IdleGlory | He had to be a genius or nothing, and since he couldn’t be creative he turned to bohemianism, eccentricity, social versatility, conquests. – Allen Ginsberg

Earlier in August, I was fortunate enough to witness the beautiful wedding of two very loving people, Jenny Thai and Andrew Nip!

My first introduction to these two was at a interaction-design related Design Nerds meetup at the 3rd volume of Pecha Kucha in the autumntime of 2008, and ever since then, with older sister Jenny, we’ve exchanged postcards while travelling in Tuscanny and Portland, sharing scrumptious slices of cheesecake at Trees Organic,  and always, Jenny has been an sympathetic and fun-loving woman with a serene grace that surround her, while Andrew is a fellow with an optimistic and cheerful demeanor that, no doubt that is a reflection of the glow of love between the two happy couple.

These are a few of the photos from their special day together. Thank you for the lovely thank-you card and wishing you joy and exciting adventures in your new life together in Copenhagen! xoxo

note: These photographs were provided for and by their lovely wedding photographer, Jamie Delaine (excluding the thank you card and instagram), and these featured below in my blog were post-processed by myself. Originals of the photographs can be viewed on their wedding photographer’s Jamie Delaine’s portfolio and blog.

As a general rule, Boxing Day shopping in Vancouver, BC is kinda mehhhhhh …. the weather turns into a slushy snow-melting-into lake-puddles or, if we didn’t have a White Christmas, then it’s a downpour of rain and wind storms Today we’re experiencing cloudy grey skies and then the downpour hit late afternoon in the downtown core, so I’ve been running around the indoor malls!!  HAHAHA ~~

The pricing for the Boxing Day sales were available online last night for several stores , I was awake really early and window shopping on their websites… mostly on Aldo, Forever 21, American Eagle, Payless, Jcrew and &etc, not to mention the wishlist that I’ve been curating for over a month!

I really really liked these go-to everyday boots for snow and hiking , that are my first step towards wandering in the forests around Vancouver again, and this mock doctor (Who?!) in cognac from Aldo, too.*

After all of the crazy walking around, I picked up a few things for shoe care from the Daiso sibling Yokoyaya123 (located downtown). I can’t really translate these packages very well, but the pictures were SUPER helpful and the “Engrish” translations ..

mmmm… I used to experience these  problemsa lot when I had to stand around all day behind a counter at work, and the circulation in my legs aren’t really great. My thighs are well-insulated, it’s just the rest of my body that’s freezing!!

 

I also tend to wear high heels a LOT lately ~ and sometimes in the summer I’m worrying that sweaty walking everywhere can turn my shoes into SMELLY FEET… these were *perfect* ~ support for my poor feet AND built in deordorizer!

I also have a *weak* ankle and a high arch.. it’s terrible while shopping for shoes! These straps are quite roomy and are the perfect solution for those too-loose kitten heels and stilettos

These were more of an after-thought, shoe care for safeguarding my worn out back heels and scented cushions for preserving the shape of a roomy bootie! That’s all I had time for Boxing Day shopping this year!!! I already have the clothes that I’ll ever need, *anyways*

I may have gone overboard on festive *impulse* Christmastime shopping this year. For those who aren’t in ‘the know,’ last year at Christmastime I was dumped by the now-ex partner, and so the remainder of 2011 has been a sort of granting secret and archived inventory of “wish-fulfillment”. After all, a girl is always in the process of taking care of herself!!

Also I learned a lot about developing a sense of style, based on my personal interests, materials of the clothing, classic vs trendy items, and dressing appropriate for every occasion..it’s something to learn over and over again, dressing my best and expressing a happy personality without going overboard for social approval or being defined by what my friends are/aren’t wearing (and keeping quiet when someone doesn’t recognize the difference, yet! Some of these were purchased and some are still on the wishlist. Can you guess which is which??

Row 1

1. Knitted Snowflakes Leggings Deer Tights $4.98 and free shipping Lately I’ve been trying to stop wearing the same skinny jeans every day (at work, I would wear business slacks or tailored business pants) so for the wintertime, I’m investing in these cute leggings. I also bought a thermal pair that can be worn underneath, too! Winter in Vancouver, BC usually consists of windy afternoons with intense sunshine, or raining and fog. Hopefully, these can keep me warm and looking cute, too!
2. Skinny Black Jeans, $10.50 on Forever 21 There are just some things you should buy in bulk, the necessities for an adult woman’s wardrobe.
3. Motorcycle Knee-high boots, $7 on Ebay These were really affordable and the last ones in stock! I couldn’t resist the temptation of $7 for boots.
4. Lace-Up Over-The-Knee Boots, $88 on Yesstyle The tall boots have a ribbon lacing, which are pretty yet a bit too feminine for my tastes (and lack of versatile with my current wardrobe)

Row 2

1. Low Top Canvas Sneakers, $7.50 at Forever 21 Hmmmm,, I’m not sure why I bought this really, other than most of my slips and sneakers are decorated in patterns or dull colors like black and brown.. I need a little red spicy in my life!
   
