Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Review

Check Price Now!

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Feature

• Treat yourself to a spa quality experience from Zen Garden Aromatherapy from Enchanted Meadow.
• With natural ingredients & essential oils, they provide aromatherapy plus gentle care for your skin
• This is a gift set of travel sized products in a clear zipper carry case with satin ribbon bow.
• Includes 2.1 oz bottles of Body Lotion, Shower Gel and Bath & Massage Oil, plus a Travel Candle
• Comes in Linden & Mimosa, a soothing aroma of the linden tree (lime) accented with mimosa.

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Overview

Enchanted Meadow brings you the Zen Garden Aromatherapy line of quality products to provide a luxorious spa experience at home. Formulated to take advantage of natural aromatherapy qualities to lift your mood and made with natural ingredients like aloe vera, rosemary and chamomile naturally treat skin. We present this gift set of travel sized products for the woman on the go. Includes 2.1 ounce bottles of Body Lotion, Bath Gel and Bath & Massage Oil, plus a 1.5″ x 2″ Travel Candle that burns for approximately 15 hours. Enjoy the fragrance of Linden & Mimosa, exclusively from the Zen Garden Aromatherapy line, that has a relaxing and soothing aroma. Attractively packaged in a zipper-closed clear carrying case tied with a satin ribbon. The lovely presentation and elegant fragrance blend makes it a perfect gift idea for anyone on your list. These small sizes are perfect for travel carry-on to have airport approved sizes of liquids – plus the clear bag works with airport restrictions.

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 25, 2009 02:00:31

I am not Catholic, but if I could and knew how, I would crawl into a confessional and admit my guilt.

Sadly, my confession will firmly place the blame on another person.  One I don’t know, but will blame anyways for my inability to accomplish anything important yesterday and today.

The first half of my confession is to admit that I am a hopeless book addict.  Over the years, I have gotten much better, and can actually read a book over an entire month.  I hate to do that, as  I love sitting down with the characters and the story and gorging myself on their lives.  However, Real Life usually gets in the way and I have to read a book in bite size pieces and be content with a page or two at a time. 

A few days ago, I finished Graceling.  Kristin Cashore’s debut novel was such a delight that I couldn’t stop reading until I devoured the entire thing in less than a half a day–with interruptions.  Oh, the dreaded interruptions.

Which leads me to the second half of my confession.  Last night, I cracked open the companion book to Graceling.  Fire was just as riveting and amazing and heartfelt as the first.

I read myself to sleep and (don’t hate me, dear fam) couldn’t wait to rejoin the characters again this morning.  I almost pushed my kids off to school and I’m quite certain DH felt more than a little confused at my rushed peck and absent-minded good-bye as he left the house.  My book was waiting.

*sigh*

I blame Ms. Cashore.  Her charge is writing a great book.  I hope someday to write lyrical tales that make people want to kick their family out of the house, curl up with a blanket, a cup of hot coffee and live in a land of my make-believe. 

If I ever succeed in doing this, I will gladly take the blame for loyal readers hurriedly sending their families away and coveting hours of solitude where they get absolutely nothing done.  I would love nothing more than to learn that someone cared enough about my characters to forget the laundry in the wash machine.  It would make me giddy to envision a reader pulling her nose out of my book, blinking into the waning light and realizing with a rush of excitement and disappointment that an entire day had magically slipped away.

Kudos to Kristin Cashore for giving me one spell-binding day in which the laundry is unwashed, the dishes piled in the sink and dinner a slap dash of whatever there is in the house.  I hope to pull myself together and pull off the illusion that I did, indeed, accomplish something before DH gets home.  Otherwise, he may not feel so inclined to let me purchase her next book.

And that would be a tragedy.

As we were driving home last, I thought about our house being one of the few without Christmas lights.  I had every intention of putting lights up, but we still haven’t.  I have a few strands of lights on the garage, however it would look like I had a few random strands unless I got really creative with them.  Last year I wanted to use flamingos as reindeer and a lawn chair for a sleigh.  I posted on Facebook that I was looking for flamingos.  Amy Nemeczky bought me a cool ceramic one, and we fondly named him Chris.  Thad also bought me a whole flock of plastic flamingos and two skelemingos.  Since they arrived right before Christmas, I never got a chance to carry out my plan, not that my neighbors would have thought anything out of the ordinary had I created this landscape scenerio after Christmas.  Oh, and the photo of Skelly is him on vacation with me and the boys.  That was a rabbit trail, hey?

