Frivolous Friday... Disney Princes Hot to Not

Hello my lovely readers,

I thought after my last post... this blog needed some lightheartedness, last week I was having a random conversation about Disney Princes with a friend and we started ranking them and I joked this would be a fun blog post so here I am writing it (feel free to disagree with me).

First, he is not a Disney Prince but I must say Dimitri from Anastasia (made by 21st Century Fox) probably takes the cake for one of the hottest cartoon characters... I mean Buzzfeed even has "23 Reasons why Dimitri from 'Anastaia' was a Major Heart Throb" (link) So he gets a special shout out.

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Now on to Disney Princes (I will be sticking to actual Princes either by birth or marry a Princess):

1. Flynn Ryder... I don't know if I love him more because he is voiced Zachary Levi

or if it is because of his wonderful one liners.

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Either way he is pretty awesome. 

2. Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty

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He gets major props because he didn't want to be forced to marry someone he hasn't even met even though she was a Princess.

Also there is a great scene where his father brings up his upcoming marriage (the one he doesn't want) where he has some sass..

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I like a Prince (even in cartoon form) who stands up for himself.

Plus he fights a scary dragon for the woman he loves. 

It also doesn't hurt that Buzzfeed has cast him to be played by Ryan Reynolds in real life. 

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3. Aladdin

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I think Aladdin gets props because he is the only Prince who changes to get the Princess.
Disney Princess get a lot of bad talk because people think that the girls have to change to get the guy (which I don't see as true) but in that vain I think it cute Aladdin changes for Jasmine.

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Besides he has a magic carpet that can travel the world...so you would save lots of money on plane tickets.

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4. Prince Eric

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Sometimes Prince Eric gets on my nerves because he seems like an idiot for searching for a girl with a voice when he clearly likes Ariel. Of course my feminist side does say he only likes her for her looks. Though when he thinks he will lose Ariel he does go and fight for her.
Let's just say his eyes and hair are both awesome.

On the not hot side...
5. Prince Charming from Cinderella

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The only reason I don't think he is not hot is because you don't really get to know him as a character.
I mean he barely speaks and talk about a guy falling for a girl just for her looks.

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When I was younger I loved Cinderella but after seeing Ever After I liked that twist on the classic story and Dougary Scott made a great Prince Charming.

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6. Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast

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I know my friend that I was discussing this post with disagreed with me on views of Prince Adam, I just personally did not find him that attractive.
As I looking for pictures for this post I came across this:

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So maybe I need to reevaluate my thinking.
Though I am excited to see Dan Stevens play the Beast...whenever that film comes out

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 Before I finish this post I have to give a shout out to Robert Phillip (played by Patrick Dempsey) in Enchanted. I know he is not technically a "Prince" but he does dress like a prince and for a man who says he doesn't dance he actually dances quite well.

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Video: "Enchanted (So Close) with Lyrics"

Link 

I know this list is a little bias, as it really only talks about the films I like. So if you want more information most of these pictures come BuzzFeed (link) and they have their own ranking. 

Hope you have a nice weekend.

Princess and a dragon...Writing Wednesday

Hello lovely readers,

A couple of weeks ago I attended a writing workshop and it was all about dialogue. The rules were to write an entire scene of dialogue and that we couldn't use any tag lines so no "she said" or "he said." I got the prompt "a princess or virgin and a dragon." Here is what I wrote...