2. Retro Style Chain Detailed Black Bag, $56 This feels so perfect for those afternoon-evening transitions at parties!
   
3. Punk Black Knightly Boots, $126 One of my predictions for the upcoming Spring is that the steampunk style will experience a reemergence (again) a la The Girl Who Play with Fir e and reboot of the Tron, Blade Runner series
   
4. Double Zips Black Single Shoulder Bag, $55 My shoulder is getting tired of carrying heavy totes for work and school, hopefully this is the PERFECT solution!
   

Row 3

1. Faux-Leather Tote with Cross Strap, $58 at Yesstyle I am TIRED of carrying a backpack everywhere on rainy days, and especially to university classes! I need something that can port my textbooks, notebooks, healthy lunch AND laptop this year..
2. Giraffe Animal Jelly iPhone 4 Case, $23.45 at HappyMori Okay okay, I’ve already posted photos of these on the blog, but they’re so whimsical and the design *always* makes me feel like smiling inside (which I haven’t been doing a lot of, lately) The quote is a good reminder, too.
   
3. German Goggles, $29 at Restoration Hardware Around this time last year, I was watching the Scott Pilgrim films and mesmerized by Ramona’s healthy passive-aggressive attitude towards boys and life, with her trust bottom-less purse and goggles sitting on her head. By the time my friend stopped by at the store on Boxing Day, these were already sold out! So this year, I planned ahead and purchased them at the beginning of December and again, they’re now out of stock, again.
4. Studded Strap Ankle Boots, $100 at Yesstyle Omg, they’re so tall and scary and I am MADLY IN LOVE!
   

Row 1

1. *Happymori* Sewing Diary Type Stripe ID Card Holder Flip iPhone4/4s, $41.66 on Happy Mori This case doubles as a card holder AND safe storage for my iphone, it’s kinda crazy that I’m carrying two wallets lately in addition to the phone.
   
2. Diary/Planner/Journal Pony Brown Diary ver.2, $20 on Pony Brown Really, really excited that I can finally retire my old agenda for a fresh one with blank pages!
   
3. iswas One-Year Study Planner, $20 on Yesstyle These were more aesthetically friendly design, I’m still waiting to see what the paper quality feels like in real life
   
4. Retro Transistors Radios iPhone 4 case, $17.99 on Modcloth I’m really in love with iPhone cases that resemble other items and creatures, and this case was no exception.
   

Row 2

1. Changing the folding rate bag $22 on Ebay
2. Convertible Folding Tote Bag (Wine Red), $42 on Yesstyle
   

24 ways is the advent calendar for web geeks. Each day throughout December we publish a daily dose of web design and development goodness to bring you all a little Christmas cheer.

In 2010, 24 ways teamed up with Five Simple Steps to produce a printed book of that year’s articles. Called “the Annual,” and it was sold from the site throughout December to raise money for charity. For those who missed out, you can now download a PDF of the Annual and enjoy the articles all over again!

The Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz series has always been one of my favorite collections of children’s literature, not only for the narratives that satirize popular culture and politics during the 1920s, but also due in part to the wonderful illustrations and fanciful characters from the imagination of children’s fan letters, inked and drawn by both John R. Neill & W.W. Denslow .

Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of both the 1902 stage play and the 1939 film version. The story chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy Gale in the Land of Oz, after being swept away from her Kansas farm home in a storm.

Thanks in part to the 1939 MGM movie, it is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture and has been widely translated. Its initial success, and the success of the popular 1902 Broadway musical which Baum adapted from his original story, led to Baum’s writing thirteen more Oz books.

The original book has been in the public domain in the US since 1956.Baum dedicated the book “to my good friend & comrade, My Wife”, Maud Gage Baum. In January 1901, George M. Hill Company, the publisher, completed printing the first edition, which probably totaled around 35,000 copies.

When I was reading The Happiness Project the other day at the university’s bookstore, the paragraph that jumped out was a short sentence describing another bookstore that sold a “Wizard’s Special” edition of the 15 Frank Baum Oz’s books ($225)!! Books of Wonder, a store located in Manhattan, was founded in 1980, and is New York City’s largest and oldest children’s bookstore and the city’s leading specialist in children’s literature.

Among the various departments in the store are sections devoted to children’s classic and contemporary picture books, board books for infants and toddlers, foreign language children’s books, reference books for children (dictionaries, atlases, etc.), non-fiction, and chapter books and novels for children from beginning readers to teens.

And, of course, there is the world famous Oz section – a whole bookcase devoted to the many Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his successors.

This is beyond my current expenses, so in the meantime, I’ll be lusting after these books from afar and continue borrowing other World of Oz editions from the university’s library.

The following list below are the books included in the Wizard’s Special edition, and the asterisks indicates those that have been read.

