It's strange, it's eerie, it's Tim Burton

Couple days ago I went to the Tim Burton Exhibition at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in downtown with a friend and it was Incredible!!

Tim Burton exhibition started on November 26th, 2010 and runs until April 17th, 2011.

The exhibition contains his sketch works for his films, a few his early drawings, his early works, few short films, aside projects he has worked one, a really cool glow in the dark maquette, few sculptures, and costumes that were use for some of his films. I must say it was really cool to look at his artwork. I find it fascinating how his creative mind works. Most of his drawings are so eerie, weird, but in a cool sense. Like, how could you come up with THAT!? Lots of monsters drawings, but they were all cute and funny. Colours here and there. Some drawings are very complex with lots of details, whereas others look like a 5-year-old drew it. It's so cool how his imagination works and it looks like it has no limits. I wish I was that creative.

I have always had a fascination with Tim Burton. I love most of his movies and I just love his style. I even wrote an essay about him for my first year's film course. What I like about his style is that the pictures are a distortion of reality, like houses look crooked, exaggerated facial expressions, checkers and stripes patterns, and lots of curls. I first fell in love with his artwork with Nightmare Before Christmas, I was obsessed with Jack and I had his face on my backpack, my door-stopper, etc. Then the rest is history. I also love that Johnny Depp is in a lot of his movies. He just fits in so perfectly in Tim Burton's style. Same with Helena Bonham Carter. On top of that I love Danny Elf's music composition.

Here is a list of films he directed and/or produced (bold = favourites):
- Alice in Wonderland (2010)
- Batman (1989)
- Batman Forever (1995)
- Batman Returns (1992)
- Beetlejuice (1988)
- Big Fish (2003)
- Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005)
- Corpse Bride (2005)
- Ed Wood (1994)
- Edward Scissorhands (1990)
- Frankenweenie (1984)
- James and the Giant Peach (1996)
- Mars Attacks! (1996)
- Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
- Planet of Apes (2001)
- Sleepy Hollow (1999)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- Vincent (1982)

Here is the short film for Vincent. I like it cuz It's narrated by Vincent Prince himself and the story rhymes:


Do you like Tim Burton? If so, what is/are your favourite movie(s)? Comment!

Chew on life's big questions

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It's 2011, yo! Best wishes to my fellow readers =D
Already first year blog entry!

Jacob told me today that Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute from The Office) has a book called "Soulpancake", apparently it's a #1 best seller these days. So I went to google to see what it's about. Then I realized it's a website www.soulpancake.com/ and Rainn Wilson (one of the founders of the website) wrote a book based on that website. Both the book and the website ponders about life's biggest questions. Their slogan is "chew on life's big questions". People can sign up and can discuss, kinda like in a forum, about anything: religion, life, secrets, self, , etc.

Reading so many questions made me ponder on my own life questions:

1. What is my purpose in life?

2. If God exists, what does he look like? (Some might argue that He's not physical, but I've always wondered) Bonus if he looks like Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty.

3. Does the government control everything?

4. What's the purpose of the existance of mosquitos?

5. How BIG is the universe?

6. Would it be possible the existance of a parallel universe to this one? (So like me in this parallel universe is a tall white guy who loves cabbage)

7. When do we learn to lie?

8. Is the phrase "more money, more problems" true?

9. Do our souls leave our bodies when we dream?

10. Is our knowledge limited?

11. Which is the better , male or female?

12. Is it possible to not be racist?

13. Do humans control technology or does technology control us?

14. Does karma exist?

15. How much personal space do you need?

16. How much private information about yourself are you willing to give out on internet?

17. How big is cyber space?

18. What would the world be without religion?

19. What happens to you after you die?

20. Do "soulmates" really exist?

21. What is love and how do you know you are in love?

22. Who makes the rules for society?

23. What makes something beautiful?

24. Does the way the stars are positioned the way you were born affect on your personality? Like horoscopes

24. Which came first, the egg or the chicken?

25. What really happened to the dinosaurs?

26. Could there be an universal language?

27. Could human archieve absolute happiness?

28. Do ghosts really exist?

29. Is time machine ever possible?

30. Will there ever be a zombie apocalypse?


Those are only a few of my questions. What are YOUR life's big questions? Comment!

My Unrealistic Christmas List

Have you heard of Simple Plan's song My Christmas List?


I have been inspired to create my fake Christmas list with things that would be impossible to get but sound really awesome.

Katie's Christmas List 2010:
- A furnished condo in the heart of Downtown with view to the lake, with VIP cable and internet
- DVD's of all my fav movies and TV shows
- The iPad
- All the themed monopolies listed from the few last posts
- SLR Camera with all the lenses plus fish eye lens
- A room full of stuffed penguins!
- One million dollars!
- Trip to Europe
- A plastic bubble wrap that will allow me to go out in the Winter without freezing my face off
- The best job ever!
- A butler
- A cute fluffy nice cat that sits on my lap
- A dolphin (why not?)
- Cruise to escape from winter time
- A teleporter
- A delicious drink that will make me lose 10 pounds instantly
- An Iphone with all the cool apps included
- My housemates to be clean-freaks
- My bedroom painted lillac
- An unlimited spending gift card to David's Tea
- A photograph of me and Adam Young from Owl City
- Scented pijama bottom and top
- Free tuition to study Culinary Art in George Brown College
- A beach home in California
- A house by the skii resort in Banff
- A whole new wardrope for the winter season
- A blue smart car + lifetime supply of free gas
- A haircut with professional stylist that will make me look super hot
- Guitar Hero, all of them
- Nintendo Wii
- The softest blanket ever
- Eric Hutchinson's keyboard
- Four inches taller
- Closer relationship with my friends
- New eyeballs so I don't have to wear glasses anymore
- A fishtank in my apartment with exotic fish
- Fireplace in my room
- Smell of bacon every time I wake up in the morning
- Smell of fresh cookies or cake during the day
- A pet monkey
- A baking set for my kitchen (cookie cutters, mixers, pastry bags, ready-made-fondant, etc)
- A jacuzzi in my backyard
- Free groceries for the rest of my life
- A mac computer
- A free tattoo
- Care bear hoodie
- Cool animal teapot
- $10,000 gift certificate to Bath and Body Works
- A purse with enough pockets to organize everything in it, yet compact enough to keep everything
- Sleeping earphones that will keep any noise away while I sleep
- Garden full of flowers and herbs
- All the Office characters bobbleheads
- LED Jellyfish mood lamp
- Polaroid camera
- Massage chair
- Electronic butterfly in a jar
- A shirt that says "Suit up!"