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 -What is it you want from me?
-What is you want from me?
-You are a dragon, you have been terrorizing my kingdom.
-And your the noble knight, who has come to slay the dragon and win the hear of the damsel in distress. I have read fairy tales I know how it goes.
-You read?
-You sound surprised.
-I am, I didn't know dragons could read. 
-We are not as ignorant as your authors would have you believe.
-I just never thought--
-Yes many knights don't think. It seems to be a common trend.
-Why do you say that?
-Why do you thing dragon can't read?
-Why do you answer my questions?
-You are a persistent knight. Come on, get along try to kill me. 
-You are not afraid?
-Afraid of you sword?
-Afraid of death?
-I am an old dragon, I have had a good life, I do not fear death. Besides I am known to have a trick or two up my sleeve.
-And what is that?
-You expect me to tell you my tricks?
-Maybe one, you about seven time larger than me.
-Yes, you are the smallest knight I have met to date. Why are you so small? Did your kingdom run out of brave men to send to me and fight to protect it.
-My brother, Edmund died in battle last year, I am the last of my line.
-And your mother didn't want to protect the runt of the litter.
-I am hardly a runt.
-Well you are hardly a giant.
-Granted.
-Well what is you wanted from me?
-I want you to leave my kingdom alone.
-I cannot.
-Why?
-We were here first.
-We?
-Yes, I am not alone. I have a rather large family to be honest. And we were her first before you humans came in and cut down our trees and started coming into our mountains. Where are we to go?
 -Surely there are other mountains and other woods?
-You do ask a lot of questions, knight. Come on will you?
-Maybe I am not as stupid as some of the other knights you have met.
-Clearly, your did not wear any armor, the racket that causes is always a give away. Though no wearing armor to fight against a dragon,who can breathe fire and is ten time larger than you might not be the smartest thing.
-My brother always said a good shield and sword is all you need. If you are a good fighter.
-And are you a good fighter?
-My skills have never been officially tested in a tournament or something.
-Yest you come here to fight the dragon?
-Perhaps
-Well if you are here to fight, you better come on. I grow weary of conversation.
-You have not told me one of your tricks.
-I never said I would.
-Gentlemen attempt at fight fair.
-I am no gentlemen.
-You are well read, you didn't kill me instantly, in fact you have been quite hospitable is that not the definition of a gentleman?
-Can a dragon be a gentleman?
-I don't know, I always thought that title should reflect the character not so much the species.
-You are definitely not like any knight I have met.
-I hate to disappoint you but I am no knight. I am Princess Lorriane of the Gaisome Kingdom.
-Your highness, why does your kingdom send you here?
-They don't know I came.
-Ah a brave run away to take on the world?
-Not the world, just a dragon.
-And what do you want from me? It can not be to kill me, you would have attempted it by now.
-You are right. I do not believe violence and death bring peace.
-No, you are not like any knight I have met.
-How do you mean?
-Knights are blood thirst but yet the do not come to the same conclusion you did. If I killed you now, which I could easily do, all of Gaisome would be here in my peaceful cave take revenge on their princess. If you kill me, which is a slight possibility my brother or son would attack your kingdom and it would be a vicious cycle.
-Then what do you say? A compromise?
-You think me a fool to compromise with a human. Humans never keep their words.
-Even a princess?
-Especially a princess. Royalty must always put their kingdom first, they cannot make a compromise with things they do not trust.
-I trust you,
-Well you shouldn't!
-AH!!!
-I am sorry my princess, it was your kingdom or mine.

I know very little about dragons but I was excited to write this prompt. Though I don't think it will expand into a story, fantasy is not one of my go to genres. Even still I am glad for the opportunity to stretch my writing skills.

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Tune for Thursday...

Song: Who are we fooling 

By: Brooke Fraser featuring Aqualung

I have had this song in my head all day. It is kind of a sad song, I feel like it is a couple staring at each other and just wondering why they are staying together. Even with the sad message the music is beautiful. Brooke Frasier has been featured a few times on this blog and if my life was a musical I would totally break out into one of her ballads. Hope you enjoy...

So we're back here again
Tiptoeing round the edge of the end
Wondering who will be last to admit
That we're finally over

Turned twenty one on a day that we met
Terrible shoes, implausible dress
It's funny how sad the funny things get as you grow older

Better or worse
But what else can we do?
For better or worse
I am tethered to you
If it's not either of us
Tell me who are we fooling?

I learnt the art of biting my tongue
I tired of trying to guess what was wrong
Both agreed on where we should go
But not how to get there

We tried and tried to loosen the knots
Thinking once we're untangled we'll be better off
But it's these failures and faults that hold us together

Better or worse
But what else can we do?
And better or worse
I am tethered to you
If it's not either of us
Tell me who are we fooling?

This beautiful tangle that's bruising us blue
It's a beautiful knot that we just can't undo
Together we're one but apart tell me
Who are we fooling?

