Wolf stories

Awoooooo! Hmm. Yes. Moving on.

At the very edge of the pastures and forests belonging to our village there is an old hill, once a mountain, called Preluca. Even today, if one has hay there, they must remain there until the hay-making is done. A family went on such a task, taking their two cows with them; they were done on the third day before noon, so the youngest, a lad of fifteen, decided to stay with animals until sundown.

Midday came with unbearable heat, such as he had never felt, so he took shelter in the woods. He sat next to the oldest cow and fell asleep. He awoke some time later to gentle sounds of maiden’s laughter and singing. The woods were deadly still – no birds chirping, to flies buzzing, no wind rustling; so he himself sat very still and awaited for the fayes, for that is what the maidens were, to take their dancing elsewhere. He dared not even open his eyes, for he knew that such devilish creatures will steal the sight of any man who dares look upon them as they dance. Later, much later, when the sun was nearing the horizon and faint roosters’ calls could be heard, did life return to the forest; he took to his home and lay bedridden for six weeks.

Midsummer favorites

Do you know that feeling, when you've been bumbling around with someting that you don't necesarily like, but a better option just doesn't occur to you? How about that awesome feeling when you find the thing that's right for you? Well, I just got that feeling two days ago. Now I've never worn a maxi skirt before because everybody was like, they're not for short girls. But while I was in Timisoara dealing with some academic stuff, I had some time to kill and entered a store called Terranova (they have great-fitting simple tees that seem to always be on sale). And while I cringed at the neon-ness of it all, I did get two tees (one gray, one black) and decided to try on this navy and purple kind-of-paisly (that how you spell it?) maxi skirt and I decided not to get it the first time. But after a debate, I went back for it. And when I was walking down the street in it, I felt like a goddamn Princess taking my unicorn for a walk. Seriously. 

I've always been kind of contrary in my make-up choices. Usually the norm is dark lips in the cold seasons and tinted lip balm in the summer; natural make-up for autumn-winter and bold, colorful looks for spring and summer. I think that's stupid. Why bother with elaborate eye-makeup when you'll be wearing sunglasses anyway? Isn't it more logical to wear bringht lips in the summer than in winter when IT'S SO FRIGGIN' COLD that you go through a chapstick a day? I think so, anyway. So I recently discovered a really great lipstick - the NYX Round Lipstick in Hero. 

 temptalia.com

I was really surprised by the quality of this lipstick. It's smooth and has quite the staying power - I tried it on just before bed and just pressed my lips against a tissue twice. Then I slept for 8 hours and when I woke up I was surprised to see the color still on my lips. What kind of person doesn't move in their sleep? The only thing is, although it looks burgundy, it has quite a strong blue base and in a thin layer looks more of a pinkish dark red. We call it rotten sour cherry in the village.

I've been really into mundane turn-of-the-century novels lately. I've read The Devourers by Annie Vivanti Chartres, which takes a look at the lives and times of the "doves of prey", the wonderchildren that devour their parents - the brilliant poetess Nancy and her musical prodigy daughter and all the people they have crushed to be themselves crushed. Right now I'm finishing The Vanity Girl by Compton MacKenzie, about the life of a self-centered Vanity actress and starting Waterfoot - The Dream Ship by Cynthia Stockley. 

Also, if you feel the need for a really light chindren's novel read, try the Madge Sterling Series - The Missing Formula, The Deserted Yacht and The Secret of the Sundial. You can find all of the above in e-book format on gutenberg.org.

Another thing are re-imagined 80's cartoons that feature strange hi-tech medieval worlds - Thundercats and He-Man. 

The Cruxshadows galore!

The awkward chubby one and the Internet

On every single blog I read there was at least one post about self-confidence. I'm not saying I don't enjoy reading them, or they don't help me at all, but let's be honest - there is only so much words can do. There will always something to bother you and potentially ruin your day - like I was obsessed and depressed about my thick arms today. 

From a fashion perspective, I've always stood in-between mainstream and alternative. My decision to incorporate a lot more goth into my wardrobe is fairly recent, and I think my Chictopia account - my bastion in the world of ardent fashionistas is something I will keep.

Now most of you may have noticed the Nu-Goth (or pastel Goth or hipster Goth, as it is sometimes called). Some cringe at it, some accept it; but looking at it from an overall fashion perspective, it actually represents the unprecedented liberalization and personalization of fashion. The editor-in-chief of Elle Romania said about a year ago that people need to be more involved in fashion, and not just follow trends; in short, they need to "get power" - get the confidence to rock whatever they like. And yet...

Staying at my aunt's house overnight, I've taken a look at my teenage cousin's favorite website, weheartit. Ignoring the abundance of Justin Bieber, some group of teenage boys I don't recognize and brunette Hannah Montana pictures and all the hipster and pseudo-inspirational pictures, the fashion section revolves around denim cut-offs, impossible shoes and pastel dip-dyed hair. However, model-wise sultrily helpless waifs prevail. Who needs power when you've got swag?

