Cleffairy's Blog, page 215

File 1: The Disappearance of Cleffairy

I've been going MIA since last week. Some of my online friends is rather alarmed when they no longer see me during my regular hour (which is not exactly regular for them…). They wonder what's up with me, and why I'm harder to catch these days. Hard to catch me lurking around in Gtalk, hard to catch me in Fb chats, hard to catch me commenting in blogs, (save a few, that is)…

Well, I don't have much explanation for those who wonder why I'm kinda hard to catch these days, except for that I'm abit busy with writing my novels and I'm not exactly in the mood to… you know… entertain people.

I'm very sorry if I make some of you worried, but I assure you that I'm fine, and I just need some time alone, that's all. I always need time alone when I'm writing or doing work, anyway.

I also feel tired and rather unmotivated these days, and I don't think I will make a good companion anyway. I need some space and peace to collect my thoughts. It will take more than just ice cream to cheer me up.

Food therapy does not really work anymore. Vigorous work out in the equestrian field with my favourite horses and playing chess with myself still works fine, though, so I'll be doing that these few days. I don't think I'll be interested in anything but horseback riding or some water-sport for a couple more weeks. (Feel free to call me up if you wanna go horseback riding or joining me in my water-sport activities…but please leave me alone for a week or two if you want to drag me to accompany you for shopping and whatnot. I don't feel like it right now)

So… ladies and gentlemen, if you don't see me responding to your  messages immediately, please forgive me. And please forgive me for worrying you too.

Cleffairy: I seriously need a vacation. But I can't just leave with a moment's notice! Argh~

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Smallkucing Gonomeo and Juliet

Have you watched "Gnomeo & Juliet" the movie yet?  If you haven't, you ought to run to your nearest cinema and watch it. It's a highly captivating movie.The movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's well known play, Romeo & Juliet".

The movie is about garden ornaments. They comes alive when their owners are not around. And like their original "Romeo and Juliet' counterparts, the Montagues and the Capulets despises each other. Fate, on the other hand, have other things planned for them. Their respective children, Gnomeo and Juliet crossed path and fell in love with each other.

Unlike the original "Romeo and Juliet", bloodbath did not occur following the event where Gnomeo and Juliet fell in love with each other. Instead of having the characters killed off, humorous predicaments ensues were placed on both Monatagues and the Capulets.

I was not expecting much from this movie as the synopsis says it's based on "Romeo & Juliet". I thought there would be sickeningly sweet romantic scenes where only girls would like to watch.

Well, I was wrong. Even though the movie is loosely based on  Shakespeare's play, but it is not exactly a pure fluff or a chic-flick. It's aimed to entertain viewers of all age.

Young audience like me would definitely love this movie as it's filled with not only good humour, but packed with action and moral values as well.

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Gnomeo and Juliet

I enjoy reading Shakespeare's work. And I enjoy watching the movie adaptations of Shakespeare's work even more. My all time favourite got to be the 'Midsummer's Night Dream'. I liked it very much because it was a comedy, not a tragedy.

Shakespeare's tragedy like 'Romeo and Juliet' never failed to distress me and therefore, I avoid watching the movie adaptations of Shakespeare's tragedy. Yes,  you're reading it right. 'Romeo and Juliet' is classified as a tragedy, even though many would have you believe that it's one of the greatest love story ever told.

The ending of Shakespeare's tragedy does not give me much satisfaction as I'm more into happy ending, and so, I was rather skeptical when I first saw this movie, 'Gnomeo and Juliet'. As the title suggested, it's an adaptation of Shakepeare's tragedy, 'Romeo and Juliet'. I thought I wouldn't enjoy watching it, but boy was I wrong.

I never felt more glad to be proven wrong until I watched 'Gnomeo and Juliet'. 'Gnomeo and Juliet' is one hell of a love story laced with not only comedy, but  packed with moral values in it.

