The Secret of Kells

Once in a fortnight, on Wednesday, I visit an extracurricular study group called Celt’s Reception. The term used by the students is mostly Trash Movies concerning Celts, which is quite as true, but they wouldn’t have get a room for the group with that name.

The tower of Kells Abbey

By now, we’ve had:

1. Vercingetorix aka. Druids. Christopher Lambert with the most ridiculous hair and mustache ever and Teutons with hair colours ranging from bright red to pink.
2. King Arthur. I didn’t like Keira Knightley before and the film didn’t make it any better. Goth, the picture was a shame, you could even see the modern screws that held the swords together. And by the way, there weren’t any Romans in Britain at this time, anymore. Good laughs, anyway.
3. The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nóg. Celtic Power Rangers. Do I need to say more?
4. Roar. Heath Ledger mayherestinpeace as a celtic prince with a dead-at-the-end-of-the-pilot-episode girlfriend with modern-day gowan nightgowns. Well, at least the protagonist looked quite good.
5. Hellboy – The Golden Army. Old Irish-speaking half-undead 1000 year old elf nobility with the greatest spear fighting skills I’ve ever seen, steampunky battlefields, Abe Sapien, books, great costumes, Hellboy’s girlfriend being way less annoying than in part one and toothfairies. Oh, and did I mention that the elves spoke quite good Old Irish? No trash at all, just great entertainment.
6. Excalibur. Did you ever want to see Patrick Stewart in tights again (after Men in Tights)? Or a glowing-like-it-had-been-thrown-into-radioactive-waste sword? Then you could like this film. Well, it’s finest 80s trash. And very funny.

It may seem that those films except of Hellboy 2 were pretty horrible, and indeed, they were, but watching them is quite fun and some of us were rolling on the floor, especially during the episodes of Mystic Knights.

Yesterday we had the most beautifully made 2D animation film EVER. Brendan and the Secret of Kells is a story of freedom of mind, imagination, good books and white cats. The design, with more than a hint of the illustrations of the Book of Kells and medieval painting in general (lancet arches in the trees!), reminded me somewhat of the art of Rima from The Hermitage. The picture language in general is stunning and I think I’ve never seen something comparably expressive before in an animated picture! The lines are indeed quite simple and so are the figures, too, but this just means that the illustrators could focus more on the backgrounds and the colours that are stunning. And the details! There are even snowflakes in the shape of Celtic crosses and knots!

Aisling and Pangur

The white cat comes from an Old Irish poem of which the first lines are as following:

Meisse ocus Pangur Bán
cechtar nathar fria saindán
bíth a menma-som fri seilgg
mu menmae céin im saincheirdd

[I by myself and Pangur the White
Each of us with his own art concerned
His spirit usually aimed on hunting
My own one on my own special craft.]
(This translation might be a little bit free and it doesn’t rhyme, sadly.)

As I mentioned before, the artwork is lovely, the soundtrack catchy and touching and the story cute and heartwarming. I can just recommend this film to everyone who is interested in the Book of Kells, Celtic design, good stories, the wee folk, monasteries and scriptoriums, the art of writing and illustration and those who just love white cats.

This is the official website of the film where you can also hear one of the songs from the soundtrack as background music.

So, if you get the chance to watch it (it didn’t air in Germany at all, for instance), do so! It’s great, beautiful, delightful, a little bit scary when it comes to the Vikings, cute, dreamy and in every point a good movie.

Beating Loneliness

Picture from weheartit.com.

There are moments in life when you feel completely left alone and worthless to others. This especially happens when you are sad or angry or, all in all, not in a good mood and doing badly. These are the moments in which you feel mistreated because the only person to comfort you wouldn’t even leave their momentarily doing-what-ever if they heard you crying and sniffing two open doors away. Or when in a discussion with people you normally consider your friends won’t accept your opinion and instead hit you on the back of your head just out of the blue just for having your own mind!