I’m also one of the few houses in Frisco with mature trees.  When we had that crazy snow flurry about a week ago, all of the yards were covered with the untouched white snow, all but one, our house.  The enchanted forest in my front yard has a beautiful canopy of trees covering every square inch, protecting my yard from the portrayal of winter.  I did have the trees trimmed, so if we did add lights to the house, you would be able to see a lot of them.

So why haven’t I put lights up?  It just hasn’t been a top priority, or any priority for that matter.  Since starting the 25 days of Christmas blog, yesterday was the first day I had the feeling of being too busy.  My Christmas and work to do lists are long, but all of the items on them are very important.  Shopping is not on the list.  The tiny amount I had to do has been done for weeks.  At least this year busyness is an improved kind over last year.  It’s about helping others, letting our friends and family know that we appreciate them and not participating in the consumerism.

The lights may not be a priority, but carrying on a tradition my boys and I started last year was of great importance.  We did our annual ‘boo’ last night.  Now I know what you’re thinking.  If you live around here, you know that booing someone is a Halloween thing.  If you don’t live around here, Texas has a lot of things that don’t make any sense to people outside of this big star-shaped land mass.  We made our candy boo bags a week ago, finished assembling them last night and attached our mysterious Christmas gift  in a tiny envelope taped to the front.  Nope, I’m not telling you what that is yet.

We made our hot chocolate with more marshmallows than chocolate, loaded up our gear and took off in our very old Infiniti sleigh.  We spent two hours driving all over Frisco until we ran out of bags.  We’ll have to make a lot more of these next year.

I drove the sleigh, pulled up in front of the target house and turned off the lights.  Next, the boys took turns, dropping a bag by the front door, ringing the doorbell and running to the car quickly so we could drive off before being caught.  And those of you with babies, we knocked instead of using the doorbell, as to not wake them.  We aren’t as experienced as Santa, or we would have just come quietly down the chimney.

Now ‘boos’ are supposed to be anonymous, and last year we were, yet somehow people knew who it was.  Go figure.  This year these little bags have some mystery, but ultimately our friends can go online and see what we are up to, because we are always up to something.

This Christmas I am trying to plan things ahead of time and get things done early.  When my ADHD and OCD collide, that usually means that events happen spontaneously, but everything is more than prepared and ready for it.  Sometimes doing things last minute is the motivation I need, so it works for me.  It seems to stress other out to the point that they won’t make eye contact with me, in hopes that I won’t ask them to be involved.  The funny thing about it?  I apparently do this to others, as I did it yesterday in a staff meeting.  Just for the record, it didn’t work, I have to make a bunch of vinyl signs for Christmas Eve.

I suppose what I experienced yesterday is that busyness, no matter if it’s good or bad, takes away from the Christmas spirit.  Is slowing down to experience the joy of the season really possible?

Okay, it’s time to share a few more ‘Santa shoot’ photos.  See if you can recognize the light scenarios.

Enchanted Dreams: Erotic Tales of the Supernatural

By Nancy Madore

Pub. Date: September 2009

The mind behind the Enchanted series is bestselling author Nancy Madore. She offers a peculiar and fantastic world of the paranormal, where erotic fantasies know no bounds. Within these seven evoking stories you’ll discover how wildly promiscuous fairies react when a flesh-and-blood woman stumbles into their midst…why a werewolf with a sadistic streak finally succumbs to unexpectedly dangerous desire…a monster hunt that turns into a darkened night of terror and delight…and how a couple manipulates magic to dominate and stimulate… Don’t close your eyes…you won’t want to miss a single thing!

Now this is what paranormal should be! At last, some real suspense and plots that make sense. Just because we love vampires and ghosts and so forth doesn’t mean we don’t have a brain. Oh, and these stories are told from the sexual and somewhat twisted side of the paranormal world, so its for adults only! I loved every story and recommend it to lovers of erotica and of paranormal stories.