Chictopia is overrun with them as well. The occasional glamorous diva like Diya (inherstilettos.com) aside, everyone seems to be going for the melacholic pose/ poetic title combo. Do you have to name your post featuring a picture of your outfit and a link to your blog "I'll cry when the movie's over"? Maybe I don't want to read your blog to find out exactly why you'll cry when the movie's over. I just like your jacket. 

So. Are people getting power? I'd say no - just more trends - the vintage trend, the Nu-Goth trend, the hipster trend, the you-name-it-trend. I'm not saying, they are all very stylish people and I'm just like one of those cartoon characters that find themselves in the middle of the highway (to fashion hell! had to be said) - trends and ideas whizz past and just make me dizzy.

I'm not going to lie; I looked at the aforementioned pics wishing I was thin like that. Because I'm human. But I've got my Death Glare of Intellectual Superiority and a good friend to smooth down the ruffled feathers of my ego. Stupid chubby arms.

Monthly Homework Assignment - Love Love

                                           

What can I say? I love painting stuff on mah face.
Starting from the very basics with which I can achieve a look, we have:
 - Mascara. My favorite is Yves Rocher's Lumielle. While I admit that it doesn't elongate your lashes till they touch your forhead, it's very gentle with your lashes and easy to remove.
 - Brow gel.
 - Red lip pencil and lipstick. I love the Alverde ones, beautiful and inexpensive.
 - Cream liner. I recently discovered this type of liner from Elf, and I'm in love. Gives a softer finish then liquid liner.
 - Liquid liner. Kittylicious!
 - Primer. My favorite so far is Urban Decay Primer Potion, but the Elf Essential Primer is very good too, and you can't argue with that price.
 - Brushes. I love Elf brushes, especially the Mineral Blending Brush - it's soft, blends flawlessly and it's about half the size of a normal brush, so it fits in any purse or make-up bag.

Pencil brush, tapered blending brushes - stiff (Sigma E35) and
soft (Elf Mineral) and flat, large blending brush (UD Good Karma)

 - Foundation. I use a full coverege one in the cold months because the cold can easily irritate my skin and make them even more red. I love the Dermablend by Vichy, which I blend with either a Sigma flat top Kabuki or an Elf flat powder brush. And check out the commercial :)

 - Finally, sunglasses ALL THE TIME. Because after I spent 30 minutes carefully choosing colors, blending them into seamless perfection and lining my eyes with surgical precision, the most logical thing to do is cover everything up with colored plastic.
I also want to add three fashion items that are must haves: a white shirt, preferably cotton or linen, preferably  something casual; a blue kimono-jacket my mother made for me and a wooden fan.

And that's about it... Does anyone else have problems with redness?
And a song I love.

Spealking of songs, I absolutely did not name this post after the Take That song on the X-Men: First Class soundtrack. No. I am not a comic book nerd and definately NOT a total Guy Gardner fangirl. No sir, not me.

Space Romance

Yellow.

I've been listening to a lot of Delerium lately. And decided to celebrate that fact with a nail tutorial. So let's just pretend we see the connection between trance music and nebulas, shall we?

So, first you need to paint your nails black. Don't waste time to make it perfect; the different densities will actually help the overall look. Also, I recommend applying only one coat and giving it ample time to dry and settle.

From this point on, we will be using a make-up spunge to layer colors. First, take the matte white and gently map out the contours of the gas clouds:

Next, grab a matte yellow and very gently dab it randomly on the edges of the white. This color needs to be very subtle, more of a suggestion; you could skip this step altoghether.

Grab a matte red or hot pink and likewise, dab it gently in random places.

We'll be using shimmery colors next, starting with an aqua green (Miss Sporty Clubbing in 246 is my choice).   I really love this color, so I use quite a lot :) Next, an electric blue.

Finally, ad a color to break it up. I chose a dark purple, but you can use pink, red, even orange. Just make sure it breaks up the blue and green and stands out. Finally, ad a gold reflex polish and if desired, glitter. Unfortunately, it's the middle of the night and my final look is too glittery for the flash. I'll probably post a picture later. Good night and good luck.

Edit: I've come up with half-decent shots of the final look:

Shuffle and Music

I thought I'd put in a Shuffle Challenge now (Windows Media Player Shuffle. I don't even own an Ipod - I listen to music on my phone. It's not a smartphone, so it's ok, I don't need to charge it every two hours.) and one later one, to see how my playlists darken. Enjoy making fun of my music tastes, but read the explanations please.