Every time when it seems to you that no one loves you, nobody cares for your feelings and thoughts, remember that you are indeed a precious person. Just be good to yourself. I’d…

• Have a tea. Nothing too exquisite or expensive, a simple herbal or fruit tea will do. Warming from the inside is really helpful in situations that feel like a lump of ice in your stomach.
• Take a bath. It’s the same thing, but from the outside. In such moments I prefer oils and salts instead of bubbles which can be quite cold when you touch them accidentally.
• Read something that makes you feel comfortable. Like Eloise or Brambly Hedge or your favourite Flower Fairy or even a Shakespeare sonnet, something small that makes you smile.
• Watch a feel-good movie. Tinkerbell for instance is about accepting oneself even if others do not so.
• Cuddle up. Take a nice big blanket (I’ve got a patchwork one from IKEA that’s huge) and your favourite teddy bear and just feel that you’re save and warm.
• Talk. I just had a telephone conversation with my mother who is quite objective when I’ve got quarrels but knows me and my quirks very well. Call your parents, your best friend or your sister, someone you know to always love you, and get everything off your chest.

My mother always says “Care for yourself and be your own best friend”.

She’s right.

Princess Weekend

It’s early in the morning right now and outside the streets are covered with snow again after the old one had been washed away a fortnight ago. It started to snow on Sunday when I escorted Jules on his way to the railway station for his train home.

He arrived Friday afternoon before we went up the hill and after I had made the cake for Simon’s housewarming party. Well, the party itself was quite funny even though I wished I could have danced more… Anyway. :)

On Saturday we slept until 11 AM as we came home at about three and stayed awake until five together with Bambi (the Satyr being engaged elsewhere). I roused Jules with one of his favourite songs at the moment, Defying Gravity from Wicked, sung by Chris Colfer alias Kurt Hummel from Glee, and he was delighted (By the way, I really need a new ringtone for the alarm clock of my mobile phone, something I’ like to rise with. I think I’ll dedicate a whole post to this some other day.).
In the afternoon – which isn’t to far away from a 11 AM – I showed Jules Marburg as he had just seen it by night yet when he slept over at our’s after the last Coppelius concert in december.

First we went to our local department store that has a really nice array of fabrics, wool and buttons. Yes, I bought some fabric, again, a totally cute cotton in a greyish blue with little white ducks printed on it, I think it will make a great summers dress. ^^

He looks like a university student himself...

After taking those outfit photos we found ourselves lost in the toy store in the upper town where Jules coaxed me to get myself a glittery wand – a fairy godmother does need one, he’s right at that point. :) I also bought a small music box with the tune of Singin’ in the Rain, which is lovely. Well, that was quite a shopping trip for me. ^^

A time traveller, taking pictures.

On Sunday morning we had the most lovely breakfast with salmon toasts and Earl Grey while Hollis had a sandwich of his own (Ludwig couldn’t come as he caught cold and has to stay in bed at the moment).

Our breakfast in the morning light...

... including Hollis and another sandwich.

You see, the weekend was really great, but now I’ve got to go to university, New Irish is calling.

Bye, then!

Sevenfold A Sew Along

Don’t mind the title, I just liked the rhythm of the rotating letters. It’s a linguists thing, I think.

The snow is slowly washed away by the rain and again I am sitting in Bambi’s room, this time for the simple reason that he is playing Fallout 3 at the moment and the soundtrack are some pretty good 40s tunes.

*sing*

I don’t want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you no other will do

Some days ago, Jules and I decided to do a sew-along. We both are never out of sewing projects but rarely handle some of them if not forced to. So we looked for seven pieces to sew and here they are:

1. Coat. Mine will be a black velveteen one with a high collar, nearly a dress with a small waist and a nice lining with a floral pattern. This will be the most expensive of the projects, but I’ve wanted a black velveteen coat for so long. This will be worth it.
   
2. Trousers. A 70s look-a-like bootcut-bellbottom mix of greyish blue corduroy. I’ve already got the fabric and pattern in store, only the zipper is left needed, but I think my grandmother will be able to help me out with a matching one.
   
