, it’s written in second person aka “You”, like in “You walk down the hall”. It’s very frustrating to read because I’m not a moron and it says, “You” all the time, like I would run out into the road without looking? There’s lots of “I love you.” And “Father, I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s the love of my life” and when 15-16 year olds talk like that I just don’t buy it.

What else did I read… oh, Swedish book called Anna d’Arc by Mårten Sandén which means, Anna of Arc like in Joan of Arc. Another of these books I just don’t understand the point of. The most interesting twist is left unsolved.

I like

It’s this software that makes Polaroid’s. I don’t know why but Polaroid’s are just cool. It cuts the head off of people but I’m sure you can get around that somehow. Get software here

Books

Finished “Freaky green eyes” and it was okay, the language was better than the other books I’ve been reading but I wasn’t that interested in the story. Then I read “Good grief” which was… I don’t know, maybe I just expect too much out of everything? I should stay away from chicklit and teen books written as diaries because I never like them.

Reading, “Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging”, why are so many teen books written as diaries?

Time to get on that exercise bike and pretend I’m riding along the French countryside.

Last seen movies

Managed to watch some movies between all the books, “Atonement” and “Pan’s labyrinth” and both of them were somewhat of a disappointment. I expected more, I guess my expectations were just too high.

Update on New Year’s resolutions

Did the scariest one which means I can finally get a haircut! Don’t know what happened to the food diary, I have to start with that again. Watching movies is running along smoothly though and having my “homemade” pedicures too but not once a month…

The writing is not going well at all… stuck like always and no idea how to get out of it but I have months left to finish it and I don’t have to write a master piece I just have to try.

Haven’t walked in heels in awhile but I saw a very cute cutout booties while a low heel so maybe I should get them and do some practicing.

The project are all going pretty slowly, no writing and learning how to make a decent manicure is hard and I haven’t even had any thoughts on sewing…

The book frenzy continues

So dull… feels like I’ve read it before, it was close to déjà vu at times when I read “My so-called life” by Joanna Nadin, maybe I’m reading too many teen books and they are all very similar? It’s not as good as Meg Cabot and thought that one pretty lame and felt like something I had read before…

Wasn’t very impressed with Ally Kennens “Berserk” (in Swedish it's called, "The penpal")either… Just read a chapter of Joyce Carol Oates “Freaky green eyes” and compared to what I have been reading it’s a change.

Bad tea

It’s supposed to be wild strawberry but it smells like stale beer, like the day after a party, ew…

Reading books like a maniac

Read three books since Saturday, sure one was Emily Strange and that one I finished walking from the library to the bus stop. It was one of those books with words on every other page so maybe I can’t put it on my 101 books in 1001 days…

Then I read “How to be popular” by Meg Cabot which was just another teen book (hey, there’s a book title). The entire books is a week in Steph Landrys life and it feels like I’ve read it before, a lot of similarities with her Princess book.

Then “Friday night knitting club” by Kate Jacob which is 364 pages with very small text so I think I did a pretty good job. I got way too many books from the library and I thought I wouldn’t make it through all of them but hey, looks like I’ll make it, knock on wood. It was okay, I expected a bit more and by the end it was a little too cute for me. I do feel guilty for the unfinished sweater I have, better start knitting, when I’ve read all the books that is.

(picture found here)

It’s barely even spring but…

Look how cozy it looks. Autumn is probably my favorite time of the year… Picture found here

How to annoy your neighbors part four

Make a scaryass scarecrow. I like The Headless Horseman; they used wireframes and just dressed it, sounds easy enough to make (famous last words). Perhaps it’s not really a “scarecrow” but it sure is scary. The scarecrow next too it is nice too and looks very simple. More on how they made it here.

When you’ve made a scarecrow, make sure you light it up in the evening. So pretty…

Picture found here

Nice place for a cup of tea!

This looks ideal for tea! Well, I would remove the carpet and perhaps not have a white sofa but still, oh and a little stove to keep warm. Pretty! I want it!! More pictures here.

The Oscars

I had 11 out of 24, not good. My brother had 16, I never win…