A very Happy New Year to you all! December came and passed pretty quickly. Not only was I enjoying the holiday season, but I got to take a lovely vacation to Western Florida. Taking pictures around the region was quite fun. In addition to visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I stopped off at […]
Scouting for Fairies Through Carkeek Park (Photos)
Just a short post today. Yesterday I got a chance to meander through Carkeek Park in Seattle. The park opened in 1928 and boasts 220 acres of lush forest, meadows, wetlands, creeks, and beach. It truly is a magical place and the perfect backdrop to scout for new fairy photo inspiration. Here are some pictures I […]
Purple Dresses Inspired by Lady Amalthea’s Medieval Gown in ‘The Last Unicorn’
November has been pretty enchanting. This month I got to meet one of my childhood heroes, fantasy author and screenwriter Peter S. Beagle. Beagle is responsible for my love of unicorns via one of my favorite books — The Last Unicorn. In addition to penning the beloved fantasy classic, Beagle also wrote the screenplay adaption for the 1982 movie. […]
Peter S. Beagle’s ‘Last Unicorn’ Tour Sells Out in Seattle
This has literally been the year of meeting my childhood heroes. On top of getting to shake hands with Brian and Wendy Froud (The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth) this summer, last Tuesday my idol — Peter S. Beagle — one of the literary community’s most heralded fantasy writers, stopped by Central Cinema in Seattle. The Last […]
Dresses Inspired by Sarah’s ‘Labyrinth’ Ball Gown
A couple of weeks ago I was beyond thrilled when the Variety announced a Labyrinth sequel in the works. Labyrinth was one of my favorite 80s fantasy movies! I’ve seen it countless times and may own an original 80s Labyrinth comic book. Casino online chile cuenta rut Las visitas a las apuestas casino online chile webpay. Aunque […]
Creepy China Dolls Come Alive in Susan Hill’s Novella, ‘Dolly’
Last weekend Seattle got its first taste of fall weather. A brisk thunderstorm doused the city, heralding more wet days to come. As much as I hate to see summer coming to an end, the turn in the weather put me in the perfect mood to read a ghost story. With a cup of tea in […]
Dark Fairy Tales Reign Supreme in Seattle at Krab Jab Studio Gallery
During the past three years, fairy tales have swept Hollywood by storm. Films and TV shows such as “Maleficent,” “Frozen,” “Once” and a whole host of other titles have whisked their way into theaters and thousands of living rooms across the globe. And there is no sign of this trend slowing any time soon. “Into […]
Pretty Green Pixie Dresses Inspired by Tinker Bell
Summer has been especially busy this year. I returned not too long ago from a recent trip to the magical land of Glacier National Park, and in addition to a wonderful vacation, I’ve had all things fairy on the brain. While in Montana I managed to do some fantasy photography that featured miniature fairy scenes. Amidst […]
Glacier National Park and Two Medicine Dinosaur Center (Photos)
Just returned from an incredible vacation in Montana where my family and I got to tour around Glacier National Park and its outskirts. In addition to exploring the Park, we got a chance to get out to Bynum, Montana and see the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center to check out all the prehistoric fossils they had […]
Hollywood, Take Notice: Jim Henson-Style Puppets are Hot: Toby Froud’s Film Greeted by Enthusiastic Sell-out
Deep in the heart of the Hollywood District in Portland, Oregon a very magical film premiered this past weekend. Filmmaker Toby Froud, best known as the baby stolen by Goblin King (David Bowie) in Jim Henson’s ’80s fantasy film Labyrinth, resurrected the Hensonian tradition of live-action puppetry on the big-screen. Froud’s film, Lessons Learned opened to […]
The Goonies’ House is Alive and Well in Astoria, Oregon
I had a fantastic weekend down in Oregon. One of the highlights of the trip was stopping in Astoria to see the house where “The Goonies” was filmed. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen “The Goonies.” If you haven’t seen it…seriously, where have you been? The film was the brain child of Steven […]
Book Reviews: Five Gothic Ghost Stories
I’ve been looking back at some of the memorable Gothic fiction and ghost stories I’ve read this past year and wanted to share my favorite reads. Some are modern, some Victorian and Edwardian, but all are creepy-delicious. 1) “Printer’s Devil Court” by Susan Hill First off, I love Susan Hill to pieces. Hill wrote “The […]
Interview: Jim Henson’s ‘The Dark Crystal’ Author Quest Finalist J.M. Lee
Last summer the news of an exciting literary contest spread throughout the publishing community. The Jim Henson Company and Grosset & Dunlap of the Penguin Young Readers Group announced that they would open submissions to find an author to write a new novel set in the world of Jim Henson’s fantasy film, “The Dark Crystal” […]
Gowns Inspired by Ariel’s Purple Dress in ‘The Little Mermaid’
Out of all the gowns featured in “The Little Mermaid,” my absolute favorite was Ariel’s purple dress that she wore when running through the water to reunite with Prince Eric. The long dress is ultra dreamy with pretty sparkles and a slit accentuating the flowy skirt. Recently I was searching around for some gowns that I […]
New Evidence Sheds Insight on the Location of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The splendor and mystery of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World hold a fascination for many spanning the globe. Out of the seven, only one still remains intact — the pyramids of Giza — and there are ongoing archeological searches to find the remains of two: the Colossus of Rhodes and the Hanging Gardens of […]
