The Van Cleef & Arpels line of watches has awed me for some time now, and with each new collection, my obsession only grows. I was lucky enough to view their showroom at Harrod's in London this summer; I always have to remind myself that they actually produce fantastic jewellery as well as watches, but for me, the watches take centre stage. There is nothing on Earth like them.
For example, the watch on the left is the Midnight Planetarium Poetic Complication watch, which displays the planets of the solar system as they orbit the Sun. Each of the planets rotate exactly as they do in their actual orbits: this means that it will take nearly thirty years for Saturn to make one round of the dial! The time of day on Earth is shown by a shooting star on the edge of dial. This masterpiece costs $245,000-330,000 (depending on whether you want diamonds or not), so start saving now.....
Van Cleef & Arpels was founded in 1895 in Paris and is known for its whimsical use of precious stones in fine jewellery and watches. They've been producing some of the most imaginative wearable works of art possible for more than a hundred years. They're also known for perfecting the 'Mystery Setting' technique, where individual stones are hand grooved to fit into a mesh of gold or platinum (rather than prongs). To me, it simply has to be magic, because I can't understand how human hands can produce things this beautiful.
Below are a few of my favourite individual watches and collections. You'll see the Five Weeks in a Balloon watch, in which the hot air balloon's anchor swings around the dial to indicate the time; the Midnight in Paris watch, which displays the night sky in Paris; the Palais de la Chance collection (which was inspired by luck and the zodiac, as you will see); and the Polar Landscapes collection. There are many, many more, but I find these the most breathtaking.
This is a video describing the movement of the Poetic Wish watches, in which a young man and woman indicate the time of day by moving forward towards the Paris sky to make a wish.
So even though I may never be able to afford any of these (most cost around $100,000), I just can't help but feel awed that such beautiful miniature works of art can be made by hand. These little pieces have moved watch-making to a new, wondrous level, and as an artist, I find them so inspiring!
The skill, depth, and scope of JRR Tolkien's masterful writings are known worldwide. Tolkien is commonly acknowledged as one of the best fantasy authors in history, and his stories are cherished by millions. Eli and I certainly count ourselves among his most ardent fans. But even I didn't realise until recently that, on top of his skill as a writer, Tolkien was an incredibly accomplished artist as well.
Before my trip to the United Kingdom last summer, I was only ever familiar with Tolkien's map-making skills (which are awe-inspiring, particularly to a writer who tried to draw her own fantasy maps!) and the few rough sketches I had seen in various editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, when Eli and I were wandering around Oxford University last August, we happened across a dark little gallery featuring the original artwork of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, and Philip Pullman... and at once my eyes were opened to Tolkien's extraordinary skill as an artist.
Tolkien (who lived from 1892 to 1973) grew up and spent most of his life in England. He was deeply interested in languages, storytelling, and artwork even as a small child, and he self-illustrated his stories from a young age. He sketched little scenes for his children as an adult, and we see the culmination of this skill in the artwork dedicated to Middle Earth, his creative masterpiece.
Eli and I were able to see several hand-painted originals in the gallery at Oxford, including 'Conversation with Smaug', 'Bilbo and the Eagle', 'The Trolls', and the 'Map of the Wilderland'. The most spectacular moment for me, though, was standing before the hand-drawn original covers that Tolkien designed for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In the slideshow below, you'll see all of these pieces, along with many other illustrations that allowed Tolkien to express Middle Earth as he saw it.
Tolkien's preferred medium was watercolour, though even his ink-drawing of The Trolls is fantastic. If you're interested in a comprehensive review of Tolkien's artwork, check out JRR Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator (published by HarperCollins and Houghton Mifflin in 1995). As ever, my respect and awe of JRR Tolkien continues to grow.
You probably wouldn't guess that the movie to surpass The Lion King as the highest-grossing Disney-produced film of all time, win a Golden Globe, and knock Beyonce out of the number 1 spot on Billboard 200-album sales chart was a little-advertised 2013 film about two sisters living in Norway. But here it is, and Frozen has far surpassed expectations worldwide. In fact, it's now competing with Toy Story and Finding Nemo in terms of gross earnings and popularity.
Frozen is loosely based on the traditional fairy tale of 'The Ice Queen.' It is set in a small kingdom amidst the beautiful Nordic fjords. Two sisters, Elsa and Anna, are young princesses; the elder, Elsa, is heir to the throne. The two are best friends as children and have a deeply caring relationship. However, Elsa was born with the power to create ice and snow, and the sisters' relationship is shattered when Elsa almost kills little Anna on accident when they are playing. As they grow up, Elsa withdraws, keeping herself as far from Anna as she can, in fear that her powers will hurt Anna again. The rest of their story follows Anna's attempts to reforge her relationship with her sister and find true love.