1. Michita – Aurapporo

2. Pheonix – Vremuri (Times)

3. Adam Lambert – Fever

4. Enigma – Gravity of Love

5. Delerium – Silence

6. The Dresden Dolls – Backstabber

7. Mindy Gledhill – Hourglass

8. Deftones – Sextape

9. The Birthday Massacre – Kill the Lights

10. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – Southern Cross

11. Emilie Simon – Dernier Lit

12. Grigore Lese – Miorita

13. Elend – Eclipse

14. Grigore Lese – Batranit-o Codru

15. Yasmin Levy – Por la Mia

16. The Woodlands – Can We Stay

17. Pink Martini – La Soledad

18. Enigma – Sadness

19. Adam Lambert – Sleepwalker

20. Richard and Linda Thompson – Walking on a Wire

21. The Dresden Dolls – Dirty Business

22. Deftones – Beauty School

23. Oliver Shanti and Friends – Sacral Nirvana

24. Grigore Lese – Miresuca cu Margele

25. The Dresden Dolls – Sex Changes

26. Emilie Simon – Blue Light

27. Damien Rice – Dogs

28. Damien Rice – Rootless Tree

29. Firma – Last Night in Bucharest

30. Yasmin Levy – Una Hora en la Ventana

31. Sistem, Gojira&Kosak, Grigore Lese – Lume

32. Regina Spektor – Your Honor

33. The Dresden Dolls – Missed Me

34. Sting – Desert Rose

35. Michita – After the Rain

36. Enigma – The Screen behind the Mirror

37. Enigma – Back to the Rivers of Belief

38. Damien Rice – Grey Room

39. Immediate Music – Serenata Immortale

40. Mindy Gledhill – Circus Girl

41. Adam Lambert – A Loaded Smile

42. Nomak – Moon Flow

43. Regina Spektor – Edit

44. Pink Martini – Dansez Vous

45. Pink Martini – Lullaby

46. Juno Reactor – Teahouse

47. Damien Rice – 9 Crimes

48. The Mars Volta – Inertiatic Esp

49. Deftones – You’ve Seen the Butcher

50. Pheonix – Ar Avea un Eschimos

51. Emilie Simon – Flowers

52. Tori Amos – Siren

53. Mindy Gledhill – Whole Wide World

54. Enigma – Age of Loneliness

55. Oliver Shanti and Friends – Mother Earth’s Tartaruga Song

56. Damien Rice – The Blower’s Daughter

57. Adam Lambert – If I Had You

58. Emilie Simon – Il Pleut

59. Gipsy Kings – Gitano Soy

60. Dishwalla – Counting Blue cars

61. Sopor Aeternus – Something Wicked this Way Comes

62. Pink Martini – Autrefois

63. Pink Martini – Clementine

64. The Birthday Massacre – In the Dark

65. Delerium – Temptation

66. Richard and Linda Thompson – Dimming of the Day

67. Sopor Aeternus – And Bringer of Sadness

68. Pink Martini – Hang on Little Tomato

69. Deftones – Diamond Eyes

70. Sopor Aeternus – Gebet

71. Damien Rice – Then Go

72. Sopor Aeternus – The Go

73. Pink Martini – Aspettami

74. Michita – Yukar

75. Adam Lambert – Whaddaya Want from Me

76. Pink Martini – Donde Estas, Yolanda

77. Yasmin Levy – Una Noche Mas

78. Enigma – Principles of Lust

79. Grigore Lese – Canta Cucu Bata-l Vina

80. Michita – Melodic

81. Sopor Aeternus – There Was a Country by the Sea

82. Regina Spektor – Apres Moi

83. The National – Bitters and Absolut

84. The BlackNote Project – Voces Lejanas

85. Michita – Amplitude

86. Yasmin Levy – El Amor Contigo

87. Grigore Lese – Doru si Jalea Ma Strica

88. Pheonix – Miezul Noptii

89. Emilie Simon – Secret

90. Sand System – Lover’s Nocturne

91. Juno Reactor – Acid Moon

92. Immediate Music – Electric Romeo

93. Kanon Wakeshima – Kuroneko to Pianist no Tango

94. Grigore Lese – Canta Cucu-n Lemn Uscat

95. Mindy Gledhill – Crazy Love

96. Sopor Aeternus – Les Fleurs du Mal

97. The Cure – Burn

98. Oliver Shanti and Friends – Rainbird

99. Pink Martini - Song of the Black Swan

100. Pheonix - Iovano

Alrighty then. Grigore Lese, on whom I will do a more encomapssing blog post later, is one of Romania's greatest folklorists and folklore musicians. Besides the fact that his voice and music are amazing, it's a patrotic thing.

Pheonix is a Romanian folk-rock band. I grew up with them and their lyrics are so good that one of the songs was featured in our 12th grade Literature textbook.

Mindy Gledhill speaks to my inner child. Don't you dare.

Yasmin Levy is a Israeli singer and she is just amazing. She sings mostly traditional iudeo-spanish music, somewhat like Gypsy Kings. I am in love with flamenco, my first celebrity crush was Juaquin Cortez. 

Kanon Wakeshima is my Emilie Autumn. 

I just love dancing - tango, flamenco, rumba, walz, oriental, stuff like that. That is one of the reasons I love Pink Martini, their songs are so easy to dance to. 

I love all kinds of folklore, tribal and tribal-electro fusion. 

You have to listen to Immediate Music while doing trivial things. I first listened to With Great Power while dusting. Most. Epic. Dusting. Ever.