3. Spats. They are not only quite sensible but also decorative and steampunky and I still have this wonderful herringbone patter wool. I’ll need some brass buttons, but I think this shouldn’t be a problem.
   
4. Bag. I still need one for university when I don’t want to use my red-and-black chessboard one that’s somewhat uncomfortable sometimes and often too small or my large army survival rucksack. I recently discovered a tutorial for thicker plastic tarpaulin out of plastic bags, a nice recycling project and the bags of my favourite book store will make a perfect cover for a linguist’s bag with their letter print.I think it will be a messenger bag spacious enough for all my required stuff and an extra case for the laptop.
   
5. Waistcoat. No special ideas here yet, sadly. Suggestions, anyone?
   
6. Headgear. I really want a bonnet, so I’ll keep my eyes open for a pattern and some decent fabric.
   
7. Shirt of Blouse. Well, I’ve got the pattern, the buttons and the fabric for a special pussy bow blouse (Is quite hard to find the English version of the German word Schluppenbluse, for those who don’t know, it’s a blouse with a large scarf attached to the collar that can be bound into a huge bow). I’m really fond of my idea and will surely show you the progress!

So this is our sew-along. I’m really looking forward to sewing again, and as I finally got my ironing board to Marburg, I’ll be able to start right now! So, if you excuse me…

Good-bye until next time!

Even more Snow!

I promised you some more photos of my fairy tale town covered with snow.

Well, it’s not that much of the town but more of my way to university in photos and snow, but it’s fairytale like anyway.

The River Lahn, frozen over.

The path at the riverside is a little bit difficult to walk at the moment, completely covered with a solid hard layer of snow, especially when wearing trainers instead of combat boots (but lacing up would take hours!).

Same bridge, different view.

The bridge across the River Lahn again. When spring has come again I’ll take some pictures from upon the bridge itself, the view is just lovely.

The botanical gardens are a quite weird place at night, especially when tucked in that white blanket. I made a snow angel down at one of the trees and then tiptoed around the old green house that was still lightened.

Well, I had to show at least one picture from town… I love the old doorways in the upper part (we are living exactly at the edge between upper and lower, and the doorways are old here, too.).

The End of Holidays

Here I am, at the end of holidays. Uni will be starting again to-morrow and yesterday I spent my afternoon at Simons’ (a fellow student and kobold whose house is about five minutes away) doing homework for Old and New Irish. Old Irish was quite nice albeit costly in terms of labour, as it was translating the opening of a saga, The Tale of Mac Da Thó’s Pig, but I dearly love translating and I had great company, so it was fun anyway.

Holidays are always gone so fast! I definitely could need somebody to remind me of all the things I wanted to do through my free time, or at least a good plan…

I also love the design of the cover...

Yesterday evening, after Bambi had come home from his holidays, too, I went to bed at half past midnight but stayed awake until 3 AM reading Howl’s Moving Castle which was kindly lent to me by Simons’ flat mate. The book is so much better than the film, and the film alone is already quite great! I love the literature references and the fact that Howl is from Wales (I mean, hey… I’m a student at Celtic studies.). Sophie is way more aggressive and energetic than in the movie and overall, the book is less lethargic and in exchange more ironic and conscious of the story’s clichés. More my kind of story.

At the moment I’m sitting in Bambi’s room with the rabbits and him, sipping tea (I made three pots – thermos flasks are great!) and chatting with my fellow students over the topic of New Irish homework and palatal and neutral consonants. It is snowing outside in very fine snowflakes which means that the snow will last a while and I can see the all the lightened windows of our street through Bambi’s largest window.

I’ve got to go out to take some photos of my fairy tale town!

Snow spirits are wandering the botanical garden at night...

Well, so I went out and took some photos and then called Bambi on the phone for him to come down and have a snowball fight with me and then Simon came along (he had been to a choir rehearsal) and we went to his house (it’s adorable, I’ll write about that another night) for a cup o’ tea and a pillow fight in the living room. We just came back ten minutes ago, but now it’s nearly 1 AM and I’ll have to be at my New Irish lesson at 10 AM and I wanted to look up something before so I’ll load up all the other pictures when I’m home from university tomorrow.