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1*This stunning edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz features color pictures on nearly every spread. Denslow’s 24 stunning color plates capture the high points of Dorothy’s adventures, while his 130-plus two-color illustrations surround the text, fill the margins, even have the text printed over them.
• The Marvelous Land of Oz #2*Here is the story of a boy named Tip and his travels through the endlessly fascinating land of Oz. Along the way he meets up with our old friends the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman as well as new friends like Jack Pumpkinhead, H.M. Wogglebug, T.E., and the wooden Sawhorse. Their efforts to thwart the wicked plot of the evil witch Mombi and the revolt of the women of Oz.
• Ozma of Oz #3*Ozma of Oz — Baum’s third magical adventure set in Oz — reunites readers and listeners of all ages with Dorothy Gale of Kansas as she makes her second journey to Oz. Here you will meet such beloved old friends as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. You’ll also meet new favorites like the Hungry Tiger, whose appetite is never quite satisfied; Billina, the tart-tongued hen; and that ozzy marvel: Tik-Tok the mechanical clock-work man.
• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #4*Now that Dorothy’s found a way to get to Oz, there’s no keeping her on the farm. In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, a California earthquake sends Dorothy, her kitten Eureka, her cousin Zeb, and his horse Jim on a fantastic journey through underground fairy realms. And who should they meet below the earth, but the Wizard of Oz himself! Together they make their way to Oz, where even more surprises await them.
• The Road to Oz #5*Dorothy is on The Road to Oz again! Joined by new friends Shaggy Man, Button Bright, Polychrome, and Toto, too, she’s in a race to reach the Emerald City in time for Ozma’s royal birthday party.
• The Emerald City of Oz #6 *When Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry need a new home, Dorothy comes up with the perfect answer — The Emerald City of Oz. But while Dorothy and her family are being welcomed to Oz, the wicked Nome King is busily plotting to conquer Oz and have his dastardly revenge on Princess Ozma and Dorothy.
• The Patchwork Girl of Oz #7*When Unc Nunkie is accidentally turned into a statue, it is up to Ojo the Munchkin boy and Scraps — the Patchwork Girl of Oz, to find the magical ingredients that will cure Unc Nunkie. Joining Ojo and Scraps on this daring quest are Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Bungle the glass cat, and the Woozy.
• Tik-Tok of Oz #8*Meet the first girl to come to Oz from America since Dorothy Gale! Betsy Bobbin of Oklahoma is swept off a ship at sea and into magical adventures when she meets the Shaggy Man, who’s seeking a way to free his brother from the wicked Nome King.
• The Scarecrow of Oz #9When a whirlpool pulls Trot and her peg-legged sailor friend, Cap’n Bill, into an underwater cave, they find themselves at the start of a wild adventure that eventually brings them to Oz. Befriended by the propeller-tailed Ork and Button-Bright — who’s lost once again — they find their way to Oz, only to run afoul of the evil King Krewl and the wicked witch Blinkie.
• Rinkitink in Oz #10When merry King Rinkitink and his surly goat Bilbil take a holiday on the peaceful Isle of Pingaree, their lives are turned upside down when the tiny island is conquered by invading warriors.
• The Lost Princess In Oz #11*Ozma has disappeared! And so have most of the magical treasures of Oz — including the Magic Picture, the Wizard’s black bag, and Glinda’s Book of Records! With nary a clue to guide them, all of the Emerald City’s most beloved citizens volunteer to search for their missing monarch.
• The Tin Woodman of Oz #12*What ever happened to the young munchkin maid who was once the love of the Tin Woodman? In this exciting tale, the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow set out to discover her fate.
• The Magic of Oz #13Ozma’s kingdom is threatened once again by Ruggedo, the dastardly former Nome King. This time he’s teamed up with a young munchkin lad named Kiki Aru who’s discovered a secret word which allows him to transform anyone into whatever shape he pleases.
• Glinda of Oz #14 *Determined to stop the fighting between the Flatheads and the Skeezers, Ozma and Dorothy set out for their homelands in the far north of Oz. No sooner do they escape the warlike leader of the Flatheads then they are imprisoned by the cruel Queen Coo-ee-oh, who has submerged her city beneath the waters of the Lake of the Skeezers.
• Little Wizard Stories of OzBaum’s The Little Wizard Stories of Oz is a collection of six humorous fairy tales which contain some of the funniest incidents chronicled in Oz history!

As a treat for myself since the advent of exams, one of my secret wish*list items was to purchase these HAPPY*MORI illustrations iPhone cases, those that dual-snapped on the front and back!

The drawings of the Giraffe and delicious leafy branches against the grid were a favorite choice instead of elephants and carousel, :heart: the whimsical floating parade of bubbles and colorful tones were in love at first glance!

Since the end of exam over a week ago (or more rightly, two weeks ago when I hadn’t realized that the World Literature program didn’t.. schedule final exams, as mentioned per SFU’s Student Information Systems), I have been religiously indulging in oversleeping and cleaning up the messy bedroom space.

Everything is still a work in progress, so I’ll post photos once again when everything has been sorted out.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these lovely animation of various classical music from the Disney Fantasia 1940s and 2000 series. As an art history major, I was surprised to note how many references there were to classical sculptures and paintings throughout the clips so cute!

The first series of the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The 2000s soundtrack was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with conductor James Levine.