There are two main themes that the film imparts to its viewers in this story. The first is shown through Elsa's internal battle with her inherent powers. Because they once hurt Anna, she believes they are a terrible curse and does everything she can to hide them. But eventually, Elsa's powers grow stronger, and she can't keep them hidden. When the truth finally comes out, Elsa is forced to abandon her home. Once in exile, Elsa sees for the first time that this integral part of her, which she always believed was a curse, can actually be incredibly beautiful and life-giving. In Idina Menzel's fantastic musical number, we see Elsa embracing her gift and coming to terms with who she is after years of anguish and self-hatred. This theme impresses upon viewers one of life's most important lessons: no matter what society and your peers believe, you are who you are, and you can only find happiness and love when you embrace this. Don't try to hide the things you are afraid of, or think are embarrassing, or that may set you apart. This aspect might be the most beautiful part of yourself, the thing you are most passionate about. 'Let it go' and be who you truly want to be!
'Let It Go' by Idina Menzel
The film's second theme deals with Anna, as a young woman, trying to find true love. Possibly my favourite part of the film comes when Anna meets and instantly falls for handsome Prince Hans. In typical Disney princess fashion, the two catch each other's eye, get to know a teensy bit about each other via musical number, and then believe they are desperately in love and wish to be married at once. Anna and Hans immediately go to Elsa to ask for her blessing, to which Elsa realistically responds: 'You can't marry a man you just met.' And later, when Anna teams up with down-to-earth mountain-man Kristoff, he splutters: 'Wait, you mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day?! Who marries a man they just met?!' After decades of the true-love-at-first-sight/first-kiss rubbish from Disney, and in an age when many young people consider true love and marriage without a second thought, this blast of reality is brilliantly refreshing. And it doesn't stop there. Anna discovers that Kristoff, who is ungainly, relatively unattractive, and rough around the edges, may actually be the man for her instead of 'perfect' Prince Hans. I like that this encourages children and young adults to see beyond people's appearances and place value in personality and character. Maybe the best person for you isn't necessarily the most handsome or suave one. And that's fine!
The critical point of the film centres around 'true love's kiss'. Anna finds herself once again in mortal danger, and believes that only an act of true love can save her life. And here's a SPOILER: though Anna turns first to Prince Hans, then to Kristoff, to find true love, she ultimately discovers that the love she feels for her sister Elsa, which remained under the surface after many years of separation and misunderstanding, is the true love that is strong enough to save her. I honestly believe that this message, that 'true love' can be felt for your family or even friends, is the most important lesson of the film. This message comes during a time when sex and attracting others is the predominant theme across every type of media, especially for young adults and even (less directly) for children. My little sisters, who are eight and nine, often have to have a boyfriend or husband or Prince Charming involved as they're playing. I remember being boyfriend-husband-prince oriented as a little girl too. But why does a child need a Prince Charming at that age? In fact, why do you need a Prince Charming at any age? Yes, I believe people can derive great happiness from finding a partner to share their lives with. However, childhood development should not be oriented around attracting the opposite sex. Children - and adults - should focus on overcoming their weaknesses, honing their strengths, loving those around them, and discovering and embracing who they are. This is just what Frozen reminds us to do. And Elsa and Anna's relationship tells us that true love does not have to just be found through Prince Charming, but for friends and family too.
On top of these more serious themes, Frozen is great fun to watch overall, for kids and adults alike. The setting and animation is beautiful. The secondary characters are wonderful. The silly snowman Olaf gives kids plenty of laughs but imparts some wisdom, too: 'Love is putting someone else's needs before yours.' To me, the most hilarious interactions are between Kristoff and his loyal reindeer buddy, Sven. There's also a conspicuous side-villain (the major of Weaseltown, obviously) and a overly-friendly family of trolls.
I haven't heard a bad thing about this film yet - there have been rave reviews from children and adults alike. In Frozen we find more wisdom and truth than most other animated children's films put together. Hands down, this is the best story Disney has come out with in quite a while, so please go and see for yourself!
Frozen will be released in the US on DVD/Blu-Ray on March 18.
Happy 2014! I have used my brief winter break to do a bit of reading, and want to recommend two books that I greatly enjoyed reading: The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez and The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. The Sound of Things Falling is the latest novel by Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez, and it follows the interconnected lives of a professor in Bogotá named Antonio, a pilot who spent years in prison, his gringa Peace Corps wife, and their Colombian-raised beekeeper daughter. It's a beautifully-written story that takes a convoluted but smooth route through the timelines of individual lives, through remembered and imagined moments, through recordings and letters. The conclusions drawn from the introspection of these characters raise larger questions about the trauma of an entire country: Colombia in the time of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's reign. The Cellist of Sarajevo is also a war story. It takes place in the besieged city of Sarajevo. There are four characters that the novel divides its time among: a husband and father man trying to survive the trip to and from a brewery to fetch water for his family; an elderly man on his own errand, also trying to avoid the shells and snipers causing the citizens of the city to drop like flies while crossing streets and bridges; a female sniper given the task of defending a cellist from enemy snipers in Sarajevo; and the cellist himself, a man who plays Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor for 22 days, one for each person killed by a bomb while buying bread at the shop across the street. Amazingly, this novel is based on a real cellist who played in ruined buildings during the siege, Vedran Smailović.