Good night now, and may all the world sleep well under the thick blanket of white…

Fabrics and a glowing Mouse

Yesterday I went on a little shopping trip with Jules.

Honestly, we only wanted to look for some fabric!

I went home with two yards of tulle and some satin ribbons for my first real petticoat. Two yards seem not very much, but I will also use “normal” stiff cotton and there’s always a mercer near enough to buy some more.

And I could not resist when I saw that rayon flannel that will make an excellent ruffle, cuffs and decoration for my planned gothic dress.

I also needed some hook-and-loop tape for my old black double-breasted dress that I finally mended and re-dyed for a newer look. Well, I didn’t need a glow-in-the-dark mouse or cutely drawn stickers and temporary tattoos or a base for a miniature top hat in form of an Alice band (well, I do need it, but it wasn’t on my shopping list) or a book or red and white striped socks…

Tomorrow I’ll be going back to Marburg, then with my new bed and closet for a week of translating, looking things up in the library, finally finishing my time line exercise and thinking of a nice matter for my assignment at Celtic studies.
Maybe I’ll have the time to take some photos, too! ;)

But now I’ve got to finish the oiling of my bed and then I’ll be heading off to the Goblin’s for an evening of videos and pasta casserole.

10 Pleasures in January

The fairy is a punk, wearing tartan. ;)

1. Starting all over. A new year is a great chance for changes! You can stat with a new hair colour, a new style, a brand new attitude and your new year’s resolutions. When it comes to me, I had my tips cut (finally) and dyed my hair again and went into the new year with the resolution to wear more Lolita.
2. Music of the 20s and 30s. We watched a concert of Max Raabe and his Palast Orchestra on Christmas Eve which was a delight for the whole family: My grandfather ventured a little dance with my mother and the rest of us – my grandmother, her sister and I – couldn’t keep our feet from dancing, either. I simply love those old chansons and am sad that they don’t play songs like these in our dance halls.
3. Art Nouveau. The floral designs of this turn-of-the-century style of art I’m really taken with. The German term for Art Nouveau is Jugendstil which comes from the name of a magazine, Jugend, meaning youth, with adorable illustrations. The clothing of that time is really interesting, too, lots of beadwork and silk chiffon, as well as the typography with flowing lines, the art of Alphonse Mucha, the presumably most widely known Art Nouveau artist and the architecture that looks like is had grown out of stone like a willow of Antoni Gaudí.
4. Dark Red Lipstick. Because it looks way more dramatic than plain old glaring red that could be easily seen as the attire of a painted woman, if you know what I mean.
5. My Laptop. I got it at noon at Christmas Eve, just when Jules arrived at the gates of my castle, too. I’m not very good with technical stuff, but it is pretty impossible to work for university without a computer and with my new little fellow here I can also work at the train when I’m heading to my mother’s for the weekend. The only thing that I’ll change about my notebook is that I’ll design a cover for it, as it is not that pretty at all.
6. Tartan. I mostly wear Black Watch as there is no clan restriction to it, e.g. my kilt mini that I brought back from Edinburgh as a souvenir. I wish I wouldn’t be that aware of the clan thing for I could wear other tartans then, as well, but one of my best friends, the wereterrier, is of Scottish heritage, so I don’t really want to mess around with that… But I’d really like a Punk Lolita dress out of tartan fabric.
7. Wool. Woollen clothing is not only comfortable but also quite sensible. I own three pullover (one blue, one of the colour of blackberries and one in Scandinavian style from Norway), some woollen tights that I love dearly and, of course, my kilt and an unmanageable amount of socks. Oh. And scarves. And gloves. And caps. I also spin, and raw wool is one of the most lovely things I have ever touched. Oh, and I love sheep, too!
8. Inkscribble’s Sailor Moon re-designs on deviantart.com. I was absolutely amazed by her designs that combine the sweet side of Sailor Moon with Victorian style and a hint of Art Nouveau. The hair of some of the girls is quite like in the pictures of Alphonse Mucha, and the new dress is adorable.I don’t think that I could have done it better, but maybe I’ll try my own re-design of that characters some day, then with the more martial aspects of the series, I guess.
9. Old Movies from black and white to Technicolor. I love the way they talk in those films because of their stage actor training, something that I would appreciate with modern times actors, too. Also, the clothes are wonderful and the weird blush on the character’s cheeks in Technicolor. Plus, they’re the proof that you can have a great film without loads of special effects, too.
10. Gives You Hell, a song by The All-American Rejects. Seems as I stumbled into a major punk rock phase again (I’m listening to folk punk most of the time at the moment and also decided to form a folk punk band with some of my fellow students), and I love, love, love! the gaze and grin of the singer when he’s saying the “And truth be told, I’m lying!” line. Normally, I’m not too much into the tall, slim popular rocker type, but he’s simply too handsome *g*. And the song is just one of those instant-good-mood instruments.