Enchanted – How does she now

This duet song or you must to sing with your partner. Means of duet; sing together men and women of two performers.
*note: This is means the woman sings. This means the man sings.

How does she know you love her?
How does she know she’s yours?

How does she know that you love her?

How do you show her you love her? (together)

How does she know that you really
Really truly love her?
How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you love her?
How does she know that you really really truly love her?

It’s not enough to take the one you love for granted
You must remind her or she’ll be inclined to say
“How do I know he loves me?
How do I know he’s mine?”

Well does he leave a little note to tell you, you are on his mind?
Send you yellow flowers when the sky is grey?
He’ll find a new way to show you a little bit every day
That’s how you know..
That’s how you know he’s in love

You got to show her you need her
Don’t treat her like a mind reader
Each little something to lead her to believe you love her

Everybody wants to live happily ever after
Everybody wants to know their true love is true
How do you know he loves you?
How do you know he’s yours?….

Well does he take you out dancing just so he can hold you close?
Dedicate a song with words meant just for you?
He’ll find his own way to tell you with the little things he’ll do
That’s how you know…
That’s how you know he’s your love
He’s your love

That’s how you know he loves you
That’s how you know it’s true

Because he’ll wear your favorite color just so he can match your eyes
Plan a private picnic by the fire’s glow
His heart will be yours forever
Something every day will show

-That’s how you know (5 times)

That’s how you know he’s in love
That’s how you know
That’s how you know he’s your love

In this song A Capella, Giselle (who the princess come from fairy tales land) the women. And Marlon Saunders – Calypso Singer is a men sings this song

After bringing life to 8 gorgeous princesses (there’re white, Asian, native American, and even an Egyptian  princess), Disney’s first African-American princess, Tiana, is coming soon in its latest animation : The Princess and The Frog – inspired by Grimm’s brothers story.

This is the first 2D classic, hand-drawn animation by Disney since 2004. I love hand-drawn cartoons as they bring much of  the nostalgic childhood feeling . Disney’s work is usually accompanied by heartwarming musical…can’t wait to see this latest installment!

Previous Disney’s Princesses are:

1) Snow White | (Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs)

2) Cinderella | (Cinderella)

3) Princess Aurora | (Sleeping Beauty)

4) Princess Aeriel | (The Little Mermaid)

5) Princess Belle | (Beauty and The Beast)

6) Princess Jasmine | (Alladin)

6) Princess Pocahontas | (Pocahontas)

7) Princess Mulan | (Mulan)

There’s actually another Princess created by Disney, if you can recall Princess Giselle…my favourite! She’s from Disney’s Enchanted, and the only real-life princess created. Sadly she’s not included, in the Disney’s Princess Series, cause Disney would have to pay Amy Adams royalties if products (i.e. dolls, printing) is made using her image..LoL~

8 ) Princess Giselle | (Enchanted)

Okay last pic for now :

I recently had a conversation with an friend about surrender.

We were discussing the nature of good and evil. I believe that you don’t need to be a Christian, or religious, to be good. Nor does a particular religious identity diminish the capacity for evil.

The great biblical scholar Willi Marxsen, probably the last bible scholar also famous for theological ethics, argued that the real point of the Christ event, the faith of Jesus, is that He is the sign for taking action.

There are a couple easy objections. Such a view is a bit reductionistic. It’s as if someone told us, “do something.”

We could just as easily respond with “do what?”

“Just stand there.” “Look busy.” Or just dead silence.

I argued that we know God when we are active, taking risks, and creating. When Luther said “sin boldly,” he was stating that knowing the love of God allows us to make mistakes sometimes. Knowing God means also knowing your power. And it is going to be imperfect. If it were perfect, it would be God-like.

My friend’s response: and what about surrender? Sometimes it is precisely when we realize we do not have power that we are able to grow and become transformed by God. I can’t control everything. One cannot both surrender and have power.

