♥ Dreamland

some nights you just need some down time. i could should have probably studied my a&p notes, but i decided to stop studying just for today because i was just too tired from being around family 24/7 since thursday & i needed to let myself unwind. so i grabbed my current book (the virgin suicides), put on a cucumber peel mask & a deep conditioner sample i got from sally’s, and read 100 pages of my book while taking a hot bath. i went from the lisbon girls going to their prom with trip fontaine & the other guys on the football team to all 4 of the girls being dead, and now all i can think of is how much i want to watch the film again because it’s definitely been at least 5 years, if not more. definitely finishing off the last 30-40 pages i have left before i go to bed tonight.

Despite the rainy weather, the family came down to visit for Easter this year. We ended up going to “Tulip Town” which is exactly what it sounds like. Lots of tulips. Which was very pretty, but also very muddy. We ended up getting completely soaked, but I guess the pictures were worth it.

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I just finished watching this with the brother for the second time and, just like the last time I saw it, I can’t get it out of my mind. I first saw The Mothman Prophecies when I lived in Greece & my aunt was visiting. She’s a huge believer in the paranormal and was sure I’d love this. The brother watched it as well and also loved it. We hadn’t seen it since, so a few days ago we picked it up at Blockbuster and promised to watch it together.

Holy. Shit. Putting aside the story and yummy Richard Gere, this film just looked great. I hadn’t seen such interesting camera angles in an American film in awhile, although granted, this film came out in 2002 so it’s not exactly recent. Nevertheless, it doesn’t show its age at all. The cinematography is fantastic. Every single shot in this film is interesting, gorgeous & terrifying all at the same time.

The basic plot is Richard Gere and his wife are coming home one night and she sees something terrifying, causing her to crash the car. At the hospital, it’s discovered she has a very rare tumor which could explain the hallucination, but whatever she saw terrified her and she never tells him exactly what she saw. After her death, Richard Gere is shown some pictures she drew which are quite possibly the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. The nurse who directs Gere to the pictures says that they are “angels” but as Gere flips through the papers, the “angels” become increasing darker, larger, and more “moth”-like.

Two years later, Gere appears to have moved on with his life. He hasn’t got a girlfriend, but he’s still a very important journalist for the Washington Post & still has a personality (I find sometimes that in movies that begin with a spouse’s death, the surviving spouse sometimes overdoes the “grief” period and what we get is a bland character who’s constantly wallowing in their own misery). One night, he decides to go for a drive because he’s “wired” and after about a half hour of driving, his car mysteriously dies. He goes to find the nearest house and knocks on the door, only to be greeted by a man who appears to have been expecting him.

What we get from then on is a creepy as hell mystery involving strange sightings of a “mothman” that we never really see - one of the smartest moves of the whole film. We get flashes of a distorted figure & face, descriptions from terrified characters, we even hear his/her/its eerie voice in a chilling scene over the phone, but we never actually see the mothman. What we get instead is a menacing, unseen thing that we can’t even define as friend or foe, something that appears chilling to some characters and friendly to others. 

It’s a slow-burner for sure. There’s no complete gratification in some ways, there are some loose ends tied up, but other aspects leave you wondering. However, considering these are supposedly based on true events (albeit, loosely and also from the point of view of a paranormal researcher, so obviously biased to some degree), it’s only fitting that the end doesn’t come in a box wrapped in a neat little bow. There are no real “scare” scenes, just a consistent, eerie atmosphere that isn’t intended to make the viewer so nervous about jumping at loud noises or sudden movements so that they can pay attention to the dialog and understand what the characters are understanding. 

I would definitely rate this as one of the creepiest movies I’ve ever seen. Scary? Perhaps not, it’s not necessarily a movie that made me tense up because I was anticipating the next “scream” moment. However, both times I’ve seen it, it’s left me a little nervous and shaken. I would probably compare it to movies like Jacob’s Ladder or Session 9. 

5/5

Why are you between $699.99 and $799.99? Why can’t you just be mine?

Today is this gorgeous lady’s 20th birthday! I’ve known her since we met in sixth grade. We became instant best friends, but in the summer between sixth and seventh grade, her family moved to a new school district and we went to different schools. Then, just before high school, her family moved again, this time to a different state entirely. After that, she and I only got to see each other once a year, max, yet we’ve still remained best friends. She is honestly the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. She has an amazing smile, an adorable giggle that is so infectious, the most beautiful lips I’ve ever seen, and she’s both the sweetest and the most badass person you’ll ever meet. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have her as my bestie, and even though I can’t be there on her birthday, I know that she knows I’m thinking about her and sending lots love and birthday wishes!

Love you, Dimples! ♥

Just finished Black Swan. Man. I loved it, it’s the first time I’ve really enjoyed a performance by Natalie Portman. It was so beautifully done, the lighting especially was fantastic, I couldn’t get over how gorgeous every shot was. Definitely going to add this one to my collection.

