I am trying to get Michael out of the habit of needing to watch a DVD to fall asleep so for the past couple of nights I have been reading to him to get him to sleep. At first he was wary but he loved being read to. The first night I had read a few chapters (We are reading The BFG!) and he was still awake so I asked him to read a little for himself and if he wasn’t asleep within 20 mins he could watch something. (I knew He would fall asleep pretty quickly..I am sneaky!! Muwahahahaha!)

Last night I only read a chapter and I heard a wee snoring noise and looked up and he was sleeping.. Funny that someone falls asleep when I am reading (funny voices and everything) and It’s a compliment!! … I sort of read quietly for another couple of minutes just in case and then turned out my kindle light.. I got up out of the most squeaky chair in the world and stood stock still like a cartoon burglar.. Michael stirred a bit and I still had the fibre optic light to turn off.. So I crept across what must have been the creakiest floorboards in the world to turn it off and tiptoed out of the room opening and closing the loudest door in the world on the way out.

I have to admit I felt very smug and happy. I thought ‘Yay I can spend a wee bit of quality time with my partner…erm watching crap tv’ but when I got downstairs they were snoring their head off too!!.

Oh well, at least we all had an early night and are bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning.

Earlier on in the evening Michael had been given a new reading book from School and had to read chapters 1-3 by the end of the week. He had eaten his dinner and My partner and I were eating ours (I have been getting him to be a wee bit more adventurous with food but he wouldn’t be up for a Thai curry just as you couldn’t pay me to eat a chicken nugget!!) We asked him to read the 1st 3 chapters to us out loud. We were really enjoying the Adventures of ‘Bungleman’! So Michael ended up finishing the whole book for us!

Storytelling is very bonding; from sitting around the camp fire (pouffe) or reading to get someone to sleep. It is a new Happy thing that I hope to do more often!!

Love and light and Big Friendly Giants. xxLisa

Inspired by Roald Dahl.

An author I love who goes the extra mile, the fabulous, wonderful, great mr Dahl.

Squishy things wriggling that look just like pasta, enormous peaches and kids who learn faster. Orange men dancing while making their sweets, children called George concocting his treats. Giants that take away all your bad dreams and foxes fantastic with eyes all a gleam. Stories to listen to over again, with characters funny and some round the bend.

An author I love who goes the extra mile, the fabulous, wonderful great, mr Dahl.

With so many books it’s hard to chose which, the one about tortoises, no let me switch. The one about chocolate, yes that’s the one. Whichever you read it’s guaranteed fun. No wait, I can’t make up my mind let me switch. Ah yes, the best one, all about the high witch.

An author I love who goes the extra mile, the fabulous, wonderful, great mr Dahl.

Hello, my name is Kevin. I am ten years old and I have a pet cat. But, never mind that now. That doesn’t matter. Somehow I jumped on my trampoline and shot into Outer Space, landing in a planet full of giants. To be exact, I landed in a gumball machine in a Giant Emporium. I banged on the glass of the machine shouting, “Help!” Giants stood in line inserting coins the size of me into the slot. Gumballs five times the size of my head poured into the slot where you receive your money’s worth. Finally, I was the last object in the machine. A big, bearded giant with big, brown eyes and a friendly face jabbed some very large coins into the cash slot. He turned a silver lever the size of a fully grown cow counter clockwise. Suddenly, I felt like I was being sucked down a drain. I wound up in the receiving slot while the giant shouted,”I didn’t pay for a bloody worm!”

Chapter 2

“I’m not a worm,” I said. “But of course you is,” said the giant, “all of you bloody worms is.” “Excuse me, do you speak proper English?” I asked. “What?” said the giant. “Never mind,” I sighed. “Well, since I pays for you, I mights at wells bring you to me home,” said the giant, while picking me up and tossing me into a paper sack filled with other giant food. A metal ball hit me from the side, taking the wind out of me. It was the size of a goat with a paper tag on it that read:

GIANT’S DUNGWINDER CHEW BALL

“What’s a Dungwinder?” I asked out of the medium crack that the giant had left for air. “Me pet!” said the giant proudly as he (with me inside the sack) headed to his home.

