The Sunshine Blogger Award

Hello, everyone! 

Tis us, the lost lost maidens returning from the depths of busy-ness

to FINALLY complete a tag we have been tagged for twice by the same person...dearest Hamlette! A TERRIBLY long time ago she tagged us for the Sunshine Blogger Award and then she OH, SO GRACIOUSLY tagged us AGAIN!!! We are so very happy and are determined to laugh in the face of procrastination....and ANSWER BOTH THE TAGS!!  We are so sorry, Hamlette for the long delay and thank you very much for tagging us! 

Hamlette's Sunshine Blogger Award Questions:

Katherine's Answers will be in Purple and Grace's will be in GREEN

ROUND ONE

1. Fantasy or sci-fi?

This is a tough question because I really am not a big fan of either of these genres, but let me think about this!

Ok, I think I'll go with fantasy.

Fantasy... but not if it has ALOT of magic in it...hmmm, actually I haven't had too much experience with either genre...you know I'm not sure...HELP!

2. Tragedy or comedy?

Comedy!  I do enjoy tragedies now and again, but for the most part I want things to stay happy! :)  (Grace will back me up on this)

Both are wonderful, but comedy is best! 

3. Fiction or nonfiction?

Fiction!  I do like non-fiction (Let's Roll by Lisa Beamer is a favorite of mine), but the majority of what I like to read is fiction, I'll confess.  What are some of your favorite non-fiction titles??

I enjoy both, but I do consume more fiction than nonfiction.

4. Snow or rain?

Oh, I love both, how can I choose?....Ok, fine rain!  Rain is one of the most beautiful things of all God's creation!  A rainy day makes me want to bake and get the house all warm and cozy with the smell of muffins or cookies wafting from the oven.  :)  And it's also the most romantic weather.  I mean, filmmakers/writers have totally banked on this fact!  Have you not seen Sense and Sensibility??

Rain! There is nothing more romantic and pretty than a good rainfall! Snow is, as a friend of mine put it, "Pretty, but impractical"! That aside, I am always ready to sign up for sledding or a snowball fight!

5. Orange juice or apple juice?

Orange juice!  I LOVE orange juice!

OJ all the way!

6. Christmas or Easter?

I actually don't celebrate Christmas or Easter, but I do celebrate Hanukkah and Passover, so out of those two, I think I'd pick Hanukkah!   It's such a cozy time of year (Hanukkah occurs right around Christmas in December), with the snow, and I love frying keglies (doughnuts), and lighting the Hanukkiah with my family!

I'll second Hanukkah! Nothing beats gathering around the table with family and friends to light the Hanukkiah , sing songs, eat donuts and play dreidle.

7. Middle-earth or Narnia?

I'll pick Narnia as I really like C.S. Lewis.  I never much got into Narnia or Lord of the Rings as I don't appreciate the magical aspects of the story.  But growing up, we used to listen to Focus on the Family's dramatization of The Horse and His Boy which I did enjoy.

Again, I second Katherine's love of C.S. Lewis, but I don't have a favorite fantastical place! I've never read or gotten into LOTR and have only read one or two of the Narnia books.

8. Marvel or DC?

Ok, another big shocker.....I am not into superhero movies.  I know, I'm a disappointment.  But if I had to pick....I'd go with Marvel.  From what I hear, DC films are more on the dark side.

Though I haven't seen any full movies from either universe, I've seen plenty of clips and am more in favor of Marvel!

9. Star Wars or Star Trek?

Hamlette, you're going to wish you never tagged me! :)  I don't really care for Star Wars (except for Hans Solo's funny lines) and I've never seen Star Trek, so I'll have to take a pass on this one :)

I'm not too big a fan of Star Wars (I KNOW, I KNOW!) and I haven't seen Star Trek....so I'll go with the unknown of Star Trek! 

10. Old movies or new movies?

Both!  I adore old movies - they just are filled with amazing dialogue and great messages, integrity, and hilarity!  But on the other hand, new movies (the good ones) have such beautiful cinematography, soundtracks, and delightful little details that you don't much see in the former.