Cause real love
Is hard love
It's all we have
It's a break-neck
Train wreck
It's all we have

So we're back here again
Turning away from the edge of the end
Arm in arm

Better or worse
But what else can we do?
And better or worse
I am tethered to you
If it's not either of us
Tell me who are we fooling?

This beautiful tangle that's bruising us blue
It's a beautiful knot we just can't undo
If it's not either of us, tell me who are we fooling?

Together we're one, but apart tell me
Who are we fooling?

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Some descriptive writing

"A desire to write grows with writing"-Desiderius Erasmus 

In my last post about my story (which is still untitled) I wrote sharing my story with you my loyal readers it kept me inspired me to continue writing my story. So I hope to continue sharing bits of my story with you. I may not be able do to so regularly as I find I write better when I write with my hand and then I type it up. It is a very long process but it is so far the only way it works for me.

As much as I love writing plot, I love more the moment where I can get out a few good sentences of descriptive writing and make my characters or my setting seem more real. I am just at the beginning of my story so I am really working on some descriptive parts so my characters come to life for me and for my readers. So I wanted to share those parts with you...

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This wasn't a journey this was a new beginning.

            Parts of this narrative I remember as if they were yesterday even though they happened years ago. Some parts of this story I have conjured up out of my imagination to make sense of the outcomes. Therefore, I cannot call this a true account of my family but it is the truest account you ever hear.

           

            There was a time when we were all joyful and innocent to ever changing. Before the war and the destruction that followed in its wake. The war had changed our family in so many ways as it had for so many others. Before the war it didn't matter that Parker was heir to Cranston Court and best friends with Shane Gray, who was the oldest son of Cranston's head cook. Daphne would be happy to wear a daisy chain necklace and Marcus dreamt of exploring the deep jungles of Africa. Back when we were children we would spend our summer afternoons in the Back Woods wading in the creek that divided Cranston Court from Southerton Greens. I remember her we could be a thousand miles away from everything and everyone with only our dreams to play out. But that was before the Great War. The Great War that had killed Shane and made our poverty known. It was all due to the war. It was the reason our lives had changed forever.

Summer 1909

Those were the grand days for us children at Southerton. Without mother and father there we were under the care of Nanny Alba. Every day after lunch she took a long nap  and expected us to do the same. Instead as soon as the weather turned warm we would run all the way to the Back Woods not stopping for any breath. It was here we all plotted out the grand adventures we desired for our lives. I wasn't old enough to plan a grand escape. I still loved our home. It had been a part of our family since King Charles II. It wasn't grand compared to Cranston Court but it was a prized estate. I was still finding nooks and crannies when to hide in for hours. My ancestors took Southerton Green from a simple hunt lodge to its grand scale built in the a modern architecture in the Georgian style. My grandfather used to tell me of the grand days of Southerton when they would throw lavish parties on the scale of a Duke and Duchess. I promised him I would recapture those grand day and bring them back to Southerton.

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Dress Inspiration #1
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Lady Welford was perfection itself. She had delicate features from her ivory skin, her gentle hazel eyes and her fair auburn hair that seemed properly placed as a crown on her head with no strand out of a place. Her dress was done in the stylish 'Empire' revival fashion that was coming back into style with lots of subtle lace and beading on the top, then a large cherry silk ribbon that had a large flower pin on in it, fading to a soft pink with deep inverted pleats at the back which went down to a little train. One would think that the dress being so subtle in would wash her out but it didn't. Lady Welford was true beauty. Her figure was particularly graceful and it was a style in which elegance reigned. A beauty like I had never seen before in such a way that one could tell the outside was due to reflect the inside. She looked down and saw little Georgiana looking almost lifeless and had overwhelming compassion.

            "Oh my goodness is all right?" Lady Welford asked with watery eyes.

            "Yes your lady. She is fine now thanks to Mrs. Gray, she probably just needs some rest," Marcus said.

            "Well of course. We have several guest rooms she can stay in. Mrs. Banks," she called the house keeper over. "Will you make sure to find the little girl a place to rest and get some food for the children and have them take it into the nursery. Then when we are done with our guest in the library."

            "Elizabeth!" Lord Welford stunned by her.