Yet even surrendering is a creative act. And often we need to surrender over and over again. Surely, we do not need to be in control, because the Divine Affection is. But the debate between initiative and surrender conceals Christ’s deeper challenge.

Jesus doesn’t ask for action or surrender for their own sake, but because our lives are at stake: are we zombies or human beings? sometimes the choices we make deaden us; and other times it is through surrendering we become award of God’s glory. Christ wants us to recognize our shared humanity and its reflection of the grand transcendence around us.

It’s actually an old metaphysical problem. Are we the living dead? Are we puppets on a string? We we simply robots? Or are we alive? Can we take the risk of commitment? Can we take the risk to change? To whom to we surrender?

We act in our walking. And some times we will stand still and surrender to the enchanted glory that envelops us.

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Review

Check Price Now!

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Feature

• Treat yourself to a spa quality experience from Zen Garden Aromatherapy from Enchanted Meadow.
• With natural ingredients & essential oils, they provide aromatherapy plus gentle care for your skin
• This is a gift set of travel sized products in a clear zipper carry case with satin ribbon bow.
• Includes 2.1 oz bottles of Body Lotion, Shower Gel and Bath & Massage Oil, plus a Travel Candle
• Comes in Linden & Mimosa, a soothing aroma of the linden tree (lime) accented with mimosa.

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Overview

Enchanted Meadow brings you the Zen Garden Aromatherapy line of quality products to provide a luxorious spa experience at home. Formulated to take advantage of natural aromatherapy qualities to lift your mood and made with natural ingredients like aloe vera, rosemary and chamomile naturally treat skin. We present this gift set of travel sized products for the woman on the go. Includes 2.1 ounce bottles of Body Lotion, Bath Gel and Bath & Massage Oil, plus a 1.5″ x 2″ Travel Candle that burns for approximately 15 hours. Enjoy the fragrance of Linden & Mimosa, exclusively from the Zen Garden Aromatherapy line, that has a relaxing and soothing aroma. Attractively packaged in a zipper-closed clear carrying case tied with a satin ribbon. The lovely presentation and elegant fragrance blend makes it a perfect gift idea for anyone on your list. These small sizes are perfect for travel carry-on to have airport approved sizes of liquids – plus the clear bag works with airport restrictions.

Enchanted Meadow Zen Garden Aromatherpay Travel Gift Set: Linden & Mimosa Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 30, 2009 15:40:04

Related : projection alarm clock coffee maker 4 cup candle gift baskets

My dearest Father,

Day by day, month by month, year by year and I am getting closer to the consciousness every time, that I am free only in your arms, and the only place where I can release my burden and pain is your hand.

Deep inside I’ve always known that you are my biggest, and purest love ever, but the pain always makes me feel this better, and stronger and everytime the road leads back to your lap, to your home, to your grace. What a shame for me that I can only appreciate you when I am sad.

However my wasted heart will love ’till I am dying, and I guess even more. Father, I love you, more than words, more than any human can image. Feelings are indescribable.

So I am Calling Heaven now, Calling Heaven now, Calling Heaven’s hand, so Heaven helps…

I so love this song right now. It’s from the movie “Enchanted” and it’s been right under my nose for years.

Anyway, I just listened to the entire song the other night and wham! I felt it. I’ve been playing it on repeat for I don’t know how long. Some people use it for weddings but if you analyze the message underneath, it’s really a sad song about pretending/daydreaming and getting your hopes up then realizing you can’t afford to get your hopes up!

It has different meanings though. Listen to it thoroughly and tell me what you think. I can’t upload the song in my page for some reason, so here’s the next best thing to do (I think): Go to www.youtube.com, type “So Close by Jon McLaughlin” in the SEARCH tab and there you go!

Warning: Not for the people who are “fainthearted” a.k.a. “those who don’t like mushy songs”. LOL.

So Close by Jon McLaughlin from the movie ENCHANTED (lyrics)

You’re in my arms
And all the world is calm
The music playing on
For only two
So close together
And when I’m with you
So close to feeling alive

A life goes by
Romantic dreams must die
So I bid mine goodbye
And never knew
So close was waiting
Waiting here with you
And now, forever, I know
All that I wanted to hold you
So close

So close to reaching
That famous happy end
Almost believing
This one’s not pretend
Now you’re beside me
And look how far we’ve come
So far
We are
So close

Oh, how could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?