Chapter 3

The giant picked up speed as he headed for his home with me. When we finally reached the giant’s home, he grabbed something rather odd (I could see through the crack) and threw it over the roof. “Snoodles,” he muttered. “What’s a Snoodle?” I asked. “Garden pests. Some of the worst garden pests on this darn planet,” he explained. The Snoodle I had just seen was the size of me, it was blue all over its body, and had no legs, but it had a green snout and a green tail. The giant stroked his large beard, and took me out of the sack. He set me on the ground, and opened the door. I scurried inside, and a large amount of aromas filled my nose. A low growl pierced the air. “Oh, that’s just me pet Dungwinder. I’m sure you and it will gets along fine.”

Chapter 4 

A weird looking creature with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, long silver wings, and electric blue pointy ears waited for me, growling in the “family room”. This creature was the Dungwinder and it was four times the size of me. I don’t think we will get along fine. Whenever I got close to it, it would snarl at me or bare its sharp yellow teeth at me. At one point it even attacked me. I had run around the enormous house with it digging its teeth into my back. The giant cleaned up my wounds and told me his name, “Bane,” he said. Over the past few days I got hungry and Bane fed me some cobberslosh. “What’s cobberslosh?” I asked. “It’s half veggies and half meaties.” he said. “Meat,” I corrected him.

Chapter 5

When we ran out of food, we had to go to Giant Emporium again. Bane let me walk on the vast floor, while he and his Dungwinder strolled next to me. Suddenly, the loudspeaker overhead reported of a Snoodle on the loose in the emporium. I cringed next to Bane as his Dungwinder bared its teeth at me. Something raced past me in a blue and green blur. Bane grabbed the blur by what looked like a long, fat tail. Bane hurled the blur, which was actually a Snoodle across a stack of boxes labeled “Delve Gnome meat”. There goes the loose Snoodle. We grabbed some cobberslosh and one box of Delve Gnome meat, a carton of waterwosh (water mixed with emeralds) and headed home.

Chapter 6

Outside, a group of giants surrounded Bane and me. “You think you can leave so easily?” laughed one giant. Bane set his Dungwinder on the ground, and it snarled at the giants. The Dungwinder leaped at the giant who had just spoken, and clamped its jaws around the giant’s butt. “Yow-wee!” screamed the giant. The giant and his gang made a path to let us go. Bane tied a leash onto his Dungwinder, and we left for home.

Chapter 7

When we got to Bane’s house, I was thinking about going home. Going to the home where I belong. How am I going to do that? I suddenly had the answer. I looked up at Bane and asked him this: “Bane, do you have a trampoline?” “A what?” he asked. “A trampoline,” I said. “Oh, I dink I mights have a trampoline in the basement,” he responded.

I quickly scurried down the basement stairs and into the darkness before Bane could ask any more questions. That’s when I spotted it in the dimness of the basement.

Chapter 8

A very large trampoline stood in a corner, full of dust. As I wiped away the cobwebs and dust with my hand, I noticed a tag on it that read:

WARNING: THIS TRAMPOLINE WILL PROPEL YOU HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER TRAMPOLINE ON THIS PLANET.

Great, I thought,  just what I need. I dragged it back upstairs, and stood at the top of the basement stairs, gasping for air. It was very heavy. I went outside with the trampoline, and saw Bane standing ten yards away. “Bane,” I called to him, “Goodbye!” With tears in my eyes, I set up the trampoline.

Chapter 9

Bane spun around. “What are you doing?” he asked. “It’s time for me to go,” I said. “Then let me at least give you something,” he said. He pulled a long black box out of his coat pocket. He handed it to me. “It’s a photo of you and me,” he said. I waved goodbye, and used his help to climb onto the trampoline. I put the box into my jeans pocket, and prepared to jump. I bounced on the trampoline, and through space, and back to Earth. I woke up in my bed. It had been a dream. I reached in my jeans pocket to make sure, and then I felt the long black box.

