Afterglow

Music video by Wilkinson performing Afterglow. 

(C) 2013 Ram Records Ltd, under exclusive licence to Virgin EMI Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Vocals by Becky Hill

http://www.wilkinson-music.com/

Roméo et Juliette

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Everyone is buzzing about it, and I guess it's time for me to fly into the conversation.  For those of you who know me well, it should not come as a surprise that I am utterly devoted and obsessed with Shakespeare and (some) of his plays.  Romeo and Juliet has always been a favorite of mine -- but not in the traditional sense.

"The greatest love story ever told" is not how I would describe the pathetic relationship between Romeo and his infatuated love Juliet.  True love?  I think not.  Yet Shakespeare (the genius that he is) is truly a poet and his writing is utterly breath-taking in this classic.  I read this play at least once a year, and don't think I will ever get sick of it.  I do not condone the behavior between the two "star-crossed lovers" nor do I believe in the dramatic unfolding of the play, but I cannot get enough of the words pushing out of the paper and into my head, creating these stunning portraits of scenes that can only be painted by a true artist.

That being said, there has been countless adaptations of this play, and below are the trailers for the most famous.  With my commentary on them; of course.

First of all we have the classic 1968 adaption by Franco Zeffirelli starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.  A truly beautiful film.  They kept close to the original writing and cast the two leads flawlessly.  It is always hard to remember how young Romeo and Juliet were written as, so by casting a 17 and 15 year old, Zeffirelli succeeded in refreshing all of our minds.  Makes the silly love-aspect of the play a little more bearable.  Young love *sigh*.  The lines are delivered naturally and the story unfolds nicely.  Although the film does get a little dry and boring near the end, this will still be one of my favorite adaptations of this play.

Next we have arguably the worst film Leonardo DiCaprio has ever been in, if not the worst film ever made.  The horrendous adaptation by Baz Luhrmann starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes (1996).  Although many describe this film to be a masterpiece, I find it dreadful and just watching the trailer made me cringe.  It was a failed attempt to modernize Shakespeare's work, lacking the right flair it needed to make it a spectacle (a la The Great Gatsby), and also lacking the right translation from the original play to more "understandable English" *shivers*.  Let's just say I wasn't too keen on the whole idea of modernizing a vintage play.

But of course I judged too soon, because only two years later in 1998 John Madden along with the phenomenal Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes blew my mind with a (honestly hard to explain) adaption of the play.  Not a direct telling of the play, but a very well-written story with two plots woven into one seamlessly.  I cannot express my love for this movie through a simple blurb.  The way the characters came alive and naturally portrayed the making of Romeo and Juliet as a play just makes me clap my hands together in giddy joy.  All of the actors were superb, and the storyline was epic.  (The trailer doesn't nearly do it justice.)  If you haven't seen this film, I highly recommend it.

And finally, the one we've all been waiting for.  The most recent attempt at rekindling the original jewel in it's most basic glory.  I have not seen this film yet, so a review will be coming shortly but the trailer looks promising.  Although I must admit the gorgeous Ed Westwick may have nudged my opinion in one way over the other... (What can a girl do?)  I'm excited (and frightfully nervous) to see how this new piece will unfold.  

Before Sunrise, Before Sunset

"Isn't this the best part of breaking up?

Finding someone else you can't get enough of.

Someone who wants to be with you too."

Just a Kiss

The Metro St James Cafe 
"is a classic, relaxed bistro combining the best of Parisian and New York café culture with Sydney’s natural beauty and urban chic.

Housed in a heritage-listed sandstone building behind St James Station in leafy Hyde Park, the MSJ’s restrained and quasi-industrial style pays homage to the building’s history and makes the most of its unique location."

And here's the best part!

For the month of June between the hours of 9-11am, you can pay for you coffee with....

A KISS!

That's right: This small cafe in Sydney is "bringing romance back" by 

offering an alternative to paying with cash.  Show them a kiss with your loved one and

you will get your coffee free of charge!!  Definitely drop by if you have a chance!!!

http://metrostjames.com.au/

Set Sail

 

"Polish artist Justyna Kopania utilizes her skilled hand at painting to produce stunning portraits of ships at sea." 

Here are a few paintings from her Marine paintings series; a collection of oil paintings.  She successfully adds depth and texture into her paintings by not holding back on her paints.  She uses her strokes to move the painting and the audience can see this clearly.  

Makes you want to reach out and touch the painting. 

Fall into it.   Fall away.   

 

I'm back.

Audrey Hepburn Vogue 1955

The Magic Of Line

 

One of the most amazing exhibitions I've ever went to was "The Magic Of Line" at The Getty Center.

Showcasing some of Klimt's earlier works and his sketches for his famous pieces.

My respect for him went up a million notches.

Similar to Goya, Dali, and Toulouse-Lautrec, Klimt was an artistic genius that made his own decision to step outside of the box. 

The fact that he can sketch these incredible works of art with just pencil and white crayon...

His use of line is incredible.

So minimalistic -- he doesn't need to use many small lines.

You can see the confidence seeping of the paper.

Enjoy.

 

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One of Klimt's most famous paintings -- The Kiss.

Have you ever seen the original sketch?

I have.

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All of these sketches are in the "Gustav Klimt THE MAGIC OF LINE" book.  

I'm not a huge advocate for advertising on my blog, but I highly recommend purchasing this book.

Step back and remember.

Music video by James Morrison performing I Won't Let You Go. 

(C) 2011 Universal Island Records

Division of Universal Music Operations Limited

Pure, Sweet, and Innocent

New York and Florida based Beulah Anne is a freelance photographer that shoots all over the world.  Her photographs are fresh and breezy, also stunningly beautiful.

The photos seem effortless, but gorgeous.

Take a peek at her website!!

This series is very feminine and soft :)

http://www.beulahanne.com/

Summertime.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIDOEsQL7lA

And the living is...

Easy. 

Photography by: Cihan Alpgiray
Song by: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

The softness of a Lady

 

Cihan Alpgiray from Istanbul,Turkey captures the beauty and femininity of women.

You can feel the softness of the skin, the sweetness of their souls.

J'adore.

"CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT STATIONERY YOU TAKE IS SOLELY FOR WORK PURPOSES. THANK YOU."

Post-It Love

Music: Masaki Kurihara, Kuricorder Orchestra
Editing: Sam Rice Edwards
Cast: Charity Wakefield, Lee Ingleby
DoP: Carl Neilsson
Producers: Elizabeth Gower, Lucy Gossage

Appears courtesy of Academy Films: http://academyfilms.com/flash/#/

"Chivalry is Dead"

 Rodney Smith disagrees.  His photos are absolutely stunning.  A perfect combination of Romanticism, Adorableness, and Coy. (You get what I mean...)  A perfect beacon of hope to people who think that chivalry is dead.  And the photos are just so happy-inducing...

http://www.rodneysmith.com/

Fairytale Family

ヨーロッパに住んでそうな家族。

      Fashion photographer Mario Testino shows us just how magical family life can be with model Natalia Vodianova in his photo set for Vogue's November 08 issue. Not only are the clothes absolutely beautiful, it's the gorgeous environment makes this set so enchanting. It's like a modern day fairytale, only here you get to see what happens after the princess runs off with her prince.

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/a-fairytale-family-mario