1. what is your current obsession?
Korean dramas. It’s not a new obsession, but it’s certainly current. I’m watching You Are My Destiny right now and plan on Secret Garden or Coffee Prince next.

2. what are you wearing today?
As today is Saturday & I’m not going anywhere, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that’s a thousand sizes too big for me from New Orleans that has a bunch of people with dreadlocks dancing playing drums and maracas and guitars that says “We Be Jammin.” I don’t get it, but it’s comfy on days like today.

3. what’s for dinner?
Fish. ♥

4. what’s the last thing you bought?
Two t-shirts from District Lines.

5. what are you listening to right now?
Meaphe’s newest video.

6. what do you think about the person who tagged you?
As if anyone tagged me, I just found this and thought it’d be fun to fill out. :)

7. if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
This is such a hard question. I’d love to live in Japan someday, but if I was to go live there right now, there’d be nothing I could do to make a living. I’d also love to live in Vancouver, but there’s also really no reason for me to live there right now, so most likely I’d just like to live in Seattle because I adore Seattle.

8. one thing you wanna change about yourself?
I’d like to be more focused.

9. if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Belgium for a visit to the boyfriend would be nice. 

10. which language do you want to learn?
Japanese, Korean, or Flemmish.

11. what’s your favourite quote?
“if you were a mermaid, you said, if you were a mermaid, i was the sea.”

12 . would you cook for me?
Considering I love any opportunity to experiment with cooking and no one is ever brave enough to try it, yes.

13. what is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
Just don’t talk to them.

14. what are you afraid of the most?
Well “the most” is a pretty intense fear and kind of implies that it would be devastating if that fear were to come true, so probably the biggest fears I have right now are losing close family or friends, and a big earthquake. The second probably sounds silly, but I’ve been hearing for years that our area is supposed to experience a big earthquake within 50 years, and ever since the earthquake in Japan, it’s been shortened to 30. These kind of things just scare me, natural disasters are terrifying to me because there’s nothing you can do to stop them, you just have to hope you’re in the right place when it happens.

15. who do you want to meet right now?
There are a few friends I haven’t seen in a long time, as well as the boyfriend, who I haven’t seen since August.

16. what is your favourite color?
I like blues, purples, pinks, greens, and black.

17. give us 3 styling tips that work for you.
Er. I’m not much of a style person, I wear what I think looks okay on me and involves jeans. I’ve never been one for skirts or leggings. 

18. what is your dream job?
I would love to just go to school for the rest of my life. I guess that sounds like torture to most people, but if I got paid to take whatever classes I wanted, I would. I’d love to take art classes, history classes, writing classes, music classes - there is so much I’d love to learn, but unfortunately that’s not even a semi-realistic dream job. If I were being semi-realistic, I would’ve probably looked into filmmaking. I’ve been in love with films since I learned about special features on DVDs when we finally got a DVD player in my family. If I was braver, I would have taken the risk and gone to school to make movies instead of taking a “safer” route in nursing.

19. what’s your favorite magazine?
Vogue

20. if you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Nail polish, clothes, and books.

21. what do you consider a fashion faux pas?
I don’t know if it’s a faux pas, but I just don’t understand people who follow trends whether it suits them or not. There are some girls who just can’t get away with the long t-shirt over leggings look (myself included), yet wear it anyway and it doesn’t look flattering at all. If people only focused on finding clothes that looked good on them, they would look nice whether they were wearing the current trends or not.

22. who according to you is the most over-rated writer?
Stephenie Meyer. The books weren’t absolutely atrocious, but they were nowhere near good.

23. what brings a smile on your face instantly?
Cute kids being cute. I remember a few months ago at the library, this little girl came out of the library with her mum and said, “I love you, you’re the best mommy ever!” The mum replied, “Aww, honey, no I’m not, you don’t have anyone to compare me with.” The little girl pondered that for a second, then said, “Does ‘compare’ mean love?” I pretty much died.

24. a word that you say a lot?
“Lulu!” The tone varies a lot, but I must say that dog’s name more than anything else.

25. what kind of haircut do you prefer?
Depends on the person. Some people look gorgeous with long hair, some people pull off short hair amazingly (Emma Watson comes to mind…).

26. what are you going to do after this?
Listen to the newest Mugglecast episode.

27. what do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Listen to upbeat music or watch “Making of” features on movies I like.

28. what makes you go wild?
I really can’t think of anything.

29. what are your favourite movies?
Where to start? Lord of the Rings is pretty high up there, the amount of work that went into those movies is so apparent. Oldboy, Thirst, The Host, and Tidal Wave were all amazing as well. Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the best animated films I’ve ever seen. There are so many others but those are what came to mind immediately. It also changes depending on my mood.