Like the original 'Romeo and Juliet' written by William Shakespeare, Gnomeo and Juliet belongs to a feuding family. They crossed path and fell in love with each other despite of their family background. What's special about Gnomeo and Juliet is that it's set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes.

The story is really refreshing, captivating and engaging. The Juliet in Gnomeo and Juliet is not exactly portrayed as a forlorn, lovesick maiden, but a strong, spunky character who have minds of her own. She's the Juliet you have never seen before.

In my humble opinion, this is the best rendition of 'Romeo and Juliet' ever. It's not only funny, but witty as well. There's something for everyone in Gnomeo and Juliet, and I highly recommend it for both adult and children alike.

Gnomeo and Juliet DVD is now available for pre-order. If you're interested in watching it at the comfort of your own home over and over again with the little ones, you can go ahead and order it now. I'm sure you won't regret it.

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Kabsa Rice

I got bored eating the same old, same old food everyday, and decided to try something that's not exactly Western or Asian in nature. I went to try something of a mix between Mediterranean and Middle East in Wadi Al-Nile, Platinum Walk, Danau Kota, Kuala Lumpur while I was waiting for my boy to finish his class.

The restaurant in question was having a promo, so I tried their set promo of Kabsa Rice.

Kabsa rice is a well known Arabian dish of spiced rice served with spiced chicken. More of less, it looked like the Briyani dish that I'm familiar with, but the taste is much nicer than Briyani. The rice taste superb and the chicken was well done.

Unlike briyani dishes that's usually served with hot, spicy curries, Kabsa rice is accompanied with a bowl of stew. Don't let the picture fool you. This tomatoey potato stew is something to die for.

The dish comes with a glass of iced lemon tea. Nothing special there, I can make better iced lemon tea.

Total damage for this set is Rm 9.90. Kinda worth in my opinion cuz the portion is very big.

Wadi Al Nile Restaurant is currently having this promo:

Rm 9.90 for a choice of Kabsa rice or Mandy rice with chicken and stew as well as drink.

They're also have buffet dinner if you're interested in trying various kind of Middle East/Mediterranean food.

I'll be going back to try more of their dishes. Couldn't get enough of it.:D

Cleffairy: One can learn alot about one country's culture through their food. Don't you agree on that with me?

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Spring For Susannah

Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond is a very meaningful Christian romance. It starts off with with the main character, Susannah being rather depreciative of herself and was rather wary of God's existence, or rather, she stopped believing that God is there to lead her and fulfill his promise. She felt as if praying is useless for God will not listen or grant her anything that she prayed for.

This book, while a Christian fiction, is not completely traditional. It portrayed mail-order-bride and whatnot, something that I suppose, is not a practice in a Christian community, but as the story moves along, I found that there's a lot of things to learn from this story.

I like how each characters grow in His glory and how the readers were shown how God can actually turn every single of your bad decision into something good as long as you have faith in Him.

I learn one important thing from Spring For Susannah: God answers our prayers at His own time, not ours.

Overall, Spring For Susannah is a wonderful story. Sweet, romantic, and full of moral values. I notice that there's 3 wonderful element  embedded in this story, which is: Love, faith and hope.

I highly recommend this book to those who loves a good, unadulterated romance. It's highly satisfying. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a digital copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publisher under their blogger's reviewer program. I was under no obligation to give a good review for this book, and I was not compensated in any ways for writing this review.

Book description:

When Susannah goes to Dakota territory as a mail-order bride she finds something she never dreamed she would—true love.

With no prospects for marriage and her parents recently deceased, Susannah Underhill agrees to go west to the Dakota territory to marry her minister's homesteading brother, Jesse. But Susannah is painfully shy, doesn't see herself as worthy of love from either a husband or from God, and lives in constant fear that Jesse is going to ship her back to Detroit.

