An Exciting Announcment

It sure is hard to live up to a title such as this one.
For who knows if you will think it as exciting as I do?

Well, doubts aside, I am really really excited about this annoncement, and that must be what counts.

The announcement? Oh right, I almost forgot in my excitement.

I am doing a complete redesign and renaming of my blog!!!

I've felt for a while it was time for a change, and now I finally got myself together to actually do something about it.
When I started this blog I had a clear vision what I would write about: books, books and more books. But as it often happens, now it has changed into being about much more than that.
So I decided I would change the name to something more reflecting what my blog is now, and what I want it to be in the future.

The new name? Well, you will have to be patient for this one, what would excitement be without a bit of suspense?

I will launch the new and improved blog on October 1st, and then, and only then, will I reveal the name.

I will also host a little celebratory give away, so be sure to pop back in, come October to see the changes.

Inkling Explorations and Funny Story Openings

The theme of this month in Heidi's Inknlings and Explorations is a funny story opening.

                                       

And how could I ever pass off a chance to mention my favourite author: Jane Austen. While maybe not hillariously funny, the opening to Northanger Abbey is funny in that down played, ironic and slightly sarcastic way that is Austen's trademark style.

"No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected, or poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was Richard — and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence besides two good livings — and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters. Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born; and instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world, as anybody might expect, she still lived on — lived to have six children more — to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself."

Be sure to pop over at Heidi's blog Sharing the Journey for lots of other funny story openings.

A Random Compilation Of Summer Happenings

It is that time of year where I spend several days in denial over the summer ending. I really shouldn't be surprised by it anymore, as it happens every year, but somehow I always am.

                       

Then comes the nostalgia and looking back at the summer gone by, wondering if I achieved all I planned to do. That again leaves me half depressed that I didn't achieve more and feeling like the biggest sloth of all time. Luckily though, that only lasts until I actually start listing what I did and realise I didn't waste the summer completely.

Here's a a few of the things I have been doing this summer:


Watching:

Lots of period dramas, among others:

- Cranford
- Return to Cranford
- Lorna Doone
- North & South (rewatch, but counts anyway)
- The last 2 Horatio Hornblower movies
- Half of The Hollow Crown (More on that subject in a later post)

A list that leaves me quite proud of myself.

                                         

Apart from that I've watched a good amount of Gilmore Girls (only one season left until I have watched it all), and lately I've been quite hooked on thought provoking documentaries about nutrition and the food industry.


Reading:

Sadly not as much as I had planned.
I started out with reading a lot of YA fiction (easing myself into reading again), and I started reading Jane Eyre (which I love this far), and Cranford. Unfortunately life got in the way and I don't think I will finish any of them anytime soon.
But I tried, and that 's what counts.

                           

Drawing:

I actually got a lot of drawing done during my vacation.
This summer I drew some Disney and tried out the anime drawing style. I am completely in love with the latter at the moment, which I completely blame on the anime version of Les Miserables I have just watched. (It is awesome by the way: Les Mis made children friendly, with a lot of new characters and plot points and a gross disregard for the happenings in canon, though it still manages to squeeze in more of the plot line than any other adaption I have seen)
The characters were so lovely made that they just begged to be drawn.

This one is my favourite, it depicts young Cosette

Those awkward moments which make great stories:

It is funny when I look back on this summer, it is mostly made up of funny little happenings, most of which were exceedingly embarrassing when they happened, but which count as great stories today.

Like when the fire alarm went off early one morning at the hotel during my London vacation, and all the guests had to wander down in the court yard wearing sleeping clothes and whatever we had thrown over it. While that is an experience in itself, to make matters worse I had set my hair in pin curls the night before, so my hair was full of clips and a very askew head scarf. Never have half an hour felt that long!

Or what about the time I spent an entire day in full out war with a wasp, trying very hard to kill it and running for my life when it counterattacked. (I left the battle the victor at last)

Then there was the night I had another freak out when faced with a moth in my bedroom, and I refused to get out from under my blanket until my father had killed it.

And last but not least that vacation where I by coincidence got a super fancy hotel room with espresso maker and frotte bath robes - and it was at least 30 degrees outside and I couldn't even bear the thought of warm things.

Now, I don't usually have so many awkward moments in that short amount of time, but they surely made this summer memorable.

                           

But now it's over there is nothing to do but embrace the autumn, which is quite a beautiful season in itself, and look forward to nights with candle lights and hot cocoa.

                                               

What did you spend your summer doing?

Top 5 Period Drama Soundtracks

I love movie soundtracks.
And I love picking favourites too, so I thought it time for a delightful little top 5.

This is by no means a countdown to the all time favourite, for the positions shift almost daily depending on my mood, but one thing they have in common: they rise quite distinctly from the crowd of soundtracks to form a class of their own.

So without further ado...here they are:


Emma
                               

Apart from being a delightful series and one of my all time favourites, it is also filled to the brim with beautiful music. My absolute favourite number is The Last Dance (the music combined with the scene is simply perfection). But I can listen to it all  on repeat for hours and hours (and often do), for it is simply ideal as background music.



The Young Victoria
                                    

A truly wonderful movie filled with just as wonderful music. The music in here is quite varied in its moods; from grand and majestic to quiet and melancholic - it has it all. Picking favourites here is hard...there are so many. But if I have to choose one it must be Marriage Proposal, it contains the love theme that is just indescribably beautiful.



Sense and Sensibility
                                  

What I like the most about the music in this movie is the quiet feel of it. The orchestration is really beautiful and seems quite simple until you listen closely and suddenly discover just how many instruments are being played. I love to listen to this soundtrack just to relax, it is very soothing. My favourite of all the numbers is definitely My Father's Favourite. The simple piano voice is just so beautiful, and really underlines the mood of the song well.



Pride and Prejudice
                                

You can say what you want about the movie, but the music in it is some of the prettiest soundtracks of all  time. I love that much of it is solo piano (it does make it easier for me to play), it makes the contrast so much bigger when suddenly the whole orchestra joins in for the finale. My favourite is an example of just that: Liz On Top Of The World (which by the way is also a gorgeous scene).



The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
                              

When I first discovered this soundtrack on YouTube I didn't listen to anything else for days. I don't know exactly what it is that makes this music so special, but I really love the grand, epic and fairytale like sound of it. It is literally meant to transport you to another world, and it does just that. My favourite piece is Evacuating London. I love how it starts out quiet and sad and then transform into this big fully orchestrated piece that just set the mood for the movie.


So...it seems we have reached the end of this list.
Did we have any favourites in common?
What are some of your favourite soundtracks?