The themes in these novels have a lot of overlap, and both are driven predominantly by the inner thoughts and drives of their characters. These books left me with a sense of the fragility and senselessness of human life and the world we inhabit, while also taking great pain to focus on the smallest, silliest coincidences and singular events that define lives and make them unique and cherishable.
I love listening to the news. I highly prefer it to reading a physical newspaper (ink fingers!), reading the online news websites (too much catching the eye - what's important?), or watching the news (anchors are far from being experts).
With the London-based Monocle, I get relevant breaking news straight from experts. The selection of different shows is absolutely huge. From day to day I can decide if I want to be briefed by any of the following (and these are just the tip of the iceberg!): "Midori House," a one-hour overview from Monocle editors and correspondents all over the world, "The Briefing," which focuses on the day's news in Europe, "The Monocle Daily," which checks in live with reporters from the US and Americas, or the wonderful catch-all "The Curator," which compiles the best of the week into one show.
You not only get international news; you get expert political analyses and impressive interviews and insight. And it's all delivered in dulcet British accents, which is an added plus.
And once you've had enough of the news, there are also stations that cover culture, food, music, books, and really everything under the sun! Monocle Radio has it all! Not to get off track, but Monocle.com has a million more things to offer outside of their radio stations. But start here, and see if you don't end up spending the next two hours on the Monocle website:
The best part is the fact that the live radio streams open in a player at the bottom of the website which allows you to continue browsing and opening new pages while you listen.
Some researchers claim it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Why not put that theory to the test? Instead of giving yourself a single abstract new years resolution, let's break the year down into monthly resolutions. Just to keep things interesting. Was your 2014 resolution to simply be a stronger, more confident individual? Well, these 12 smaller goals will see you achieving that higher goal by 2015:
JANUARY: Stop snacking. Make eating a ritual, and savor your meals.
FEBRUARY: Take inventory of your wardrobe and toiletries. Throw out or donate what you don't ever use or need. Only buy things you really need or want.
MARCH: Drink more water on a daily basis.
APRIL: Get in exercise daily, even if it's just for 10 minutes. Even if it's simply stretching.
MAY: Read a new book. Read a classic. Read something controversial.
JUNE: Do something creative: paint, write, build, start a blog.
JULY: Get outside. Go for daily walks, and schedule hiking trips with friends.
AUGUST: Gain a new skill. Take a class in something. Gain a certification.
SEPTEMBER: Travel. Get out of the state, or even out of the country.
OCTOBER: Reconnect with family and old friends. Go through your phone and text people you haven't heard from in years. Budget time to grab a coffee with them.
NOVEMBER: Boost your financial savvy. Learn about new investment opportunities or strategies, read the business section of the news, or just bring new vigor to managing your own finances wisely.
DECEMBER: Reflect on your achievements and on your goals. Not just concrete goals, but abstract goals. Try to find what gives you meaning in your life, and decide what you want the meaning of your life to be from now on.
Now that the holiday season is drawing to a close, the excitement and festivity that accompanies it usually slows to a depressing halt. We face several months of grey cold, hazy wintertime, and waiting for spring. But this isn't how it should be! Even if the holidays are over, we should still enjoy the remaining winter months to their fullest. Stop longing for flowers and rays of sunshine: instead, cozy up by the fireplace with a cup of tea and a good winter read, and enjoy January and February!
Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. When I'm in denial after Christmas Day, and feel like tearing down all my decorations would just be too depressing, I suddenly realise that I should simply celebrate the twelve days of Christmas! This traditional celebration lasts from December 25 to January 5, and includes gift-giving either just on Christmas, on each of the twelve days, or just on the Twelfth Night. Whether you want to draw out your gift-giving for the holidays or just do something special and festive each day (Bake a new type of Christmas cookie! Keep listening to Christmas carols! Make some decorations for next year!), this is the perfect excuse.