THE END

Julia Child se entregó por completo a su vocación, a aquello que realmente la completó y la convirtió en el ícono que es cuando era mayor, casada y con mas de 40 años. La gran Julia Child se convirtió en el ícono de la televisión y el arte culinario cuando la mayoría de gente considera que uno se encuentra acabado;  llegando casi al final de su vida adulta.Alguna vez leí que el grandioso escritor Roal Dahl empezó a escribir cuentos motivados por sus nietos. Siendo un hombre grande.

El punto no es que aún soy joven para encaminarme en algo que pueda me resulte mi real vocación. Empezé a idear esta entrada pensando en mis días de escuela; de lejos los peores que jamás viví. Jamás sentí que estaba pasando por una etapa linda. Tuve que enfrentarme además de mi hiperhidrosis, a un fuerte acné y al hecho que no era lo suficientemente cool o linda para ser una chica popular. De esa etapa extraño la tranquilidad en no pensar en el mañana y enfocarme en mis gustos banales (música pop y pelis para adolescentes). Esa época no fué la más placentera pero fortaleció mi personalidad. Gracias al cielo jamas sufrí de nada parecido a Bullying, jamás tuve a un “matón” detrás mio, pero creo que corrí con suerte o mi ñoñez innata sirvió como escudo.

Hoy viernes 13 quiero hacer un homenaje a mi yo adolescente, a la chica que iba a la escuela y que jamás consiguió una cita y siempre añoraba salir con alguien o pertenecer a un sitio. No me deprimo pensando en el pasado. Recalco, gracias a ello soy feliz ahora, siendo la misma ñoña que antes, la misma chica simple e inteligente.  Hoy me hago un homenaje porque no cambié y ahora soy feliz, tengo alguien a quien adoro y adora todos esos detalles que alguna vez me hicieron sentir fuera de sitio.

Siguiendo con el párrafo de inicio, creo que es momento de dejar de lado tanta procrastinación. Es hora de escribir y si esa es la actividad que me haga sentir completa continuarla. Si lo intento y no funciona, pasar rápidamente a otra. Nadie sabe que pueda ser una gran fotógrafa o que mi real vocación sea ayudar a animales necesitados. Aún hay tiempo; tengo toda una vida para ello.

Glee Cast – Loser Like Me

To celebrate the wedding of  Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prestat -whose founders invented the chocolate truffle in 1895 - have chosen the new selection of five truffles enrobed in the finest milk, dark and white chocolate. How about a Sea Salt Caramel, Pink Marc de Champagne or Passion Fruit for starters. Or maybe the St Clement’s truffle which combines oranges and lemons in the finest dark chocolate, inspired by the ancient nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons’ which features St Clement’s and several of London’s other historic churches. Friday 29 April 2011 will be a reminder that no other country ’does grandeur’ better than the British and Prestat believes that, within the world of truffles, Hazelnut Pralines are the ultimate in culinary grandeur and therefore, it is no surprise that they were chosen as one of the special five!

I have long been a lover of Prestat’s chocolates, not only for the fact that they make some of the best choclates in the world, but that they are all made by hand in England and as they are served at every major state banquet, they come with a real sense of history and occasion. Everyone from the Queen Mother to Roald Dahl were fans. The writer even referred to the chocolatiers in his autobiographical recipe book, ‘Memories of Gypsy Corner’: “I also adore so-called truffles…as Prestat makes them.”

Renowned artist and illustrator Kitty Arden, has designed the striking Union Jack box with gold hearts to capture the romance of the event, the billowing Union Jack to sum up a sense of national pride and Prestat’s typically exuberant swirls and bright colours to match the mood. Indeed as a chocoholic my love for Prestat (and their boxes!) knows no bounds and I think this is quite possible their best selection yet and even though the truffles are long gone, I shall be finding a use for the cool britannia decorative box.

Union Jack Box is £15.