What's in YOUR unrealistic Christmas list?

Peppermint Christmas

What I like the most about Christmas holiday season is that everything is candy cane. The colours, the peppermint taste, the shape, etc. I have compiled some of my fav Candy Cane products:

CANDY CANE HOT CHOCOLATE


CANDY CANE COOKIES


CANDY CANE CUPCAKE


PEPPERMINT LOTION/SHOWER GEL


CANDY CANE TIGHTS


CANDY CANE PAJAMAS


CANDY CANE EARRINGS


CANDY CANE COCKTAIL


CANDY CANE SCENTED CANDLE


CANDY CANE LOLLIPOP


CANDY CANE TIE


CANDY CANE ICE CREAM


CANDY CANE NAUGHTY DRESS


CANDY CANE MUG


CANDY CANE HAT (finding Waldo much?)


PEPPERMINT SHRIMP (I know! Pretty cool!)


PEPPERMINT MERINGUES


CANDY CANE SCARF


(and last but not least)

PEPPERMINT WINTER VIDEO by OWL CITY


Which one is your favourite? Did I forget anything else?

sexuality explained in simple terms

United State of Monopoly

I recently found a free online version of Monopoly and I am ashamed to say that I have been addicted to it. I can't remember last time I play it physically. I have kinda forgotten how to play it. But it's lots of fun, especially when I win. I also realized that there are several collectors' edition of Monopoly, and I want them! Just look how cool they coul be! I just wanted to see all of these:

DISNEY PIXAR EDITION



SPONGEBOB EDITION


PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN EDITION


M & M's EDITION


NINTENDO EDITION

HELLO KITTY EDITION (Don't really want it, but it's a funny one)


NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS EDITION (I saw this at Spencer's and I almost bought it)

I Heart Me!

Yesterday I was reading the campus newspaper The Excalibur and I ran into an article that talkes about a psychology professor at York Myriam Mongrain and a graduate student who made a study about feeling down and fixing it by writing love letters to self to be happier. They found out that people who wrote love letters to themselves frequently, compared to those who don't, have a big difference on how they see themselves and they rate pretty high on happiness. Mongrain explained "Some people, they can be good to others, but it's hard for them to treat themselves kindly. This excercise helped people develop this kind of attitude towards themselvces, making themselves feel more comforted and feeling soothed". I believe it's true that no one knows you better than yourself. So obviously you know the right words to comfort yourself and help you feel better. You could be your own therapist and this excercise is a cheap kind of therapy with great results. So I going to try that here. I'll write a love note to myself today, and maybe I will continue doing so, see how this will affect me. I would recommend you to do the same. I know it sounds kinda silly, writing a love letter to yourself, writing to yourself and no one is going to read it. Love letters are cheese. But I think it's worth the try.

Dearest Katie,
Hope you are doing well these days. I heard you got a new job at the mall. Congratulations! I hope you are having a good time greeting and helping customers. You are so kind, sweet and cute, customers must love you! And that you speak four languages? Damn! You are on the ROLL! Hope you're making lots of friends there. Have you helped any customers who speak Spanish yet? French? Oui ou non? You're so talented. Wish I could speak all those languages. I'm sure you'll do a great job there, even during the sressful holidays. You sure know how to put a smile on people's faces :) I know you do that to me :)

How is apartment hunting? If you can't find anything yet, don't worry. You know that things will work out for you in one way or another. Just gotta be patient. I know it's hard to find an apartment when one is so specific and picky about it. I mean, you are going to live there for a while, so it better be a great place, right?

How's Jacob? Hope he's treating you very well. You are lucky to find such a hunk for yourself! He's really good looking and he's always so sweet to you. I want my own Jacob. I find it funny because he's warm as Jacob from Twilight and has fangs like Edward. Best of two worlds, right? And he's more handsome than them both together ;) He's a very hard working man, you should be proud of him. I just want to let you know that you are an amazing person. You are always so kind to people, even though people take advantage of your kindness. You never hesitate to help someone when they need it. You're so nice. You are always there to listen to people, when no one really listens to you. But you know what? I am here to listen you when you need it. I am sure lots of people underestimate your friendship. People never help you, yet you are always up to help them anyways. People should be nicer to you, because they never know when you can help them. I am sure that anyone will like a friend like you, compared to all those fake friends out there. It takes lots of courage to you other people before you. But don't underestimate yourself. You are very valuable. So much better than other people. One day you will be rich and famous, THEN everyone will want to be your friend. But I am your only true friend who understand you better than anybody else. You gotta stay true to yourself, let other people know that you are a person too who has feelings and need for love. I tell you, while you are giving so much, life awaits great surprises for you in return. You will succeed in life and you will be happy with everything you have.

Keep being awesome. Soon you'll get what you want in life. You are a wonderful woman. So pretty and cute. And I love your positive attitude. Keep it up. You rock!

Much much much love,
Me

What will your love letter to yourself say? Give it a try! =]