In spite of her petite size and the fact that Susannah doesn't look like she could survive on the prairie, Jesse quickly discovers that his new wife is a greater blessing than he even hoped for. The years she spent as her father's veterinary assistant allow her to save Jesse's ox and twin calves and to help neighboring farmers with their animals.

But Susannah's feelings of unworthiness are deeply rooted, and she can't believe that Jesse's praise—or the tenderness and love he shows—could possibly last. The thawing of her heart seems almost as distant as Spring in the midst of the winter blanketing the Dakota prairie.

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The Seraph Seal

If you like Indiana Jones or Robert Langdon, then you would probably like this biblical-adventure fiction written by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner. This is the kind of book that you will either will like it, or you just don't.

Seraph Seal is full of symbolic prose and is rather fast paced, and it takes quite a lot to decipher the message behind this book.

Some people may not like this book, but I happen to like this book. To me, this book have quite a depth to it, and it was well researched. I like the biblical symbolism used and the foreshadowing in the story, and unlike Dan Brown's stories, I did not feel guilty after reading it for the storyline was not blasphemous in nature.

Anyway, the book is well written for a biblical fiction, and I look for more of this kind of story from both of the authors.

I would recommend definitely recommend this to those of high taste for fiction. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publisher in exchange of an honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review for this book.

Book description:

An epic tale of good and evil based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse found in Revelation.

Using the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to symbolize the four Gospels, four transcendentals, and four forces of the universe (air, water, earth, and fire), Sweet and Wagner weave a fast-paced, end-times tale of good vs. evil and the promise of a new dawn for humanity.

Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient, Jewish, and Christian traditions, the novel is a type of engaged fiction in which the main character's lost journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the novel's conclusion.

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Of Bedtime Stories and The Last Unicorn

When I was a little girl, I was a very hard to impressed kind of child. I was quite a tough nut to crack, and it takes a lot to impress me. I am still like that. I am not easily swoon with admiration for people who glittered with glamour. No, that's just not me. I admire things that's larger than life, and things that not many people can do.

I admire unsung heroes. To me, anyone can be on TV… anyone can be famous and make it to the front page of a glossy magazine, but not many can be unsung heroes and tell extraordinary stories that will be etched in your memories forever.

When I was a child, I did not like the normal happily ever afters. I love adventures and queer stories that does not exactly involved a desperate princess who needs some rescuing. I like stories where princesses do some rescuing of their own.

I hate weak characters with a passion. And my father had to create stories for me for our bedtime story sessions. Thank God, though, I don't hate all ready-written storybooks. One of the books that I loved to listen to when I was a child was 'The Last Unicorn' by Peter S. Beagle.

It's a story filled with captivating magic and it never failed to enchant me every time. The Last Unicorn follows the journey of a unicorn and the unicorn's discovery of reality, truth, love and adventure. It's the kind of story that will intrigue a child, and I daresay, most adult as well. The Last Unicorn is the kind of story that not only will make you laugh, but touch your heart and make you cry as well.

I've forgotten about this story til recently I noticed that the book has been made into a comic book, and it's for review on Netgalley. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle was given a new breath and published by IDW Publishing in 2011 and it's livelier than ever.

I couldn't help myself and requested it for review, and the illustration is superb and beyond my expectation.I fell in love with this story all over again, and it's one story that I would not mind sharing with my boy during our bedtime story session.

Yes, people, I do tell bedtime stories to my son, despite the fact that he struggles to concentrate listening to the stories. Somehow, I have the kicks out of scaring him with stories that I made up as I go. I know it's not a very good thing to tell the typical bedtime stories to your child, but then again… I'm sure he will appreciate it when he grows older. He get to tell people that his mum is unique and he had a hell of a childhood with her.

Mummies and daddies out there, do you tell bedtime stories to your children before they go to sleep? If you do, what is their favourite story? Do you read to them, or you made up stories as you go? Care to share with me your children's favourite stories and your own personal favourite when you were children yourselves?