Critically Acclaimed Gothic Illustrator Abigail Larson Dishes on What it’s Like & What it Takes to be a Full-Time Artist
Enter the wicked world of critically acclaimed gothic illustrator Abigail Larson. Abigail is a lovely lass who’s work has been featured in many galleries across the United States and Europe, including the Museum of American Illustrators in New York and The Poe Museum of Richmond. Her illustrations have also graced the pages of: “Spectrum Fantastic Art,” “Art Fundamentals,” […]
Dreamy Frozen Prom Dresses Inspired by Elsa’s Blue Gown
“Frozen:” The newest fairy-tale retelling in the long, successful line of Disney princess movies. I loved the film and the most magical moment was Elsa’s decoration of her ice castle and the dazzling transformation into her new sparkly, blue ensemble. It totally reminded me of Cinderella’s blue gown revamp right before the ball. Sometimes as a […]
What Victorians thought Dinosaurs Looked Like
I’ve been doing a lot of research as I begin wrapping up my first draft on my pop sci-fi novel “Origin.” After I sifted through some data yesterday, I stumbled across this Victorian drawing and had to share. This is an illustration by John Martin completed in 1840. The work was featured in “The Book of […]
‘Jem and the Holograms’ Inspired LPD’s (Little Pink Dresses)
Not too long ago, I was thrift store shopping and found the cutest pink dress at Goodwill. The dress totally reminded me of something Jem from “Jem and the Holograms” would wear. This sparked an idea to do a full post dedicated to the LPD (little pink dress) and further fuel my Jem obsession. Because if it’s […]
Gothic Book Review: ‘The Woman in Black’ by Susan Hill — The Best English Ghost Story Ever Written
“The Woman in Black” by Susan Hill has earned its place as one of the finest English ghost stories of the last quarter century. The novella has been adapted into two films, with another movie sequel in the works, and a stage play that has become the second longest-running production in the history of London’s West […]
Maleficent like You’ve Never Seen Her: A Chilling Rendition of ‘Sleeping Beauty’s’ Prime Witch
I have had Maleficent on the brain lately. I’m in high anticipation of the upcoming movie and also am a sucker for dark fairy-tales in general. Recently I meandered through the cyber forests of deviantArt to look for works paying homage to the famed “Sleepy Beauty” witch. I stopped dead in my tracks when I […]
Fantasy, Photography, and Feminism: Interview with BookTuber Paige Firth
BookTuber. Book blogger. And mother of (bearded) dragons. That almost sums up writer Paige Firth. I got a chance to talk to Firth, the owner of the ever-growing YouTube channel Enchantology, about her up-and-coming BookTubing career. In the process of meeting Paige, I discovered that she is one savvy, fascinating woman. Not only is she in the […]
Antique Teacups?
I popped over to Goodwill this past week and was excited to find these two lovely little teacups in the wares section. I’ve been wanting to start a teacup collection but haven’t had the space. All that changed on this shopping trip. At $6 per cup, I couldn’t resist buying them. The brown and white […]
Vampire Maven was Disney’s Inspiration for Maleficent
I’m uber excited about the release of Disney’s film “Maleficient” coming up next month. Was even more jazzed when I stumbled on an interesting article over on Salon.com regarding the link between the 1950s Vampira actress and Disney’s villain Maleficent. The Salon piece was written by documentary filmmaker R. H. Greene who wrote and directed “Vampira […]
Pictures of Alice in Wonderland-esque Glass Plant Display at Bell Street Park Opening
Today was a fun day over on Bell Street in Seattle. The city dedicated a new park to the Belltown community. To celebrate, vendors filled the street. Lawn games, jugglers, Chinese dragons, a band, and food trucks were among the many highlights of the festivities. As I walked along Bell Street between Second and Third, […]
Friday Dress Fix: 1980s Drop Waist
Okay, guys, how lovely-awesome is this 1980s drop waist dress? I sooooo want it and it would go perfect with a pair of pink heels. The drop waists were popular in the ’80s and early ’90s. I actually remember having a couple of them and wearing them both out quickly. Wish I could’ve nabbed this […]
A ‘Jem and the Holograms’ (LPD) Little Pink Dress
Jem from the ’80s animated TV series “Jem and the Holograms” is definitely one of my main sources of fashion inspiration. And if it’s one thing that was a staple of Jem’s wardrobe, it was an LPD (little pink dress). It’s also no secret that I love going to thrift stores to pop some tags every […]
Tulips at Pike Place Market
Had a nice excursion down to Pike Place Market yesterday. The weather was a lovely 72 degrees and the tulips were in full bloom. Many a gentleman was seen picking assorted flower stems from white buckets for that special person in their life. I couldn’t help but snap some pictures. The petals were so rich in […]
‘Seeing Red’ Reviewed by Georgia Peach Award Committee Member
Was very honored to see a five star review written for my novella “Seeing Red!” The praise came from Georgia Peach Award committee member Melanie C. Duncan. “Seeing Red” was not nominated for the Georgia Peach Award (GPA) but it is extremely honoring to be read and reviewed by a committee member. For those who aren’t familiar, the […]