We’re so close to reaching
That famous happy end
Almost believing
This *was not* pretend
Let’s go on dreaming
Though we know we are
So close
So close, and still
So far

Thanksgiving Day isn’t necessarily a huge moviegoing day for my family, at least nowhere near as big as Christmas.  It is the first day that my dad permits listening to Christmas music (although that hasn’t stopped me from listening to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” ten times already on my laptop).  When we do go, they have been family movies (“Enchanted” in 2007, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” today) so be thankful for that time we can share together.

Erato and Peitho dance, hand in hand,
To the songs of sex, heat and love; they kiss
The brows of lovers with enchanted lips
And adorn their skins with passionate need.

They are the heralds of Aphrodite,
That laughter-loving, blood-borne Queen; they send
To her the smiles of midnight lovers, and
Warm their bodies in Selene’s soft glow.

As you probably are aware now, I am working with Enchanted – Jason & Justine Bowker.

They recorded four more tracks to complete their album.

Here is one of them. Please let us know what you think.

Some Enchanted Autumn by Linda Andrews is an excellent gift idea for the Halloween season. Vampires, skeletons, spiders, witches… they are all here – but this is definitely not a children’s book.

One town, founded by the same wagon train during the pioneering days of the North American continent, holds a secret that could destroy them all. Divided by a bitter and ancient rift, it becomes two rival towns – Pumpkin and Holly. These folks take their holidays seriously, but none more so than Pumpkin’s residents do.

Lonnie, who is running both from herself and from facing her pompous and boring boyfriend, returns to Pumpkin – her hometown. There she meets Nicholas who is both more wonderful than her wildest dreams and as frightening as her childhood nightmares. Together they are assigned the difficult task of discovering the “Prankster’s” identity and the reason’s why that person is set on keeping the ancient rift between the towns alive.

Nicholas and Lonnie harbor a steamy and slightly erotic passion for one another, which they do their best to keep in check. Their family ancestors, after all, were the main players in the rift that continues to tear the towns apart.

I would classify Some Enchanted Autumn as a fantasy-fiction, paranormal-romance novel with comedic elements. Although it begins with a bit of confusion, the story rises in pace until I felt unwilling to put the book aside. This 238-page book is not the author’s first endeavor. In fact, Linda has written two other books, The Christmas Village and Ghost of a Chance.

ISBN#: 1-55410-287-1

Author: Linda Andrews

Publisher: Zumaya Publication

~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; host of the Conscious Discussions radio show (http://www.brummet.ca)

Enchanted River - Hinatuan, Sirigao del Sur

“What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn’t have any doubt
– it is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn’t want to go anywhere else.”   – Hal Boyle

First of two parts…

This was the story of the tour that I previously posted.

Time and time again, the excitement of going back or visiting a location you already gone before always feels like for the first time especially if the area is a sweet spot to relax and enjoy.  Much of a feeling that a first timer set foot on the area, I know they have it as one great experience to enjoy the natures bounty that we should care for.  – All these felt when we are at Barobo, Surigao del Sur – Exploring it’s islands beauty , the Cabgan Island and the Turtle Island , Vanishing Islet and Bogac Spring.

Barobo is a 4th class municipality second district in the province of Surigao Del Sur under CARAGA region XIII . It lies in the central part of the province of Surigao Del Sur.

All was set in and our Assembly area was at  Bajada  along Mc Donald’s. It was already 2 am when we departed from the area. We dropped by on a convenience store for other needed stuff. We are a  large group composed of 46 individuals on a  69 seating capacity bus named “Mallen”  with a good choice of music and nice sound system. Well, not just the drivers gadget but even the participants gadget can be plug into it for everyone to hear and listen. It was 3:45 in the morning when we stop and drop for 15 minutes at Nabunturan for an early sip of coffee or indulge on their “Kakanin Specialties” link Tupig, Bibingka, Suman, Puto and other delicacies. Common to Philippines, just got different names. Moving on…
We passed by at Mangagoy  after two hours and thirty minutes (that would be 6:30 in the morning.. hehehe ) travel. We are heading to our First destination which was the Enchanted River at Barangay Hinatuan. It is located on the southeastern part from the Municipality of Barobo, the road is not bad at all but … (there’s a but  hehehe) It was a 1 hour long drive to reach our first destination.

