Friday, May 13, 2011

Happy Friday the 13th

Mood: Sad Face
Music: Camille Saint-Saens - Le Carnaval des Animaux


Hello dear guests!


Oh yes, today is the dreaded Friday the 13th!

I can’t say that I’ve ever had anything bad happen to me on Friday the 13th. In particular, I’ve thought of it as being quite the opposite. I remember one such Friday the 13th when I was very young (maybe in grade 7, or even in grade 6), I got to attend a free concert, got late night sundaes from McDonald’s, & had a friend sleep over (which was always a big deal for me, it was not common to have friends sleep over, my mom felt that there needed to be a special occasion for such an event).

More importantly, I’m fascinated by the beliefs held about this day, well beliefs in general really. Notice I said beliefs not superstitions. As one folklore professor said:

“Superstition is a dirty word, don’t use it.”

I ask that you please do the same. The word superstition comes off as being such a negative word. It brings to mind what many would consider silly. & even if what someone believes is silly & irrational to you, it doesn’t matter, it’s still that person’s beliefs, so please, be respectful.

If you want to learn more about the beliefs surrounding this day, I suggest you check out the article on Snopes, Wikipedia as well. There was also this article today in the Vancouver Sun.

Aside from the beliefs about the day, the one thing that comes to mind when I hear Friday the 13th is the films.


Confession time, I’ve never seen the original Friday the 13th films. I did however see the remake, in theatres no less. Funny story that, going to see the film, it was actually a date, a first date, oh yes, it made for a very interesting date night After agreeing to go see the film, it suddenly occurred to me what I had actually agreed to. I kept thinking, “what have I gotten myself into?!” But thanks to a certain gentleman caller, it was very enjoyable & I wasn’t scared at all, well, not too much.

& sorry to those who may not have appreciated the above image of the iconic mask. How do you all feel about Jason? Is he frightening to you? If so, my apologies. Let me make up for it!


Oh come on, that’s cute & you know it!

In other Friday the 13th related spooky-cute-goodness is this clip from Ruby Gloom, showing you how to avoid bad luck:


There’s also a whole Friday the 13th themed episode of Ruby Gloom, Disaster Becomes You:






But if you ask me, the real nasty day of the year would be February, Monday the 13th


Mondays are, well, Mondays, need I say more? & February is such a dreary month. You’ve got the dreaded Singles Awareness Day (also known in some cultures as Valentine’s Day), & then there’s all the snow, except by this time, it’s all slushy & dirty, & the sidewalks aren’t cleared, & well, you get the point...

But luckily, February is very far away, so let’s not think anymore about, shall we?

Stay Spooky,

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fairytale Tuesday: Night Fairy Fantasia

Mood: Hungry
Music: Oliver Wallance – “Bad Day at Skull Rock”


“Where do you live?”
“Second to the right, and then straight on till morning.”
“They put that on the letters?”
“Don’t get any letters.”
“But your mother gets letters.”
“Don’t have a mother.”
“No wonder you were crying.”
“I wasn’t crying about mothers. I was crying because I can’t get this shadow to stick. And I wasn’t crying.”


It’s been awhile, but I do believe I have fallen in love with a print, Alice and the Pirate’s Night Fairy Fantasia


As you may have guessed, the print is inspired by J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.

I couldn’t bring myself to resize any of the pictures, & risk some detail being missed. That’s one of the beauties of brand lolita items, the detail. They always fascinate me, the care, time, & effort that are put into these prints. They’re really works of art. & like any piece of great art, it costs a pretty penny That’s not a complaint though, I understand why brand is so expensive, & that’s okay with me. Besides even if I did have $186+ dollars to spend, I don’t think I’d buy it, I have no occasion to wear anything like this. But if I did… I’d go with the skirt, & of course in black


There’s also the necklace, which is very charming


It feels appropriate to make this post now, since I’m currently reading Peter Pan. Though I have seen countless movies, read the play, I had never read the novel in whole. It is one of the most enchanting books I have ever read. After finishing it I think I’ll revisit some of my favourite movie adaptations of the story.

What do you think of the print? Or if you’re not smitten with it, what’s your favorite retelling of Peter Pan?

Stay Spooky,

Friday, May 6, 2011

Freaky Friday: The Horse Spider

Hello and Happy Freaky Friday to you!

Today I want to share a piece of art that caught my eye one day when browsing tumblr. I have to give major props to this artist. I thought nothing could make a spider scarier. I was wrong. A spider made out of horse legs. That’s scarier.

Is it a spider horse or a horse spider? I cannot decide.


The piece is described as:
“An arachnid-like creature fabricated from horse legs… sighted at the hotel Drouot in Paris.”
Yeah, I’m not even sure what to make of this... thing I feel like this needs to find its way into a horror movie.


Another photo description added that the artist was Thomas Monin. After a quick Google search, I found that he’s a French artist. I cannot figure out too much about him. He is French so naturally his website would be in French. Google translator was not much help to me.

Here is a link to his website. I suggest browsing through the gallery


It says on the website the piece is called “Archival”
Object. 2003. Taxidermy. Dimensions about 220 x 200 x 110 cm. Eight legs of horses are naturalized assembled into a large spider stuck in his movement.
Beth Arnold has an article on her blog, Paris Art Market Buzz, columnist Paul Paradis got a chance to see the work in person back in 2009:
“A terrifying creature composed of 8 real horses’ legs resembling a tarantula crawling out of a scene from the Land of the Lost or an Edgar Allen Poe nightmare made me shiver as I wondered whether it was a chair or a sculpture, or whether it really mattered. The work, also by Monin was estimated at €7,800 - 8,800 and did not find a buyer.”
Hmm, wonder if this beauty is still for sale?

No I am certain that not even I could bear to be in the same room as this for long. This is one of those things that would surely come alive & kill you in your sleep.

Taxidermy is something I have mixed feelings about. When it is of the sort of animal I would not encounter in my daily life, say a giraffe, it does not bother me. But when it’s a dog, or even a kitten, it feels weird to look at. As long as the animals have died of natural causes before they are turned into art, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taxidermy. But then again, it is something that I do not know too much about.

How do you feel about taxidermy?

Stay Spooky,