30. what inspires you?
Other people’s creativity. Whenever I visit a friend of mine who’s an amazing artist, I can fill sketchbooks with poems, sketches, watercolor paintings, or anything I can get my hands on. I don’t mimic the person who’s inspired me, but seeing their enthusiasm for art makes me feel enthusiastic as well.

31. what do your friends call you most commonly?
Steph.

32. would you prefer coffee or tea?
I love both equally, I really couldn’t choose.

33. which other blogs do you love visiting?
the notebook doodles (whose blog I stole this tag from), Nana, ktrnuh, ohmytokyo, booksandstories

34. favorite dessert/sweet?
Anything chocolate-related and strawberries. Except chocolate cake. I’m not much of a cake person. 

35. how many tabs are turned on in your browser right now?
Two.

36. when you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
I really don’t remember.

37. favorite season?
Autumn. I love the colors, I love the clothes (cardigans and scarves and boots), I love the slight chill in the air. However, I do love the beginnings of spring as well. Especially in the Pacific Northwest, our winters feel so long and miserable, so when the flowers start to finally bloom and the grey, rainy days become just a little less prominent, it’s always a nice relief.

38. one wish that you really want to see it come true?
Convincing the boyfriend to live in the US or Canada. I’d really rather not move to Europe. I love visiting, but as a place to live, I’m not sold on it.

39. what breaks your heart?
Seeing an old man eating alone. I have a real soft spot for old men, there’s just something very fragile about them that makes me want to take care of them.

40. what’s one thing you really want to do in life?
Make a significant difference in someone’s life.

nanalew:

stephunee:

Currently considering buying these Nanalew t-shirts.

If I had to choose between them, I’d definitely choose the “I’m an owl,” t-shirt, it’s just adorable. But the second one’s design is just so nice. They’re actually really reasonably priced at $16 per t-shirt (considering most t-shirts that aren’t plain, Target/Wal Mart t-shirts are usually $20+), so I’ll probably end up ordering them both. 

I APPROVE.

Just thought I’d update that I ordered both today. Plus Nanalew reblogging my post = awesome.

Currently considering buying these Nanalew t-shirts.

If I had to choose between them, I’d definitely choose the “I’m an owl,” t-shirt, it’s just adorable. But the second one’s design is just so nice. They’re actually really reasonably priced at $16 per t-shirt (considering most t-shirts that aren’t plain, Target/Wal Mart t-shirts are usually $20+), so I’ll probably end up ordering them both. 

On my bedside table:

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
I read The Lord of the Rings entirely when I was about 11 or 12. I barely remember it, and the parts that I do remember have a lot to do with my frustration with Tolkien’s obsession with the little details that I know many Tolkien fans love. I’ve tried a few times over the years to read the books again, but it was never the right time and I usually stopped reading at about the time Tom Bombadil & Goldberry show up. Even now, when I’m really enjoying the book, I found it so hard to read the Tom Bombadil part. I just can’t stand that whole chapter & a half of Tom Bombadil. I couldn’t even say why, it’s just a very awkward sequence of events that, in my opinion, add nothing to the story. Tom Bombadil was just too perfect and Goldberry was sickeningly sweet. However, with that annoyance aside, I’m enjoying the book much more this time around. I feel like this is the right time for me to reread the books. I’ve been in the mood for a fantasy epic lately, and there are no better books for that genre.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
You’ll notice I have the English, sophisticated looking cover of this book. I’m very proud of that, I adore those covers and plan to own all of them at some point. They just look much nicer than the American covers and the “kiddie” English covers to me. Maybe it’s just because they’re more grown up, I don’t know, but I really like them. I think that this is my favorite book in the series. Learning about Voldemort’s backstory & spending so much time with Dumbledore was just shocking to me the first time I read this book. I remember being completely blown away by all of what we learned in this book, and yet it was sort of like Lost in that, with all those answers, we still had dozens more questions we wanted answered as well.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
I read this book years ago and adored it. Recently I saw the movie again and remembered how much I loved the book so I dragged it out of my bookshelf and put it on my bedside table. It’s not my main priority right now as far as reading goes, I’m putting Lord of the Rings first (it gets the privilege of being the book that’s thrown in my purse whenever I go somewhere), but I’ll finish rereading it eventually and I’m not bothered with taking it slowly with this reread.

I have to admit, I find it kind of funny that all three of these are books that were made into very successful movies. I definitely didn’t consciously decide to read books that were made into movies, but as I said, I decided to reread Memoirs after seeing the film again, and I also saw Lord of the Rings again pretty recently so that might have influenced my desire to try reading the books again.

School kind of rules my life these days. Study, do homework, go to class, take notes, type notes up to something coherent, study coherent notes, do homework, go to class, repeat.