White again and a new Name

Tonight it snowed again. In the middle of the night I thought I had seen a weak white layer on the street when I gazed out of the window, but thought I was still dreaming. When I woke up today at forenoon (clearing my sleep deficit from New Year’s Eve), the world was covered in white again, the snow decorating the bare trees with its garlands and trimming.

So I went out in the afternoon and took some pictures before everything melted away again.

I also decided to try a new name for the blog, as you can see above. You’ll tell me what you think of it, won’t you? I wanted it to be a little more Lolita but not without the wild fairy aspect, as this is what I am. So, no more grey walls of a strong fortress around me to keep me in my ivory tower, but an invitation to join me on my path through the everyday fairytale.

8 New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! Mine started with rain. It is still a little drizzly outside. We blew up some of the Imps old house models (he’s doing his studying of architecture quite well, so he has plenty of them) and I got a wonderfully warm woollen Scandinavian style pullover from Bambi and his sister who’s studying in Norway at the moment, so you can guess where the pullover came from… and I’m wearing it right now.
We stayed up until 6 AM, well I can do things like that some times (four times a year are definitely enough), but I think I’ll take a cat nap later and go to bed early this evening.

Preparing for the new year, I made some resolutions, and here they are:

1. Stop biting nails. A very important one as it is a quite unladylike habit that I have displayed since I can remember. Time to stop it! I’ll even use nail polish if I’ve got to!
2. Finally get my online shop started. Just for to see if the things that I make sell or not. I will work together with Jules, as a united force of crafters may be more successful than a lone wolf.
3. Hold a Steampunk/ Gaslight con. The plot is pretty much complete and there are even enough people who are interested in a participation as players.I hope we’ll get the location we want to and then, in autumn…
4. Wear more Lolita. I didn’t really do that last year, and to control this I should post on daily Lolita at least once a month. Maybe Jules will join me, wouldnt’ you?
5. Fulfill about 50% of my daring deeds. Really. I’ve been far to lazy with them last year. But there are some that are in progress, so the prospects are great!
6. Take better care of myself. I really want to be out of the house more often, get more daylight (good against depressive situations, honestly!), be more careful what I eat and do something good for my soul every day, too.
7. Keep my room tidy. I just moved in and I want my retreat to be cosy and nice, well to express my self but I don’t need total chaos to show that this is my chamber. I also want to go for some real decorations (I’ll need a calendar, too!) and my closet also belongs to my room. No more clothes I don’t really like!
8. Go to Latin classes regularly. If I really want to be accepted for the third semester next summer, I’ve got to study and learn my vocabularies well. But as I live only ten minutes from the lecture theatre building, this shouldn’t be too hard to achieve.

The fact that there are eight of them is pretty random. I hope I’ll keep sticking to them this year!
And now I’ll go an and have the first nice, hot, relaxing bath of the year.

‘Til Then!