Archive for May, 2012

Return To The Faerie Realm of Lily Wight…

Posted in Art, tagged 2012, Blog, books, Entertainment, Fairy, fairy tales, Fiction, Pictures, Thoughts on May 31, 2012 | 10 Comments »

I hope you all enjoyed Book Month at The Arcade of Arts and Arcana. Just before we step into June and ponder a wealth of quirky Victoriana here is another enchanting glimpse into my album of Fairy images…

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Soulless: Book One of The Parasol Protecorate by Gail Carriger

Posted in Books, tagged blogger, Gail Carriger, London, Queen Victoria, Soulless, Steampunk, Victorian era on May 31, 2012 | 8 Comments »

Reblogged from InkAshlings:

Sometimes you aren't after a big fantasy read. Sometimes you just want something gentle, and funny and a bit silly. Soulless was all that for me.

My friend gave me the best selling Soulless last year for my 21st, but my book backlist was so long, I never got around to reading it. I finally got around to it last month, and from the blurb my brother and I were were already laughing hard at;

Ever wondered what it's like to be a Queen...?

Posted in Quickies, tagged blogger, Queen, Versatile Blogger Award on May 31, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Reblogged from victoriannightsblog:

If our adventures have whetted your appetite for all things Victorian, why not check out the diaries of Queen Victoria herself? They are just becoming available to read online, thanks to the work of the Royal Archives, the Bodleian Libraries and ProQuest. It's not every day you get to sneak a peek at a Queen's diary!

http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org/info/about.do

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18183157

-Costumedramaqueen

Steampunk: Link Love

Posted in Links, tagged blogger, Steampunk, Versatile Blogger Award on May 31, 2012 | 6 Comments »

Reblogged from Still Dark @ Heart:

Sometimes I browse the net not searching for anything in particular - which is the best way to actually find things.^^ Check out these cool Steampunk sites and tutorials:

How to Make Steampunk Boots (by Rochelle Leggett / via eHow.com)
How to Make Steampunk Items (by Darren Bonaparte / via eHow.com)
Steampunk Tales (electronic pulp fiction magazine)
A Steampunk Gun Made from Household Scrap…

Look Who It Is! My Story by Alan Carr

Posted in Books, Reviews, TV, tagged Alan Carr, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, autogiography, Book review, books, Carr, Celebrities, Channel 4, comedy, funny, reading, TV on May 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Carr’s self-deprecating camp infuses this autobiography which unfortunately stops short before his fame gets started, suggesting all the good stuff has been saved for later volumes. It’s a shame because despite the good humour there is nothing remarkable here, unless you count the fact that Carr is surprisingly well-adjusted for a comedian.

Alan’s formative years seem no different to those of any ordinary middle-class thirty-something; nice family, depressingly menial part-time jobs, a pointless degree and some fun holidays.

Unfortunately the opportunity to offer advice on the perils of building a stand-up career is overlooked, with Carr being unduly brief and modest about such a difficult profession.

If you like Carr you’ll like this, but the best is probably yet to come.

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The Orange Prize for Fiction. Results This Week!

Posted in Books, Events, tagged Anne Enright, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Esi Edugyan, Everything Everywhere, Kate Mosse, Lionel Shriver, Orange, Orange Prize for Fiction on May 27, 2012 | 4 Comments »

The Orange Prize for Fiction has now reached its seventeenth year.

You can link, via the image, to the official website and add the nominees to your “must read” pile.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 30th May 2012.

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tiny turtles!!!

Posted in Quickies, tagged Animals, baby, cute, Nature, Pets, Photographs on May 26, 2012 | 7 Comments »

Reblogged from absterabbi:

CUTE!

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Darth Vader Has a Throbbing Saber!

Posted in Books, Reviews, tagged Anime Darth Vader, Art, books, Darth Vader, Entertainment, film, Humour, lightsaber, Movies, Reviews, Samurai, Star Wars on May 25, 2012 | 12 Comments »

Updated 16/05/2013

If you need something to reignite your love of the Disney-Lucasverse Star Wars: The Complete Vader is an excellent coffee table book from Random House at a bargain price!