            "And maybe some dry clothes for the young ladies."I did feel a little embarrassed by my outfit. "Also Mrs. Banks we might want to fetch the doctor. And all of you will stay here till your sister is all better. Mrs. Banks make sure to also write Southerton we would not want Mr. Harrington to worry."

            "Our mother is not home your lady," Marcus said.

            "Well then it is settled, you shall all stay the night," it was almost as she could feel her husband getting mad. "Now Welford, I want you to smile and remember we need votes."

Dress Inspiration #2
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            All what Lady Welford asked to be done was done in an orderly fashion. Her manners reflected her charming beauty for they were winning and never commanding and she show complete empathy to those around her.

            I would find out years later as perfect as her world seemed she terrible lonesome. Her husband would spend months away at a time her some was away at school, and while Lord Welford brought her back a nice broche or a new necklace it never replaced her heart's cry. By the time I learned this would be too late for me to do anything about it. I put this now so you would know the whole story and it will impact future events of this narrative.

            Cranston Court stood as a relic to the Tudor years with a lookout tower and lots of outset windows and it always had a feeling that a knight on white horse would be coming about any moment. Though it was a Tudor relic on the outside on the inside it looked more like a French Chateau done highly in the Rococo style that was ever so popular at the end of the last century. Lady Welford was an American Heiress through and through coming from a family who had their money from mill factories and investments in both railroad and a shipping industry. She had insisted for many modern improvements to be done to the house including new pipes, fitting windows, and dumb waiters so the food would be warm when it reached the dinner table. Most importantly she had the money to back up her insistence.

Painting of Derbyshire
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Side note: I have changed the date from 1906 to 1909 to bring them a little closer to WWI. I also changed my heroine's name to Rose... I couldn't really get attached to the name Esther.

Fictional Obsession and Confession

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Dear Readers,

I will admit I get emotionally attached to fictional characters. If you can relate please let me know if  because sometimes I feel alone in my obsessions. For example I get overly happy every time I watch Emma and the scene where Mr. Knightley proposes to Emma and she says "Now I need not call you Mr. Knightley, I can call you my Mr. Knightley." Oh it just tugs at my heart strings. And I lost it when Matthew proposed to Mary on Downton Abbey.

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While yes I do like happy endings and I am totally a hopeful romantic. I look to these books/movies/shows as a way of escapism. I like the idea of getting lost in fancy gowns, balls, and I guess my idealistic view of chivalry. I think that is why I got into history, I wanted to escape into the past and live in the times and places I could only live in my imagination. 

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But it is not just historical stories I mean when Peeta confessed his love for Katniss I hugged the book to my chest because I was so happy. And today when I watched the newest episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries I cried... Maybe I am just super emotional. 

I guess I just love getting lost in stories. I hope to one day be an author that writes stories that people will get lost in and will fall hopelessly in love with my characters. I mean I get lost in my own stories but sometimes I think they exist better in my head. (Is this common for writers?)

Any way I just wanted to share my obsession. Hope you, my lovely readers, will understand my posts when all I want to do is escape the realities of grad-school.   

Just a pretty picture of escapism
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Looking for a fairy tale

I haven't written anything yet and this month I have wanted to write something every day. I was going through the pictures I had collected for this blog (to get inspiration to write something) and I came across this. I like this photo, I found it while trying to google "fairy tales". It is not really how I would think of a fairy tale because I think of stories set long ago with girl wearing long dresses. This picture looks very modern but I can't get away from it. I feel there is a story behind it.

I want to know why she is walking around with umbrella when there is no rain? Why is she is in the woods? Has she run away? What year does she live in? We can't see her face so is she a child or a woman?

The reason why I was googling "fairy tales" was I have a niece, who I say holds the key to my heart. She is 18 months old and I think I have 20 pictures of her around my apartment. This picture is on my phone, I have her picture on my desk and I carry her picture in the locket I wear. So really she is every where in my life and I love her so much. But since she lives in Denver and I live in Boston I wanted to write her a story that she could read and know I am thinking about her. The problem is I was not a big reader growing up, I didn't really like to read until I was in the sixth grade and I loved the story Ella Enchanted. So one day I was googling "fairy tales" to get an idea of how to start a fairy tale or what they should include and I found that picture above.