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from IDW Publisher via Netgalley. I was not compensated in any ways for  this review/write-up. I rate this book 5 stars.

Book description:

Whimsical. Lyrical. Poignant. Adapted for the first time from the acclaimed and beloved novel by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is a tale for any age about the wonders of magic, the power of love, and the tragedy of loss. The unicorn, alone in her enchanted wood, discovers that she may be the last of her kind. Reluctant at first, she sets out on a journey to find her fellow unicorns, even if it means facing the terrifying anger of the Red Bull and malignant evil of the king who wields his power.

Adapted by Peter B. Gillis and lushly illustrated by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon.

For more information on this title please refer below:

Publisher website : click here


Author website : click here


Aritst website : click here


Artist website : click here

Cleffairy:  Bedtime stories keep children's imagination alive and help them believe in wondrous possibilities. Tell it to them before they grow up and start doubting the power of imagination.

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Bug Me Not

Toddlers and young children are awful creatures. They throw nasty tantrums, they think like an alien, behave like an alien and sometimes, we mummies feel as if we can scream at them and ask them to stop bugging us. Unfortunately for us mummies, we can't just scream at the toddlers cuz they don't exactly speak the same language as us.

They'll still bug us whether we tell them off or not and telling them off will only make things worst. The only thing we can do to make them give us some space and well deserved break every now and then is to keep them occupied.

Below is a guest post by Ms. Sharen Pearson on how to keep your toddlers occupied. Read on. It might be one of the way surviving your toddlers.

STOP BUGGING ME

Buggy Fun for Summer

By Sharen Pearson

Much to the dismay of their mothers, toddlers hold a relentless fascination for bugs. They follow, squish, catch and even eat them! Perhaps the novelty lies in the never-ending variety of creepy crawlers or that bugs are smaller than these little ones. Here are some simple buggy activities that will enchant your children this summer.

Bug Catcher

Save the net from your fresh produce. Lace a chenille wire around the top to support the sides. The net makes a tiny bug catcher for your child. Always help identify any bugs that might be dangerous. Catch, observe and release.

Butterfly or Dragonfly

Attach colored tissue paper wings to a toilet tissue or paper towel tube for wings. Slip a hair band over the tube and place on toddler's wrist to flap and fly. For more advanced work, drop food color onto a wet coffee filter. Allow to dry and use for wings. Two filters for dragonfly and one for butterfly.

Big Bug

Fashion antennae with chenille wire and attach to your child's head with clips. Gather a sheet of tissue paper at the center. Duct tape to the back of the shirt for butterfly wings. Fly away little butterfly!

Tot Cocoon

Give your toddler the end piece of a roll of toilet tissue. Have him gently spin to wrap the paper around and around forming a cocoon. If the paper breaks, just tuck the loose end in and begin again. Continue as your child is comfortable (most won't let you cover the face). Count 1, 2, 3 and have your butterfly "hatch out" and fly away.

Lady Bug

Make a tiny ladybug from the cup of an egg carton. Cut the section. Paint red and add black dots. Tape twisted bits of paper on for antennae. For a counting activity: make five bugs and draw 1 spot, 2 spots etc. on the five bugs. Count the spots and the bugs.

Caterpillar

Cut a six-section length from an egg carton. Your toddler can glue cotton balls on each section for "fuzz." Draw a face on one end of the section and add chenille or paper antennae. Punch a hole in the front and tie a string on to "walk your bug." For more advanced work, paint each section of the caterpillar yellow or even a rainbow.

Bug Collage

Draw (or print from a website) several bugs on paper. Make a simple paste of flour and water. Your tot can glue on dry rice, macaroni, bits of colored paper and/or cake sprinkles to decorate the bugs.

Bugs in a tub

Pour 6 cups of dry rice into a large flat container. Add toy plastic bugs (or your ladybugs), measuring cups, recycled plastic containers, paper tubes and play as in a sand box. To protect the floor and give your activity a boundary, place the tub in the center of a sheet or shower curtain. Your child will play for hours.