There are plenty of glossy images, pullouts and keepsakes with a surprisingly thorough text, so even hardcore Star Wars fans should see or read something new.

A recommended time waster.

Star Wars: Darth Vader And The Ninth Assassin #2 (comicvine.com)
Darth Vader:Teaching Children How To Make The Right Decisions! (earlylearningplanet.com)
Vadering, A New Photo Meme Featuring Darth Vader’s Force Choke (laughingsquid.com)

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Hay Festival of Literature 2012!

Posted in Books, Events, tagged Art, Arts and Entertainment, books, comedy, Culture, Education, Fiction, Hay Festival, People, Writing on May 24, 2012 | 4 Comments »

The Hay Festival gets bigger and better every year so head to Wales for all things bookish and click the image for the official site.

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Wild Hemlock by Jessie Marion King

Posted in Art, tagged fairy tales, red, witch on May 22, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Reblogged from Gathered Nettles:

The Celeb Diaries by Mark Frith. Trashtastic!

Posted in Books, Reviews, TV, tagged Arts, autobiography, Book review, books, Celebrities, Celebrity, Cheryl Cole, Entertainment, Heat magazine, Jordan, journalism, Mark Frith, media, People, reading on May 22, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Pure trash of course but also a fascinating insight into celebrity culture’s evolution throughout the noughties.

As the founding editor of Heat magazine Frith makes for a flawed and fabulous narrator, jealous of the success of fellow publications, often derogatory about the stars he refers to as “playthings” and covetous of fame. Frith is also fiercely loyal to his team and dedicated to an originally worthy ethos to de-bunk celebrity myth.

Ironically and unfortunately, normalising celebrities created a space for ordinary folk from reality shows to seize the spotlight. The subsequent rise of savvy PRs has enabled celebs to play the once revelatory magazines at their own game.

It’s a fascinating insight into a unique period of modern history by a smart, flawed guy who was actually there.

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Lily Wight’s Beltane Tarot Reading

Posted in Arcana, tagged Art, Arts, Beltane, deviant moon, Inspiration, Life, Lily Wight, May Day, Musings, New Age, Pagan, Patrick Valenza, Pentacles, Queen Of Cups, Spirituality, Tarot, Wicca, Wiccan on May 19, 2012 | 9 Comments »

This May Day reading, with Patrick Valenza’s Deviant Moon Tarot was insightful as always; a timely reminder to trust one’s instincts and take more care over prioritising.

Turning over this site’s “personal” card (position 10.) The Eight of Cups, shouldn’t be a surprise by now but it is always a pleasant surprise to see “Lily” shunning the negatives, stepping bravely forward on her creative path and chasing the dream!

Please feel free to leave your thoughts on this spread, you don’t need to be an expert, the pictures tell a story, so have a go and leave your comments.

1. Inquirer/The Present ~ The Queen of Cups (centre left then anti-clockwise)

2. Past Influences ~ The Five of Pentacles

3. Subconscious Influences ~The Three of Pentacles

4. Secret Wishes ~ The Six of Pentacles

5. Hidden Forces ~ The Ace of Pentacles

6. To Come ~ The Two of Pentacles

7. Environment ~ The Page of Wands

8. Influence of Others ~ The Knight of Wands

9. Spiritual Forces ~ The Page of Cups

10. Outcome ~ The Eight of Cups

You can read about this site’s approach on interpreting the Tarot by following the link below.

Naked Tarot.

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Johnny Depp as Barnabas in Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows'

Posted in Art, Movies, tagged Barnabus Collins, Dark Shadows, Gothic, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Vampire on May 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Reblogged from THE KREEP:

portrait II of johnny depp as barnabas collins

Now that is creepy and deserves a reblog! x

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Snow White and the Huntsman by Lisa Falzon

Posted in Art, tagged fairy tales, Fantasy, Huntsman, Movies, Snow White on May 19, 2012 | 8 Comments »

Reblogged from Gathered Nettles:

Storm Corrosion: Self Titled (2012 Album)

Posted in Animation, Arcana, Music, tagged Gothic, Horror, Prog Rock, Wicca, witch on May 18, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Reblogged from Adrenochrome Music:

Here as promised.

