oliver jeffers

Oliver Jeffers Author Film 2013 from Oliver Jeffers on Vimeo.

I am a big fan of Oliver Jeffers- he is responsible for a large percentage of the nighttime reading giggles around here. My favorite book of his is probably The Incredible Book Eating Boy, but my kids would most likely choose This Moose Belongs to Me. Lost and Found  is a sweet and funny way to end any day, so that is favorite as well. 

I found this little film to be as charming as his picture books.

Film courtesy of vimeo

Flash Mob Revisited

I pretty much think that flash mobs are stupid. I know they are sort of a huge thing right now where everyone is getting married via flash mob or under threat of being swamped by one every time you ride the subway, but these are the exact reasons why they irk me so. Flash mobs are so prevalent that they have now become either boring or annoying or both. I just don't want to hear about another group of college kids swarming a library and calling it a "performance." With that said, I totally teared up at this flash mob of musicians who played classical music for passengers in the Copenhagen Metro. Maybe it's the reaction of wet-eyed old people or a rosy-cheeked baby that got to me or how even the filming of the experience met the music, but I liked it and I think you'll like it too.

Have a very good year, Lorelei!

Today, for a number of reasons, I turn to Statler and Waldorf's rendition of "It was a Very Good Year" in honor of Lorelei's birthday. First, because they, like Lorelei, are awesome. They, like Lorelei, are funny. And they, like Lorelei, are old. And like the two of us, they have also known each other for a very long and though we are not quite there yet - I look forward to being two cantankerous and snarky old friends talking about everyone and everything. Happy Birthday, friend, and have a great 37th year!

"White Wine in the Sun"

I love cheesy, sentimental, and overplayed Christmas carols. I'm not going to deny it - I'm that square (see further evidence here). But as resistant as I am to changing my musical repertoire - I just discovered Tim Minchin's "White Wine in the Sun" and I'm adding it to my holiday mix immediately. It's not only a really lovely and clever song, but it can also appear to the agnostics/atheists out there during this time of the year. Who could ask for more?

"anything can happen on halloween"

A friend of mine did the most amazing round-up of classic Halloween commercials and television episodes including the likes of "Roseanne," "Valerie's Family," and "The Facts of Life." The playlist, titled "anything can happen on halloween," is over 7 hours of pure spooky Halloween awesomeness and it's here for you to revel in too.

black cat via ffffound!

Move, Eat, Learn

Way better than that terrible "Eat Pray Love" is this trio of short films by Rick Mereki, Andrew Lees, and Tim White (commissioned by STA Travel Australia) called "Move," "Eat," and Learn." Three one minute travel montages that will make you want to get off your couch and go somewhere amazing...

"Move"

   

 "Eat"

"Learn"

{discovered via lovely little things}

11,000 floating lanterns

via Daddygothisgunloaded

A few days ago 11,000 floating lanterns where sent into the sky in Poznań, Poland in celebration of the summer solstice. I think that breaks some sort of record, but it is the beauty of it all that makes the celebration that much more breath-taking...

And wouldn't sending these lanterns into the night make such a great alternative to fireworks this 4th of July? Check out this eHow tutorial on how to make some flying paper lanterns for your very own festivities!

"April Rain Song"

 by soup & sunday (via these are a few of my favourite things...)

The following animated version of the poem, "April Rain Song," read by Langston Hughes and part of the HBO/Poetry Foundation's children's program, "Classical Baby (I'm Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show" makes me very happy:  April Rain Song : Classical Baby : Video.

Florence and the fashion

If anyone is kicking butt and taking names during the fashion parade that is awards season - my vote is for Florence Welch of Florence & the Machine. She takes risks with color and retro detailing, but is still able to look utterly modern and beautiful. Such great style (whether it is her's or belongs to a stylist with actual style!).

 

Oscar red carpet dress via Lucky Magazine

Oscar performance dress via Toronto Sun

Grammy dress via FabSugar

P.S. And if you need another reason to fall in love with Florence or her music - check out this video of  a little guy dancing his heart out in his car seat to "Dog Days Are Over." Total and pure joy.

video trio

This clip from the IFC series "Portlandia" makes me laugh - mostly because it's so true (everything is better if you put a bird on it!):



 These videos by EF, "Education First," make me want to run away from home and learn a new language. Here's the Paris video:



And I love, love, love this short by Pixar, titled "Alma." It's spooky and beautiful and begins with the typical childhood experience of peering into a doll shop...

CORRECTION: As one of our wonderfully-informed readers discovered - this short may not be by Pixar, but may instead merely be Pixar-like (see comment). Go here for more information. And thanks Mason!

"The Great Gatsby" as video game

via technabob

It's easy! It's vintage-y old school! It's got a fake Japanese back story! It's canonical literature!

I don't need another way to procrastinate, but this really random Nintendo game based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is really trying to break my spirit...

Play at your own risk: http://greatgatsbygame.com/.

via laughing squid

Happy Unbirthday to Lorelei!

Tomorrow is our Lorelei's actual birthday so today let's celebrate her unbirthday! Here's to wishing that Lorelei's today (and, I guess, tomorrow) are full of song and love and cups of tea drunk with a drunken mouse... :)

via youtube

"sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead”

So I got married last week and though I've still feeling the love and happiness of marrying such a sweet and wonderful man (blah, blah, blah) - there is still nothing that feels as good as a good song about heartbreak. For example, Adele's "Someone Like You..."

Oh, and thx to a dear friend of Lorelei's for posting this video to his facebook page from which I swiped it (by the way, LL's friend also has a pretty amazing blog - check it out if you can stand following a blog that is, like, 100 times cooler that this one: http://www.fiftyfivehundred.org/).

How to Be Alone

A video by filmmaker Andrea Dorfman and poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis for your viewing pleasure...

Shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia, produced by this Bravo!, found here.

"First Day of My of Life"

I think this song by Bright Eyes should be played at every wedding, every baby's birth, every kitten adoption, every morning when you look in the mirror.... it's that great (and the video is pretty darn amazing too). Enjoy!

Happy Graduation

In case you didn't get to go to a graduation this year (lucky), here's a brilliant commencement speech to inspire you:

This Too Shall Pass

Remember that OK Go video on treadmills? Well, this one is pretty cool, too:



My five year old son's comment after watching it: Is he going to pick up all the stuff that fell down?

Sometimes you win...

...and sometimes a random song will be stuck in your head for hours.

Mae shared this video of The Shins performing on a children's show, "Yo Gabba Gabba!," forever ago. And yet, somehow, I've been humming this song all day. It's super cute, but also very catchy. You've been warned.

Ka-Boom!

Fireworks just don't photograph. Pictures of exploding 'works tend to look diminished and smoky and film representations - eh. But check out this video. It not only totally captures the spirit of fireworks, but it is also so darn imaginative.



video by PES
check out more stop motion shorts by PES here.

"I don't want to say it's breaking my heart / And I don't know where to start..."

image via wanderlust

"Straight Lines" by Dawn Landes is such a pretty song sung by such a pretty girl. The song is so light and summery, but the lyrics are wistful and carry a nostalgia for childhood that makes the song just a little bit heartbreaking (and how can you not love a folky song that mentions a BMX bike?). I'll be singing this all summer...

video via youtube

"Straight Lines"

Remember when we were young
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?

Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
I had a kite
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times

Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks

Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times
The old times
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young

(found the lyrics here)