Snippets of Christmas...and hopes for the New Year.

Christmas seems a long time ago now and it definitely flew by far too quickly this year. I loved being with my family - I just wish I could have spent longer at home!

Since beginning this blog my posts have not been as frequent as I would like at all, and definitely one of my goals for this year is to change the format of it a little bit - hopefully to include more work of other artists and bloggers I follow as well as books, articles, stories, theatre, films - any source of inspiration!

Once I manage to take some better photographs (hopefully on Thursday) I will post some of the projects and presents I made over Christmas for family and friends. Also this week I will include posts about:

Hansel and Gretel
The Life of Pi

My favourite blogs

Pin of the week

and thats all I can think of right now! My thinking is if I write on here what I intend to feature then there is no backing out and I have to post frequently (even though today this blog had a grand total of 1 pageview so its not as though I have thousands of expectant followers but still...)

Happy New Year!

(click picture to enlarge)

Picture credits clockwise from top left:

1. Polar bear Christmas Card (Own design) 2. Mini Christmas Trees taken from Cubicle Refugee Tumblr.

3. 'Warm Winter Wishes' - Own Christmas Card Design. 4. 'Soft Night Descending' - Catherine Hyde

5. Robin Mittens - Own hand embroidered Mittens. 6. Sparkle taken from Bibbity Bobbity Boo Tumblr

Little Owl

Everyone needs to keep wrapped up warm in this cold weather!

Movie Monday: Tiny Furniture

I recently watched 'Tiny Furniture' which I enjoyed so much I watched it twice in two days so thought it would be a good one to review! It is written by, directed and stars Lena Dunham - who was just 24 at the time.

I imagine that this film would not appeal to everyone - there is no definitive story line or plot outcome and there is no typical Hollywood happy ending. The film is a snapshot of  the life of 'Aura' - a recent University Graduate who has just moved home and is faced with what to do for the rest of her life. We see the mundane activity of her everyday life as she attempts to find work, a boyfriend and adjusts to living with her family again.

Aura's Mother and Sister are played by Lena's real life Mother and Sister as Lena had no money to hire actors or fund the film. Their relationship is portrayed so naturally on screen although the script and dialogue  were not ad libbed and were specifically written for amateur actors.

What is so refreshing about this film is how natural and unfinished it is. There is minimal music, blurred camera shots and almost  documentary style to the filming. Along with the simplicity of the storyline this really  makes you aware of how over produced most other films are in comparison. 

Lena Dunham also produces, writes and acts in the American Tv Series 'Girls' which I haven't seen but have heard lots of good things about so hopefully I will get round to watching it soon. 

Maybe it is because I am approaching a similar point in my life to the main character in 'Tiny Furniture' that I feel I can particularly to relate to a lot of the key themes in this film, but I do think that its authenticity and originality is a key part of what makes it a really interesting and enjoyable watch.