Welcome!

It was raining when we arrived at the Enchanted River at around 7:30 in the morning. I noticed that a beautification was done in an effort to promote the spot and they did it right from the modification of stairways to wood inspired railings made of cement and some small round tables. There’s a newly built comfort room (Not near river but much farther) separately for men and women but it is inadequate with water system for flushing or cleaning after using the room. Bet this will be taken cared of soon.

Jump right in!

Even if it was raining, that did not stop the participants to change an attire for swimming. The current of the river was strong as it was still raining and it’s like dragging you out into the mouth of the river but that did not took long since current was normal after the rain stopped. Still the color of the water was so relaxing…somewhat like greenish bluish whitish color… my interpretation of what I saw. J  You really can’t avoid the temptation to take a plunge and feel the water.

Crystal clear Enchanted River

A complimentary breakfast meal was prepared which was a blanched and grilled octopus (am I right? for sure that was not a squid the squirts. hehe) and a fish. A little talk here and there, splash from jump, swim crossing back and forth on the opposite banks and hardworking cameras captured the moments that what was going on.

Fifteen minutes before twelve noon we departed from the enchanted river with much anticipation on what’s ahead for the next destination which was the Island tour can offer.

Dropping by at Wakat

We dropped  by at Lianga Cave  Barangay Wakat just along the highway for the participants to see the area. Many locals at the mouth of the cave are washing their clothes as well as bathing on the flowing water out in to the ocean just across the street.

We did not stayed long as others are feeling hungry already, by 1:30 in the afternoon we proceeded to poblacion Barobo and ate our lunch meal on one of the eateries that served chicken lechon and other  good tasting food. Agree?  Yes or Yes?

Participants took a long stay just outside the eatery to have an opportunity to stroll around the poblacion proper looking for some good things to eat or buy while preparing for the boat to be use to bring the participants to the island.

Again, to all the participants. You saw and feels the nature’s beauty and let’s take our part to protect to fully enjoy it’s bounty. Thank you very much and until next nature escapade. Keep posted.

End of first part.

I would like to thank Gilmarie Munez Sta. Lucia for  the image (Hinatuan signage)

My assignment for English was to write a short Fable that has a moral, so I decided to get my creative juices flowing and this is what my teacher will read.

Enjoy! (especially if you love unicorns and dragons)

Long ago, there was a dragon that had a very lovely dragon life. He married the dragon of his dreams and had 4 beautiful dragon babies. He had everything he had ever dreamed of. One day, Papa Dragon was flying over the vast fields of Nepetwa in search for snozberries to feed his family, when suddenly, shimmering objects from below caught his eye. Papa Dragon had come across a pack of wild enchanted unicorns with the most beautiful adorned horns sitting so gracefully atop their heads. He flew down for a closer look. The unicorns immediately laughed at the dragon and told him that they could not be seen with such an ugly hornless creature. Papa Dragon felt a fool.

That evening, Papa Dragon spent the whole night gathering different rocks and stones from his home in the cave to fashion himself his own horn. He blew fire to mend different stones together and to shape them to resemble the beautiful horns he had admired earlier that day. He worked shut off from his family and alone all throughout the night.

Papa Dragon searched for the pack of unicorns again the next day. He wanted to impress them with his new horn. The unicorns stared and then began to laugh at him again. They critiqued that the horn was much too small for his big dragon head.

Papa Dragon was shamed again. Desperate to impress the enchanted unicorns, Papa Dragon went back to work. His family felt the neglect very heavily this time. Weeks passed as Papa Dragon toiled away working on his new horn. Baby Dragon even said her first word, “twitter”, all unknown by Papa Dragon. Papa Dragon dug deep into the walls of his cave to find the most beautiful stones for his new horn. After many weeks of digging in his walls and hard labor, his masterpiece was complete.