For further information please visit: www.prestat.co.uk

Another portrait to go in my series fr trashy cult films. Although im happier working with disposable materials, i think i should start thinking about something a little more durable. and the acrylic will peel off the shiny Tetra pack.
I think i might do Vampira or  Screaming jay Hawkins, or Nick Cave next?

looking up some photographs to use in a an Ectoplasm series i wish to create, either located in basement, or currently think down buy Grotta, as a kind of Homage to the Ghost story Lady in Black i re-watched just before christmas.
in which i found these beautiful photographs studying movement and the way our eyes produced ‘movement’.

“The room where this strange machine was set up, either at the Station Physiologique or the Institut Marey, was plunged into semi-darkness. As the magnesium flash exploded, a camera set up in front of the glass would capture the smoke trails in “the capricious wanderings which they describe in the places where eddies form.” “An important question for aviation is to know how the currents of air behave against three neighbouring and parallel planes, inclined at a given angle.” One of Marey’s photographs allowed an effective answer to that question” -taken from http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/marey.html

Listning-The Best fo the Birthday party

Watching-Q.I

Reading- Spirit Photography

Eating-Noa Vanilla and chocolate ice cream

Whenever I hear someone mention the movie “Sophie’s Choice” my throat gets tight and I feel the water works about to burst. If you haven’t seen that movie then  I am afraid you have not experienced the joys of watching the true essence of acting on film.

On November 11 I had the opportunity to see Meryl Strep in the flesh along with Jason Schwartzman and one of my favorite directors Wes Anderson.  They were gathered together at the Apple Store in Soho to give a talk  moderated by the incredible Peter Travers (famous movie critic from Rolling Stone Magazine) about their new cinematic venture “Fantastic Mr. Fox”.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is an adapted animation  directed by Wes Anderson.

The original “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a book written by the late great Roald Dahl.

It features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson. It is the first animated film directed by Wes Anderson, and 20th Century Fox‘s first stop-motion animated film.

I enjoy filmmakers who are unabashed and think outside of the box . The Squid and the Whale

and

The Darjeeling Limited

are two amazing films so I have no doubt that Anderson will deliver the goods for “Fantastic Mr. Fox.

There were some interesting bits of info revealed during the talk.  Wes Anderson shared that his major cinematic influences are Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It.

and his Futura font obsession was influenced by  Stanley Kubrick.

During the question and answer period Anderson told the audience that “Fantastic Mr. Fox” was shot using a SLR camera.

For a true film geek like myself this is a tasty tidbit of information to have. Wes shared that the resolution on a  SLR camera is extremely potent. Every frame for every action was captured by a camera that a lot of  people use while snapping pictures on their family vacations.

Jason Schwartzman was the comedic man of the hour. He was cracking witty jokes left and right. I was totally digging his greasy haired nerdy/sexy/ugly swagger.

Although Schwartzman’s hijinks were throughly amusing the highlight of the evening was Meryl. Let me keep it real: It was the reason why I stood up for half an hour. She’s the Bees Knees, the Cat’s Meow, and the FOXES Growl (she actually growled for the audience it was PRICELESS) rolled into one.  She is the quintessential actress.

The highlights were three-fold: 1st when Meryl did her best Fox growl. 2nd when she told the story of how she  had a starring contest with a real fox for 12 minutes while shooting another movie in London BEFORE she had received the offer for “Fantastic Mr. Fox”.  She said “I’ve never had such an amazing interaction with an animal before. My dog won’t even look at me for 5 minutes”.

3) When she told the photographers (who were incessantly snapping her picture and flashing lights in her face) to  CHILL OUT!  She stopped mid sentences while answering an audience member question and swung her head back a bit and gave a slight “round the way” girl neck roll and said in the most regal of voices “will you STOP taking pictures for just one minute please……. I am very distractable (which is not a word but it is MERYL so it can slide) I am trying to hear the question.!” Hands down she should receive an Oscar nod for that performance alone.

BRAVISSIMO!

If you are a fan of these actors or cutting edge animation check out the talk

and most definitely check out this film.

It opens in theaters nationwide on November 13.