photo: scotchandscones
Don't toss your decorations. Sure, big red bows and jingle bells can go back in storage boxes, but keep your Christmas lights, wreaths, and tree! Natural decorations with pine green, snow white, ivory, deep brown, and burlap colours are fitting for the entire winter season. Christmas lights can be used practically anywhere in your home for soft lighting: I have lights placed on top of the cabinets in my kitchen, draped from the ceiling above my bar, entwined through the headboard on my bed, and roped around my floor-length mirror. Additionally, some decorations (like paper snowflakes hung in the window, a boxwood wreath, or pine clippings tied with white ribbon) don't need to be restricted to Christmastime, but make beautiful decorations throughout winter. One of my favourite wintertime home decorations is my starlight, which I found after seeing similar lights at a Christkindl market in Chicago. Wooden dala horses also make wonderful wintertime folk decorations.
photo: werenna's warehouse
Enjoy unique wintertime crafts and foods. One of the things I'm doing this week is creating soy candles using dried fir needles from my Christmas tree and pine fragrance oils. I'm also going to make pinecone garlands to keep around the house for the remainder of winter. Keep pinecones in natural white baskets in the lavatory or on a side-table. Experiment with making your own nourishing, natural soaps and lotions with a pine scent. Apply flattened pine needles to glass votives. Enjoy the flavourful dishes and drinks of the season: this is the time of the year for warm spices, roasted meats, and root vegetables. Bake up some shepherd's pie or root vegetable pie, and use blood orange in a salad. Make rosettes (a traditional Swedish recipe) with lots of powdered sugar. Indulge in some of winter's dark, sweet, and spicy craft beers: Williamsburg Alewerks Coffeehouse Stout, Star Hill Snow Blind, and Harpoon Winter Warmer are a few of my favourites. These are things you can really only enjoy during the cold months!
Cuddle up next to the fireplace with a good winter read. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, enjoy it while you can! Pick up one of our favourite winter reads (His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling), brew a pot of black tea, and find a comfy spot by the fire. Don't forget a big cozy sweater!
Listen to beautiful, reflective music.We love unusual and desolate folk music anyway, but this is the perfect season to enjoy artists like Sigur Ros (an Icelandic folk band), Balmorhea, or more mainstream artists like Mumford & Sons and Simon & Garfunkel. This powerful and inspiring music reminds us of cold woodlands, untouched lands, the northern lights, and pagan rituals.
Get outside. The plausibility of this might depend on where you live, but if at all possible, try to spend some time out in the snow and cold! Hunt for pinecones in the woods, go on a hike, spend an hour ice-skating, throw snowballs for your puppy to (try to) catch! It might not be as comfortable as a day at the beach, but bundling up for a nippy afternoon in the frost-covered woods can be magical and exhilarating. And you always have a hot cup of cocoa next to the fireplace to look forward to upon your return!
photo: travel marvel
Don't waste these beautiful, desolate winter days pining for spring. Embrace the enchantment of winter while you can, and let spring come in its own time. For now, gaze at the clear stars on a night following snowfall, light a pine-scented candle, and fall asleep next to the fireplace.
Elephantine is one of my favorite jewelry stores. The delicate, tiny-as-can-be style of everything from the charms to the details on a ring brings an ultra-feminine vibe to a modern look.
Edor has a similar aesthetic but specializes in geometric designs.
Jools sells jewelry with very unique and very quirky designs. Here you can get everything from earrings shaped like PacMan to a gold Shetland sheepdog-shaped pendant.
Contempo is a jewelry design company selling beautiful, colorful pieces predominantly featuring pyrite and freshwater pearls.
Fawn and Rose is THE shop of choice for those seeking triangular necklaces and rings.
Sevenstarz is a British company selling cute animal-shaped pendants in silver and gold.
Matoto has absolutely adorable charms, from owls to giraffes to a tiny sterling silver paper airplane charm!
Step 1: Make oatmeal (I prefer mixing the oats with milk instead of water). This is a life skill. If you can make pasta you can make oatmeal. Put oatmeal and water/milk in a pot (read the oatmeal package for correct ratio instructions). Turn on the heat and be sure to stir occasionally until desired texture. As you cook the oatmeal, spice it:
Add a dash of any/all of the following:
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cardamom
- cloves
- brown sugar
- vanilla extract (go easy on this one!)
Step 2: Once it's done, top with walnuts and pomegranate seeds. YUM!!
is also a war story. It takes place in the besieged city of Sarajevo. There are four characters that the novel divides its time among: a husband and father man trying to survive the trip to and from a brewery to fetch water for his family; an elderly man on his own errand, also trying to avoid the shells and snipers causing the citizens of the city to drop like flies while crossing streets and bridges; a female sniper given the task of defending a cellist from enemy snipers in Sarajevo; and the cellist himself, a man who plays Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor for 22 days, one for each person killed by a bomb while buying bread at the shop across the street. Amazingly, this novel is based on a real cellist who played in ruined buildings during the siege, Vedran Smailović.
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