Friday, December 17, 2010

Free Today: Wish by Alexandra Bullen



Wish

Wish by Alexandra Bullen was just released in paperback this month. But today its Kindle version is free for purchase after its hardcover release earlier this year. If you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the free software and the book to your computer or other compatible devices to read it so its free except for the time you need for getting the software loaded.  I have already ordered my copy but haven't read it before so I will simply share the descriptions which imply the inclusion of many fairy tale tropes, especially from Cinderella.

Book description from publisher:

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone... until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn't just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can't solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, WISH asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for?
The reviews were overall positive, too.
If you are bound to a hardcover version, it is actually bargain priced today, too, for $3.61. These prices are all subject to change within hours or days, according to the vagaries of the inventory and other factors. A great last minute gift addition. Of course, the paperback is what the publisher is also watching so feel generous and purchase that version instead if you like. However, the free Kindle versions are often offered limited time to generate buzz and reviews, so that is a guilt-free holiday gift to you if you want it.


Wish

Wish



Quilt Week: Quilt King Fairy Tale Princess




Today's quilt is the Quilt King Fairy Tale Princess. This is actually a larger mass produced quilt available for sale from several online merchants such as Amazon. This one is easy to recognize as Cinderella. I like the color scheme and the pattern of this one so I had to share it.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Quilt Week: Little Red Riding Hood by Zylpha Sindara




This quilt was featured on Simply Quilts on HGTV here in the U.S. The quit was designed by Zylpha Sindara and the instructions for making it are available on the HGTV website at Little Red Riding Hood Quilt. The instructions are more in general for any fairy tale or story quilt. 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Jack Johnson included

Yesterday I attended one of my family's favorite Christmas traditions: Tuba Christmas.  My husband is a tuba player,only for fun these days. Tuba Christmas is his annual opportunity to play with a large band which is an adrenaline rush when it is composed of a minimum of 85 tubas, usually many more but the weather interfered yesterday.  It is free, it is holiday-spirited and always fun. In Nashville, we also have an eight piece Dixieland ensemble of musicians who play for 20-30 minutes before the concert and are wonderful, playing off the cuff and pretty much showing up close and personal how wonderful master musicians sound. That is one blessing of living in Music City. I may not love country music, but I enjoy anything live that is well-played and well-written which tends to be pretty common around here.

One of the Christmas standards in constant play this time of year is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, a Christmas fairy tale these days never mind its commercial origins.  At least I consider it much more of a fairy tale than either Wizard of Oz or Peter Pan or Alice in Wonderland are.  Those are wonderful fantasy books, but they aren't fairy tales in the folkloric sense. Anyway, I digress and return again.

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

I enjoyed Rudolph as a kid but for years it has disturbed me as rather unresolved and horrible since Rudolph is only valued for one trait, one which has tormented him for years. He is happy that everyone is finally nice to him, but I never trusted those fickle reindeer to not turn on him again once the fog had cleared.  Then a few years ago, I was thrilled to hear Jack Johnson's version of the song which has become my absolute favorite and the only one I like to listen to now on my holiday playlist. It appeared on This Warm December: Brushfire Holiday's Vol. 1 and some other compilations.

I am embedding a concert performance of the song below with Johnson's introduction.  Essentially he added a verse to the song.  I still remember the first time I heard it, not expecting the verse and then I replayed it about ten times in a row, determined to memorize it. I was charmed. "Rudolph, he didn't go for that..." etc. So here's a bit of a Christmas fairy tale, added to by an artist, to make it even richer, especially in a world where bullying has been a serious topic of late (and always in the history of the world).



And do look for a Tuba Christmas opportunity in your area.  It's amazing how so many strangers come together with an 80 year age range to make great music in the community after an hour or so of practice. It is always an inspiring way to celebrate the holiday season. It's rather like a better organized flash mob of Christmas music.

Madhurima latest Stills

Madhurima latest Photoshoot, More images after the break...
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Gestures in different Countries

Traveling to another country can be difficult. You might be surprised, but if you show a typical American or European gesture of "goat" or «that rocks» (forefinger and little finger pointing up, middle and ring fingers are pressed to the palm and thumb brushed aside), which can mean belonging to such a musical style like rock, then in Italy, the gesture you tell someone that their wife is cheating on them!


(Don't Get Me Wrong – The Global Gestures Guide). In this regard, in anticipation of the Christmas holidays in the UK have released the book "Do not get me wrong - a global guide sign» (Don't Get Me Wrong - The Global Gestures Guide). To mention a few examples, after the break...
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Hollywood's 20 Highest Earning Celebrities

Johnny Depp: $ 75 million; Sandra Bullock: $ 56 million

This list includes top 10 highest-earning actresses and top 10 best paid actors of Hollywood, according to Forbes. It clearly shows the pay gap between women and men, and you can compare their earnings from June 1, 2009 to June 1, 2010. 18 more celebs after the break...

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