I've seen more old movies than new, so I prefer them, especially in light of their higher morals, but I do like a few newer movies...that I can't think of at the moment....uh...what defines new?

11. Old books or new books?

Both!! :)

I like a balance of both, but older books have such charm, depth and wholesomeness that I miss in more modern books... maybe I'm not reading the right books! Suggestions anyone?

And we're halfway done!

ROUND TWO

1. What was your favorite movie when you were 10 years old?

Boy, it's kind of sad that I can't remember for sure, but I think I'll say it was a tossup between Ever After and Pride and Prejudice (2005).  I still really like them both so they've stood the test of time.

I have no idea! Maybe National Treasure...I can't remember!

2. What's your favorite movie now?

I'm going to say Julie and Julia (aside from a few...ahem...things)!  I just adore "food movies" where the characters are chefs/cooks and are in the kitchen making food!! I love Julia Child's lively character and Julie's fun kitchen adventures as she masters the art of french cooking!

Sahara! I just saw it for the first time this year and I LOVE IT!!!!! It is just the perfect balance of adventure, humor, romance and mystery. IT'S AWESOME - GO WATCH IT!!!

3. What would be your dream cast for an adaptation of your favorite book?

(I'll have to meander around this question a bit as the books I'd pick for this question all would need young actors/actresses for the characters and I'm not familiar enough with modern day young actors to make a good decision.)

So, I'm going to pick "Wonderland Creek" by Lynn Austin as my book to cast.  I've just started flipping through this book again, and it is a really fun storyline with great main characters!  It makes me think of "Christy".

Dream Cast:

Alice Grace Ripley - Emma Stone

Lillie - Cicely Tyson/Karen Abercrombie

Mack - Colin Farrel

Gordon -Chris Lowell

Ike - Lucas Till

One of my favorite series' is "The Zion Covenant" series by Bodie and Brock Thoene, so I've picked the first book, "Vienna Prelude" to cast. The books are set in late 1930's Germany and describe the events leading up to and through World War II. 

(I only thought up actors for my favorite characters). 

Alicia Vikander and Micheal Fassbender as the leads, Elisa Lindhem and John Murphy...

...Sebastian Stan as Thomas Von Kleistmann( I don't remember how to spell his last name!)

and Timothee Chalamet as Rudy.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

I really like the soundtrack to This Beautiful Fantastic.  It's just so happy and light and carefree.  Perfect to listen to while working.

Oh, goodness, there are so many! My top picks are Leap Year, Saving Mr. Banks, Emma (2007), and The Mask of Zorro.

5. Do you have a favorite movie-watching snack?

Ice Cream!!

Ice Cream!!

6. Who is your favorite person to watch movies with?

Grace.  Hee, Hee, I just read Grace's answer below.  Yes, we do have that thing of looking at each other at our favorite parts...and yes...the whacking thing.  I remember years ago I was watching a movie by myself (it was a terrible experience) and I looked expectantly at Grace during a favorite part and....she wasn't there!!  What can I say?  She's me pal!!

My sister, Katherine. We have this thing that when it's gets to a certain pivotal moment or something we quote or that we just like, we "whack" each other like mad...or if we are on separate couches we exchange looks...or if there is a friend sitting between us we either whack her or each other over her!

7. Is there a hairstyle in a movie that you've always wished you could pull off?

I had to research for this question!  I'm going to go with Jane Seymour's hairstyle from The Scarlet Pimpernel!

I LOVE Fanny's hair from Funny Girl right here...

8. What movie animal would you like as a pet?

...Can I have Gidget??

Sugarfoot from Heartland! He is adorable!!!

9. What movie house would you like to stay in on vacation?

How about Bree's cottage from Chesapeake Shores?  It was so cute!  

(The only good picture we could find had Martin in it...Grr)

The King Farm from The Road to Avonlea! I would be in HEAVEN!!!!

10. What's the oldest movie you've watched?

Shirley Temple's 1932 War Babies (which I think was her first performance)!

That goes for me too!

11. What's the newest movie you've watched?

I think the newest movie I've seen is Overcomer.  Though the message in Overcomer was very good, I have to say that Courageous is still my favorite out of the Kendrick brothers' movies!