Papa Dragon had made the most astonishingly beautiful horn anyone had ever seen. He was finally ready to unveil his work to the unicorns who once mocked him. He stepped out of his cave in preparation for his journey to Nepetwa to search for the enchanted unicorns, when suddenly, the whole cave collapsed due to the many tunnels dug in the walls in search for stones. Mama Dragon and the baby dragons were all instantly killed.

Moral: Don’t neglect the things that are truly important in your life.

Alternative Moral: Unicorns are a-holes.

November 18, 2009

Dear readers,

This week’s been all about watching English movies in French. More specifically, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Enchanted, and “Barbie’s Princess and the Pauper”

Or in French, respectively, “La Belle et la Bete”, “Il Etait une Fois”, and “Coeur de Princesse”. Apologies for the lack of accents.

Even more fun: multi-language mashup of songs. One of the more ridiculous ones was from “Enchanted”, the part where 2D Giselle calls all the birds. It was basically different voices singing the same thing. But on some you could still hear language differences, especially with Italian and German.

Watching “Barbie’s Princess and the Pauper” though,seemed a lot cooler in French. Somehow the characters seemed more realistic, more intelligent.

Love,
Katherine

P.S. This afternoon I found out about People Magazine’s new “Sexiest Man Alive”. And I allowed myself a little fangirl moment. Okay, a whole hour of Johnny Depp obsessing. Still, it was pretty miniscule compared to the daily searching I used to do.

P.P.S. Did I mention that I love hot water bottles? The grown woman’s security blanket. Or at least, will be mine.

P.P.P.S. I was so out of it today. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t really control what I was saying, and weird stuff just came out. I think I said “Do you know the muffin man?” out of nowhere. Hahaha it’s funny in retrospect.

The Princess and the Frog represents Disney’s return to their filmmaking roots – the animated musical. We’ve already had a teaser trailer:

A trailer:

And a sneak peak:

And I think all look very promising indeed. It’s obviously not a traditional retelling (though it seems not to be quite as subversive of fairy tale conventions as Shrek or Enchanted, which is a good thing to my mind).

I remember when I first heard that The Princess and the Frog would replace The Frog Princess, the original working title of the film, I was a bit skeptical. I felt it was a bit bulky (clunky – ?) and perhaps less effective, as the film is a kind of riff on the end of the original fairy tale and now that reference is lost. I also feel its too obvious a ploy to tap into the “Beauty and the Beast” dichotomy that is inherent to the content of the film and is therefore, perhaps, a bit too spot on – a bit too academic, if you will – and I suppose that is what caused my uncertainty about it. But… it’s grown on me, especially after seeing the publicity material.

Of course, this will also mark the first African American princess from the Disney studios and the as yet unreleased film has been followed with controversy in this regard. Take, for example, this article in the New York Times: “Her Prince Has Come. Critics, Too” by Brookes Barnes.

The article says, “For years, Disney has been lambasted by some parents for not having a black princess. Now, some of those same voices are taking aim at the company without seeing the finished product.” Some of the criticism is just ridiculous; one of the most damning comments seems to be this one, from Angela Bronner Helm at Black Voices:

Disney obviously doesn’t think a black man is worthy of the title of prince. His hair and features are decidedly non-black. This has left many in the community shaking their head in befuddlement and even rage.

The New York Times goes on to report that “Prince Naveen hails from the fictional land of Maldonia and is voiced by a Brazilian actor; Disney says that he is not white.” They also say that there has been some backlash against the backlash. This quotation from Levi Roberts:

This is one of those situations where I am ashamed of the black community. Are we being racist ourselves by saying this movie shouldn’t have a white prince?

That just brings us full circle, doesn’t it?

Poor Disney seems to be in a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” position with this film. I understand that people would like something like this to be racially sensitive, but some of the points raised just lack any kind of perspective. Thank goodness there seem to be some rational people in the middle ground too.