About Guest Author:

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Sharen Pearson's Goof & Giggle classes and materials continue to provide a quality Mom/Tot interaction. Widely popular, Goof & Giggle's child-focused play plans are offered in various Arizona communities. She's also created a variety of Goof Juice DVDs and filmed episodes of Baby D.I.Y. and written workbooks for BabyFirstTV. Arizona Midday (NBC) tapes monthly segments with Sharen to provide their audience with a variety of original and creative "easy to do" activities for babies and preschoolers. Sharen's creativity reaches a combined audience over 200 million viewers worldwide. Goof & Giggle classes and products encourage green living, repurposing materials from around the house into affordable objects for play and learning. Learn more at: http://sharenpearson.com/

Disclaimer: I am hosting this Blog Tour on the behalf of Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. I was not compensated in any ways for hosting this.

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How to Write A Book Proposal

'How to Write A Book Proposal' by Micheal Larson is a classic guidebook on how to write an effective proposal for your book so that it will be published by publishers.

As an aspiring author, I found that this book is rather useful though I already knew most of the things mentioned in the book.

The book is rather thick in my opinion, and I think some of the things ought to be ommitted from the book. But then again, it's still a good reference book and I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. Not necessarily a must have in everyone's personal library, but might be helpful for aspiring authors like me.

Book description:

With more than 100,000 copies sold, How to Write a Book Proposal has been the go-to resource for getting your work published for almost 25 years. This Writer's Digest classic from literary agent Michael Larsen outlines in a clear step-by-step manner how to create an effective nonfiction book proposal. The 4th edition of the book features information about recent changes in the publishing industry, updated trend information, new sample proposals, a completely updated resources section, and a new chapter on online promotion.

**Please note that this book is not explicitly Christian in content. If you are looking for a Christian Living titles featuring a large amount of faith-centered content, this titles may not be the best selection for you.

I received this ARC from Thomas Nelson Publisher. I was not compensated in any ways for writing this review.

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My favourite lullaby

Mummies and daddies, do you sing lullabies for your children before they sleep? Well… I did, when my boy was younger. It's a habit I picked up from my dad. He sings me to sleep after our ritual bedtime stories. I found his voice soothing and I took comfort in that…. knowing that he will be there, keeping me safe from all of his horrid, self- created bedtime stories with princesses running away from the palace to ride on dragons and wield twin magical machetes to rescue idiotic princes who gets themselves into hot soup for fighting over stupid stuff like who catches bigger toads and whatnot.

I stopped singing lullabies when the boy turned 4 years old because he became more and more alert after listening to me singing. Apparently, I have quite a shrilly voice and I make a terrible singer. Instead of putting him asleep, I kept him awake. Tsk tsk. What a terrible mummy I am.

But it was good while it lasts…the sheer bliss of being able to sing without anyone complaining that you're a terrible singer or telling you that you are a musical abomination.

Some of my favourites are:

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far

Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow.

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

Lavender's Blue

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,

Lavender's green

When you are king, dilly dilly,

I shall be queen

Who told you so, dilly dilly,

Who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,

That told me so

Call up your friends, dilly, dilly

Set them to work

Some to the plough, dilly dilly,

Some to the fork

Some to the hay, dilly dilly,

Some to thresh corn

Whilst you and I, dilly dilly,

Keep ourselves warm

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,

Lavender's green

When you are king, dilly dilly,

I shall be queen

Who told you so, dilly dilly,

Who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,

That told me so.

And…. Golden Slumber

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,

Smiles await you when you rise.

Sleep,

Pretty baby,

Do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby.

Cares you know not,

Therefore sleep,

While over you a watch I'll keep.

Sleep,

Pretty darling,

Do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby.

Do you have any favourite lullabies, mummies and daddies?

Cleffairy: Sitting in a boring meeting usually will lull me better than any lullabies.

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