Newest as in year or the latest movie you've watched? The former would be Overcomer (2019) and the latter would be The Lady and The Cowboy (1936). I liked the latter more than the former!

We did it!!

(Dory & Marlin - 🎶We did it, we did it - oh, yeah, yeah, yeah!  No eating here tonight, no eating here tonight...🎶)

 Now to think of 11 people to tag...Hmmm...

Chalice@Lionhearted Art

CC@Project Pursue Wisdom

Cordy@Any Merry Little Thought

Miss Woodhouse@Notes From A Hartfield Girl

Chloe the Movie Critic and her sisters@Movies Meet Their Match

Ivy Miranda@Revealed In Time

Catherine@The Rebelling Muse

Sarah@In Cordibus Jesu et Mariae

Kirsty@Books, Snowflakes, and Fairytales

Carissa@Musings of an Intovert

And YOU! If you so wish!

Now to the eleven questions...

1) What's something that's made you laugh this past week?

2) What is the last Bible verse you've memorized?

3) What's something you've seen in a movie and want to try in real life?

4) What is your greatest source of motivation? 

5) If you were to star in a pre-existing Hallmark movie, which movie would you choose and which character would you play?

6) What is something you recently learned how to do?

7) What is the last book you read and would you recommend it?

8) Your dream "cheer you up" package has just arrived on your doorstep. What is inside?

9) What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

10) What is something that is important to you that you want to pass on to your children?

11) What is your current favorite song?

Aaaand, we're done!

Alrighty.... 

we shall now descend back into our cave... 

But we shall return soon!

P.S To all of the lovely people out there who have in the course of the past months tagged us for various and sundry tags which we have not yet fulfilled...(you know who you are)...we have NOT FORGOTTEN YOU!!  Please stay tuned!  We know we've been rather slow in posting (or not posting at all), and we are working on making a comeback!  

Have faith! 

 We shall return!

Love to you all,

Katherine & Grace

Classical Music Challenge Finale

Hello, lovelies! We have come to the end of October and therefore the end of The Classical Music Trial By Fire Challenge and it's humble participants, Chalice and I, are sad to see it go!

For our Grand Finale we have assembled and orchestrated a questionnaire about our experience! And as an encore we will be performing and posting videos of the songs we've learned this month. YIKES!

But first we have...

Ze Questions

What has been your favorite part of this month?

I think my favorite part was re-connecting with my childhood knowledge of classical music and growing that. I really do enjoy this type of music, but I don't take enough time to sit and appreciate it. I'm planning on continuing to explore these great works and working the ones I've discovered this month into my regular music playlists.

What is your favorite symphony or full work?

Oh dear, I listen to more bits and pieces than full works! The top two that come to mind are Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. 

What is a piece that grew on you, that you didn’t like at first?

Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. What a beautiful piece! I re-listened to it after Eddie from TwoSetViolin said it was his favorite and it's just so beautiful! It makes me think of nighttime and the stars and the peacefulness that settles on you after your day is done. *sigh*

Is there an aspect of classical music that you now have a deeper appreciation for?

I am in absolute awe of the the sheer amount of TALENT and WORK that these musicians put in to be able to play these beautiful pieces. Not to mention the TOTAL GENIUS of the composers who wrote the music and the conductors who INTERPRET each piece and convey it to their orchestra and bring all the different instruments together in HARMONY to produce such BEAUTIFUL music! Since I play the piano and violin and know first hand how difficult they can be to play, I have an extra layer of respect, since I can commiserate.

If you could go back in time, which of the composers would you most like to meet and what would you say/ask?

I would like to meet Dmirti Shostakovitch who was a Russian composer when the communist party was in control. He also lived through the Seige of Lenningrad and entitled his seventh symphony Lenningrad. I'd like to ask about his experiences living through those events and under that regime.

Who is your favorite classical music performer?

I'm not sure, I didn't really get into that side of things, but the MozArt group is amazing as is David Garret.

Any interesting facts you learned in connection to classical music?