Lastly – the score, by Randy Newman. Newman had an interview in Variety yesterday in which he discussed the film:

New Orleans in the early part of the 20th century – the setting of Disney’s animated The Princess and the Frog – is territory that composer Randy Newman has trod before. “I’ve been dredging those 30 months I spent in New Orleans for all I could in my life,” he quips, referring to the summers of his youth.

I’m very interested to hear what the full score is like, especially as it seems to offer an alternative to the kind of songs Newman has created for the Pixar films.

I think what Randy Newman has done for the Pixar films – created a score and one song that epitomizes the thematic core of the film – really works for those films, which are all fish-out-of-water cum coming-of-age films told in a fairly loose, comedic style. Of course, there are slight variations to the ‘Newman formula’ – Toy Story, for example, has three songs but still focuses on one big thematic number, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. Toy Story 2 of course featured “When She Loved Me”, which is a very moving song, not least because of the vocal performance by Sarah McLachlan. But it’s still a voice-over reflection on an event long after the it has passed.

While I think that Newman’s Pixar scores (for Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc and Cars) have largely served those films and the mode in which those films tell their respective stories, I feel that they are more obviously functional as scores – serving the action on screen literally without delving too deeply into the metaphorical, emotional core of what’s going on, in the way that Alan Menken did particularly well in his scores for The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. I don’t really have any problems with this, as I think the kind of scoring created for these projects is appropriate to the films, although, as some have mentioned around these boards before, there tends to be certain sameness that has characterizes the songs, which was also evident in Disney’s part-live action part-stop motion version of James and the Giant Peach, which also featured songs by Newman. The only songs that really came anywhere close to working in that film were “My Name is James” and “Family” but even these weren’t consistent in the quality of their lyrics. The rest of the score was disposable. My reaction mainly was – nice tunes. But I think an animated musical needs something more than that, score that is a truly intrinsic element of the film as a whole.

But I’m glad that Newman has had to shift his mode into a different style of scoring for The Princess and the Frog and that John Lasseter (as the “big boss”) or the directors, Ron Clements and John Musker chose not to reflect something of that Pixar tone and style in this film.

I’m really looking forward to it.

Enchanted

We shall all be enchanted sometime
We need to be enchanted at one time
We shall know what life is all about
To find our hearts in the maelstrom of our existence
To be stronger in the face of absence

Now I know how it feels to be enchanted
The warmth of a heavenly body takes a hold on you.
The fever so unpleasant absorbs your entirety.
The tears sorrowful as they may seem
Become crystal fire to the heart that loves.
Heartbeats flutter as if there was no tomorrow.
Life begets the weary soul for something better
And the spirits within all of us
Follow their path to the letter

Now I know how I need to be enchanted
The smiles and the laughs become their true meaning
That within this life, all the joy is but appealing
The fears and the doubt take you higher
Higher to a place you never wanted to be in
And so it seemed that pain was not part of this living

Every inch and step of our walk in this earth
Need to be enchanted by pain and strife
For within that enchantment comes not just suffering
But someone true and someone worth loving
An instance of witnessing the unexpected happen
Regrets dismissed and a bountiful experience
Everything changes their color and meaning
Everything will fall into their places
All the hurt will be teaming

Our long and arduous journey in this road we see as time
Need to be enchanted by love and a beautiful rhyme
For within the harmonies of another someone
Lies the melody that sings to your soul
The notes are in perfect pitch
The lyrics are simply true
The song of two people fighting their destinies
The song of friends who’ve become enemies
The path of a righteous man riddled with guilt
The king felled by the finest blade mounted on a simple hilt

Now we know what it is to be enchanted
Remain steadfast in a moment of dying
Reborn to a life where the facts are misleading
Understand that when the heart beats
Moments will pass us by
Understand that when you’re down for the count
All you have to do is get up again and try

Recognize that enchantments are real
They’re inside of us tugging at our hearts and minds
The unanswered questions
Our futures unwritten
The crashing waves of doubt
An apple left unbitten

They’re right beside us stowed in faith and hope
Your husband, your wife
Your partner, your friend
A person you’ll never forget
Your dream until the end

We are all enchanted sometime
We need to be enchanted all the time
We know what life is all about
Our hearts amidst the maelstrom of existence
Stronger in the face of absence