According to Rolling Stone “Fantastic Mr. Fox” proves that PIXAR does not have a reign over animation. I whole heartedly second that emotion. Judging from the discussion and clips this animated feature will have PIXAR and DISNEY choking on some well deserved dust.

Matilda

by Roal Dahl

Summary:

MATILDA WORMWOOD is an extremely percocious child, reading all her library’s children’s books at age four, then moving onto bigger more “grown up” books such as Great Expectations and The Grapes of Wrath. Her awful parents don’t seem to care, dismissing her as a mere annoyance and treat her like one as well. Things are going moderately well, as far as they could with these situations, until Matilda enters Crunchem Hall Primary School. It’s ruled by the headmistress Miss Truchbull, a woman so untterly and astoundingly terrifying that she’ll have you scared and hiding-and that’s before she holds you upsidown by your feet. Matilda’s class is led by Miss Honey, the polar opposite of the formidable headmistress, and when Matilda discovers a strange and unique power she alone has, she is determined to use it to help her teacher, whom she has grown close to. But in order to liberate Miss Honey from her troubled past, she has to face Miss Trunchbul.

Review:

One of my favorite children’s books, Dahl’s Matilda is probably number one on my list. This classic story isn’t a traditional talke by any means, but is a unique book that all children will love. Engaging and exciting, the six-year-old heroine teachers a brains-over-brawn message about doing good for others. I’ve fallen in love with the characters in this children’s novel over and over again-this is a delightful read that anyone will enjoy. The issustrations have a simple yet elegant spur of the moment beautiful feel to them, and kudos to Quentin Blake. Matilda earns a 9/10 for the amazing and unique plotline and character depth that are just light enough for childern while also being creative and imaginative and interesting enough for teens and adults. Recommended for ages 8+ ]]> http://dannychampionoftheword.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/so-nice-of-you-to-click-on-over/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:47:39 +0000 valaroso http://dannychampionoftheword.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/so-nice-of-you-to-click-on-over/ If this was your new ipod you’d be trying not to scratch the fetching chrome casing. Perhaps you might buy it a handy ipod sock to keep it safe from harm.

If this was your new car you’d be taking long sniffs of that new car smell. Perhaps you might buy it a pine tree air freshener to make the magic last.

This is my new blog.

If this were a book, the corners would be dog eared and the front cover missing. If the pages were to fall out perhaps i might reattach them with a long piece of sellotape.

I’m rubbish at keeping things neat and i doubt this will be any different. I’m hoping it will fill up with a whole load of random nonsense about my life, my thoughts and my plans. And you never know, i might just keep one or two of you entertained when you’re supposed to finishing that essay!

First things though. Kudos to me for coming up with my URL. Sometimes my brilliance at word based puns just knocks me for six.

You should all buy the new Conner Oberst album.Click here for Conner goodness

Here’s a video i linked to on my Facebook page and I’m also linking here. I’m good like that:

I have a new love. Photography. Tomorrow i’m off out for some serious shooting time in Manchester with my longtime friend the all singing, all dancing and general all round good egg, Matthew. He’ll then be off to work and I’ll be off to look for work.

On a more enjoyable note, Edinburgh is just a week away!!! More and more people are coming up on the bank holiday and if that includes you, let me know! It’s going to be a weekend of performing arts, drinking and all round comedic merriment right up in one of the most beautiful cities in the U.K!

GOOD THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

• The Derby Playhouse recently reopened!
• Hollyoaks being generally better than it used to be!!
• The Sarah Jane Adventures being repeated on the CBBC Channel!!!

BAD THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD

• Not being at Fistral Beach for The Boardmasters. Lame
• Unemployment. Poor
• All Northerners should move to Oxford. Just because.By ‘eckers like CLICK ME Vera!

If this was your latest blog subscription you’d probably visit it every day to check for updates. Perhaps you might add a comment to make it even more exciting with your own interesting point of view..?

Love you all! x

P.S If anyone’s seen the lid of my USB stick lying around on my desk somewhere give me a shout.

P.P.S This is more fun than Facebook