I learned that Handel composed his Water Music when King George I hosted a royal cruise down the Thames and wanted some accompaniment. The music was performed on a barge as they all floated along (hence the name) and the King loved it so much, he had the whole symphony played three times before the cruise was over. Isn't that neat??

Have your views of classical music changed in any way?

I have a greater respect and appreciation for the amount of work and skill that goes into writing and performing these pieces and I enjoy the music itself more for the knowing.

If you were to take up a new instrument, what would it be?

I've got a list! Guitar (classical fingerstyle-ing), banjo, mandolin, trombone, trumpet, drums/percussion, and maybe cello or dulcimer. 

If you were to write a story based on a classical piece, which piece would you choose and what story would you tell?

I had this idea years ago during a car ride and it's set to Vivaldi's Four Seasons Summer II Adiago. The music starts out very slow and then it goes fast and thunderous then back to slow and keeps switching back and forth. The story opens during the slow part and you see a scene of a very dull lady's tea during like the French Revolution, but in England, so think The Scarlet Pimpernel. The ladies are all inquiring after each others health and the health of their families. Young Lady Heathridge asks Susanne Ecklestone about her brother and she daintily sips her tea, divulging that he is at Oxford again this summer. The music goes fast and the camera cuts to a forest where we see a young man running as though for his life. Music slows and we return to the tea party: "Oh, yes, dear Edmund is always so devoted to his studies, he always has his nose in a book". Cut back to the man in the forest as he dodges bullets. Cut to tea "We expect him to follow in Uncle's footsteps and take a place at the college among all the other scholars!" Cut to man jumping over streams, getting shot in the arm, but still running on. Cut to tea "I do wish Edmund was more exciting like your brother, Louisa, but with his weak health, I suppose it's to be expected he only wishes to be surrounded by books and professors who speak Latin and Greek and all that." Song ends and Summer III Presto begins and we find out what becomes of "Dear Edmund"! 

Bonus Question: What regular song are you going to listen to first, or what song did you miss the most?

I have been REALLY missing all my Musicals, so I'll probably start there! I read a book about the American Revolution this past month and it was agony not to be able to listen to Hamilton along with it!

And now...

Ze Performance

Well, it's far from perfect, but that's my fault for neglecting my practicing!

And with that the challenge is officially OVER!

Till next time,

Grace Avender

Happy Birthday Katherine!

 Today is my dear dear ever so dear sister Katherine's Birthday!

We shall celebrate with music and cake and presents and dancing!

My dear sister you are the bestest fluffy puff marshmallow evah and I do not know what I would do without you! You are a daily inspiration to me and I love you ever so much! You da best!

All my love,

Grace

aka Belvedere, Henrietta, and Louisa

Classical Music Discoveries

 

Hello, lovelies! I greet you from the swirling notes of sonatas, concertos and symphonies. Today I'll be sharing with you some classical music and classical-music-ly inspired things I have discovered so far in this month of classical music!

*lifts and taps baton*

Let's begin!

#1 TwoSetViolin

TwoSetViolin is a Youtube Channel where two best friend violinists talk about and play classical music, encourage you to practice your instruments, roast viola players and react to classical music related stuffs. They are incredibly talented musicians, very funny, terribly enthusiastic and oh, so encouraging to me. They are a bit geeky sometimes, but very genuine. (From what I've seen, they're content is clean aside from a few beeped out swear words.) If you enjoy classical music, wish you were a better musician, or just want a good laugh, do check them out! Here are a few of my favorite videos!

#2 Victor Borge

Have you ever heard of Victor Borge? Technically, he isn't new to me since I grew up watching a VHS tape of him performing, but he is too good not to share with you. OH, MY WORD, the man is TALENTED!!!!! His simple dry humor combined with his ability to play the piano is just AMAZING! 

#3 Leonard Bernstein

If you ever wanted to learn about what all a conductor does, this is the video for you! My friend Chalice sent it along to me and I really enjoyed the simple way Leonard Bernstein explains everything.