I am still working on the idea for my story for my niece. I don't want it to be like a typical "Once upon a time" fairy tale but I do want her to right now have her mom read it to her and when she is older for her to read it to herself. I hope I can get it done before her 2nd Christmas.

A casual gaze

While I have been writing this blog I have thought of a few things about myself. Maybe in a way to explain my writing or just therapy for myself; either way I won’t be too mushy (I hope but I am emotional so I might not be able to resist).

One thing as previously discussed I am a hopeful romantic but I am not very experienced in the world of “romance.” I have only had four boyfriends and I have only kissed two boys. The first was my first real boyfriend in high school and I was nineteen years old.To be honest after watching plenty of teen soap operas ranging from Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creeks I felt I was the only girl who had not had a first kiss and also just to be honest I really wanted my first kiss. Sadly (no offense to him) no sparks flew and definitely no fireworks went off (not like you see in movies.) Then we broke up mostly because I was moving to Boston, three thousand miles away from him and we no longer talk minus maybe a “happy birthday” on Facebook. But I felt he had a part of me, a part I could never get back and I didn’t like it. I then set a standard for myself that I wouldn’t kiss a boy till I said “I love you.” In this day I am guessing that moving at a glacier pace but that explains why I have kissed one other boy because I loved him and I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. But it didn’t work out because of factors I won’t get into. So besides losing myself in what might seem like silly novels (check out Love of Reading) I have not had much experience in the world of romance but I am hopeful that one day I will meet Mr. Right but until that day I keep practicing being Mrs. Right (as a good friend once told me).

Another thing about myself is that I consider myself a plain Jane. Now I don’t say this as a way to be pitiful. I will say it honestly I just don’t look at myself and see myself as this knock out girl. Though as an author I would writer I had gold red hair that looked like the sunset and blue eyes that sparkled like the sea. To me that sounds like a fairy tale princess but I am far from feeling like a fairy tale princess. Maybe every woman feels like this after looking at themselves day in and day out. Or maybe women take more time putting themselves together. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t walk around with my hair disheveled or my clothes stained. I comb my hair but usually that it I don’t curl, flat iron or anything like that. And I will admit until high school I didn’t really use a hair dryer and however my hair looks that is how it will be. Then in college I started wearing make up but I still working on it. And honestly, I am not knocking women who take lots of time with their looks because they look great, I just don’t care. I’d rather sleep in. I’d rather slip my skirt on (except when it’s too cold) and my cardigan and leave my house then spend my money on the newest fashion. That’s just me. I am plain Jane and I am okay with that. But it might be why I write about plain Janes and hope in my stories like in real life that someone will see beyond the plain Janeness and see me. I think thats what will happen to my character Emmy.

There might be more later... but for right now I wanted to post this gaze into my life

From a Hopeful Romantic

This weekend I watched my younger sister marry the first man she ever loved. (I say that in past tense because it is grammatically correct but its not really past tense as she continues to love her new husband.) It was kind of like watching the end of the fairy tale but only to know their life will go on and they will spend the rest of their lives together. Which is great because in movies the movies you only see the couple till they get together and then its over, you never see beyond that. In life the love story continues. I have also been given the chance to watch many love stories unfold from my friend to family. Their marriages may not be the fairy tales people imagine but from an outsiders perspective it has been cool to watch the way love grows.

I guess I have always been a hopeful romantic, I believe love will always win and that it is worth fighting for. I guess that why I own 60 plus movies and most of them have a love story and why I subscribed to Bride magazine when I was in high school and sometimes buy them when I am in a book store.Its probably why I watched/read anything I could because I am a hopeful romantic. Its probably also why that if you read my story you will discover that it is a love story. I want a story book love but I also know a love that will last will be a love that is sacrificial and not a feeling but a choice every day (and it may not always be easy). It will be the type of love that is talked about in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.(The Message)

You might this is just a girl sighing over a lovey dovey stuff but its not... this a girl wishing for this type of love. A love that would last a life time. So I will continue to cry when I see people get married and I will continue to tear up over love stories. And I thank all my friends and family who through their relationships have shown me more and more what I want.


P.S- I hope since I am not using names its okay for me to use your pictures but if its not please let me know