As with any Supergroup or side project involving big names there is the added pressure to succeed or at least, you'd hope, sound good. Metallica and Lou Reed failed at even this, most pedestrian of accomplishments. Chickenfoot, Black Country Communion and Adrenaline Mob are all concurrent bands among many that have stared down the barrel of Supergroup hype.

Goggie GIF: U got sumptin on ur faec

Posted in Quickies, tagged Dog, Pets, Pug, Puppy on May 18, 2012 | 7 Comments »

Reblogged from Loldogs - Dogs - Puppy Dog Pictures - I Has A Hotdog!:

Here is your gratuitous puppy gif for the weekend. Enjoy x

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News on The British Sports Book Awards, May 2012

Posted in Books, Events, tagged book awards, books, British sports book awards, Iliad, Lily Wight, Olympic, Olympic Games, Sport on May 18, 2012 | 1 Comment »

With The Olympics on the way The Brits have gone sports mad!

Reading and athleticism seldom go hand-in-hand but, believe it or not, there are actually books about sport and a literary awards ceremony devoted to them. Who knew?!

You could however just prepare for The Olympics by dusting off your old copy of The Iliad

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Enter The Faerie Realm of Lily Wight…

Posted in Art, tagged Culture, Design, Fairy, Fairytale, Inspiration, Literature, Pictures, Post, Thoughts on May 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Hello Blogsprites!

I promised you more Scary Fairy images for Book Month. Click the pics to view the album and why not send me a Facebook Friend request while you are there. xx

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Wrap skirt with underbust corset

Posted in Quickies, tagged Arts, Corset, Fashion, Steampunk, Victorian on May 16, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Reblogged from Rhiarti's ramblings:

I actually made the corset a while back, but it was still on my dress form as a convenient place to store it. I didn't have any decent pictures to show of it, so figured I'd combine the two when I finished the skirt!

Victorian Caged Grave

Posted in Arcana, Links, tagged Blog, Cage Coffin, Cemetery, Coffin, Features, Gothic, Grave Robbing, Graveyard, History, Photography, Religion, Truth & Rumours, Vampire, Victorian on May 16, 2012 | 7 Comments »

Reblogged from Country & Victorian Times:

Although this is a bit different from what I usually post, I came upon this picture on the internet and just had to share. I have read and watched a lot on the subject of the undead and vampires, and even read about this cage over graves before. However, I have never actually seen a picture of one before and found it unique.

Last Days of Glory

Posted in Books, tagged blogger, History, Non Fiction, Queen Victoria, Versatile Blogger Award on May 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Reblogged from Bride of the Book God:

The Last Days of Glory by Tony Rennell gives us a detailed insight into events around the death of Queen Victoria, from Christmas 1900 until her magnificent funeral six weeks later.

It's a book that's been on my shelves for a long time; I spotted it in a bookshop just after it came out which is why I have this rather handsome little hardback copy.

Choke On It!

Posted in Books, Reviews, tagged Arts, Book review, books, Choke, Chuck Palahniuk, comedy, Fight Club, Lily Wight, Literature, reading, sex, sex addict on May 15, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Fight Club fans will recognise Chuck Palahniuk’s recurring themes and jet-black humour as sex addict Vincent explores the world of self-help groups, mental illness and random, petty criminality.

The forthright narrative swings between realistic grit and surreal farce as Vincent chokes on his own sh*t, both literally and metaphysically. It is hilarious and heartbreaking by turns.

Palahniuk loves a modern American loser and hurls the reader deep into the messed-up psyche of another hero trying to redefine masculinity in a world of adverse rules and chaos. It’s not for the easily shocked, but it’s a gem.