#4 Dazon No.2 by Arturo Marquez

I AM SO ENRAPTURED BY THIS PIECE!!!!!!! It has been running through my head non-stop and I've been annoying my Mother and sister by playing it constantly!! I love how it starts off so sweet and moving and then it gets all cha cha cha and tango-y. Then the melody turns into a chaotic "something-is-going-to-happen" tempo before relaxing back into a sweet and moving and sweeping melody. And then it finishes up so tremendously, just AHHHHHH!!!

#5 Pavane by Gabriel Faure

My sister and I heard a version of this piece on a flight back from England right before we landed and we loved it so much, I've been trying to remember it ever since. The Piano Guys incorporated Pavane into their cover of Titanium, but I think it's better here as a solo! It is Katherine's favorite song on my playlist thus far! I won't say any more, but let the music speak for itself!

#6 Dvorak's Symphony No.9 4th Movement played by Gary Lucas

I really like this piece in it's original state, but this version with the classical guitar adds such an interesting flair.

#7 Dances In The Canebreaks by Florence Beatrice Price

Apparently, I can't be too far from Wild West/Pioneer like music! This piece is so beautiful and reminds me of the books Little House on the Prairie and A Lantern In Her Hand.

#8 Mandolin Concerto in C Major by Antonio Vivaldi

My goodness, I LOVE the mandolin!!! And a whole group of them???? AHHHH, IT'S SO SPRITELY, LIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!! 

*sighs dramatically*

#9 Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy

And I shall leave you with the MOST relaxing and wonderful piece, Clair de Lune, one of my newest favorites. If you are having a stressful day, I highly recommend it as a balm to your weary soul!

Well, that's all for now folks, I'm off!

What have you all been up to this week? Have you heard any of these pieces? Have you ever heard of Victor Borge or TwoSetViolin? Do you play an instrument?? I'd love to chat with you down in the comments!

Adieu, my lovelies!

Reentering The Blogging World + HAIL THE CLASSICAL MUSIC CHALLENGE!!!!!!

Good morning Friends!  Yes, I know we've been terribly absent from the blogging world... *hides faces in shame*... but we are working on our grand comeback, so till then here is a little something to tide you over! 

Without further ado...

About 2 weeks ago my friend Chalice and I were texting back and forth and through the course of our conversation, we decided together to challenge ourselves and dub the month of October for Classical Music Appreciation! Which means that for the ENTIRE MONTH of October we will be listening to classical music and only classical music! All those wonderful songs like "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond and "Crowded Table" by The Highwomen and "Gone West" by Gone West are out the window, never to be heard again!!!! Instead we will be filling the air waves with Classical Music! Bach, Beethoven, Liszt and Hayden will reign supreme in our ears! 

Oh and Chalice decided a trial by fire would be best, so we are also learning a piece of music on our respective instruments as well!

(Guess who is who!)

Sooooo, I am learning Wild Rider by Robert Schumann and am quite happy thus far with my 2 practices.

I''m hoping to learn another piece as well, but we shall see how the month goes. I may very well end up like this:

So far I have quite enjoyed the challenge! I pulled out our old records on the first day and quite a few of them were ruined due to heat/humidity exposure, which causes the music to come out either slower or faster or off tune and it was REALLY hilarious to listen to!

So that is what I am doing this month! I encourage you all to give a listen to your favorite classical music pieces; classical music is such a vehicle for the imagination! It carries you away with it's harmonies and each instrument works together to paint such a beautiful picture (especially if you know what the piece is about) I've got at least 3 story ideas thus far!

Before I go, here are a few of my favorite classical music pieces that I have either recently discovered or rediscovered!

The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams

This one is so peaceful and you can just SEE and HEAR everything that is happening!

Wild Rider by Robert Schumann

This is the one I'm learning!

Masquerade Waltz by Aram Khachaturian

I love waltzes!

Jazz Suite No. 2: 4. Waltz 1 by Dimitri Shostakovich

Did I mention I loved waltzes?

Also Sprach Zarathestra Op. 30 by Richard Strauss

Oh so EPIC!!!

The Planets, Op. 32: 4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity by Gustav Holst

I adore this one! It's so full of life!!

So that's that! I hope you all will go and listen to some classical music yourselves and maybe even dust off that piano forte or violin and play a minuet or two!!

Have a great day guys!

Grace Avender