Season Greetings!

From Everyone at 20MoreThings we wish you all a Merry Christmas.

We hope the holidays leave you with peace, joy and hope!

Christmas Bells

by: Longfellow Henry Wadsworth

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Wednesday Review: Commentaries on 10 Children’s Books

Sorry for the lack of post since Friday. The holiday madness has taken much of my time. I’ll update you one everything soon enough. In the meantime, as most Wednesday Reviews go, here’s Timmy.

1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Written by Judy Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett)

“…it never rained. It never snowed. And it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed mashed potatoes and green peas. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers…”

I have never seen the movie, but this book is definitely fun to read – delectable, to say the least. Kids will take delight in its ridiculously twisted story.

2. Freckleface Strawberry (Written by Julianne Moore and illustrated by LeUyen Pham)

“…who cared about a million freckles when she had a million friends…”

This is actress Julianne Moore’s first book for children. The illustrations were cute, and I think Strawberry is adorable. It balances humor with a good moral. It teaches kids that they may not like certain things about themselves (especially in appearance) but these are things that make them unique – that make them who they are.

3. Otto Grows Down (Written by Michael Sussman and illustrated by Scott Magoon)

“…I’d rather grow up with Anna, than grow down without her…”

This story reminds me of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in a different context. Clinical psychologist Michael Sussman explored the issue of sibling rivalry in the story. It’s a good book for kids who are having a hard time adjusting to the new baby in the family.

4. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Written and illustrated by Simms Taback)

This is a Caldecott Honor book. It was based on a classic nursery rhyme of the same title. Taback is known for his die-cut format and brightly colored illustrations. This is really, really funny. I probably looked silly silently laughing my heart out. It’s one of those stories where the moral of the story has no direct connection to it.

5. This is Paris (Written and illustrated by M. Sasek)

Sasek is a Czechoslovakian writer who writes about different cities of the world. His illustrations are reminiscent of the Madeleine series. Although it helps kids learn about the city, his books are bombarded with too much information.

6. Little Pea (Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jen Corace)

The story focuses on an “age-old dilemma” of picky eaters, particularly of kids who leave their veggies untouched on their plate. The story is told in reverse, with little pea hating candy but will only have spinach for dessert if he eats the candies his parents serve on his plate. Little Pea is a cute character.

7. Crow Call (Written by Lois Lowry and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline)

“…crows rise from all the trees. They scream with harsh voices and I respond, blowing again and again as they fly from the hillside in circles, dipping and soaring, landing speculatively, lurching from the limbs in afterthougth and then settling again with resolute and disgruntled shrieks…”

Based on her own experience, Crow Call is Lowry’s first picture book. As a two-time Newberry Medal recipient (The Giver and Number the Stars), it is not surprising that there is so much poetry in her first picture book. The story is about a girl who went to the woods with her father who has just returned from the war. There is a certain level of “maturity” that I attribute with the book, as seen through the words and illustrations.

The two-page spread illustration of the woods very much reflects Lowry’s fictional world in The Giver. I like how the artist captures the essence of Lowry in his illustrations. (The two-page spread on the crows – not the book cover – gave me goosebumps.)

8. Best Friends: The Diaries of Worm and Spider (Written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss)

The title is different from what is on the picture because I could not find the cover for this book. I got too lazy browsing through Google. The cover is also nowhere to be found in Barnes & Noble online. Anyway, this book is HILARIOUS, especially Worm’s diary. The cartoonish art is as cute as the story. Below are excerpts from Worm’s diary.

“Grandpa taught us that good manners are very important. So today I said ‘good morning’ to the first ant I saw… There were 600 of them in line… I stood there all day.”

“My older sister thinks she’s so pretty. I told her that no matter how much time she spends looking in the mirror, her face will always look just like her rear end…”

9. The Three Pigs (Written and illustrated by David Wiesner)

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, this book offers a fresh look at one of the oldest stories for children. The illustrations were interesting. Wiesner used mixed media to bring his story to life.

10. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Written and illustrated by Simms Taback)

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, this book is based on a Yiddish song entitled “I Had a Little Overcoat.” As with his other book, this makes use of bright colors and a die-cut format. It teaches kids to be creative and productive. That they could always make something out of ‘nothing.’

4 of 5 Stars

-Timmy

Make-Over Thursday: Vanity Giving

Image Source Linked

Happy Holidays everyone! I have not truly felt the warmth of Christmas over the last few weeks. I am not sure why exactly, but maybe it’s just the type of year this has been. Nevertheless, the cool winds the hover around us these days makes it impossible for us not to want that warm cup of Peppermint Mocha. The Simbang Gabi masses started yesterday and almost always, this triggers for me that warmth. Yet again, it screams at me: Christmas is soooo near!

And then it’s followed by a shriek: I’M NOT DONE WITH CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!

Hahaha! Are you done with Christmas shopping? I haven’t even started yet. I intend to go on a rampage at the malls over the next few days just to beat the list. With only 8 days left for Christmas, very few of us can do online shopping from sites abroad. So we are left with the malls and Multiply. I’ve compounded a list of things you can give the vain women and men in your life, all of which are available from Multiply sellers and in the local malls.

Note: I have taken into consideration the fact that in this economy, a lot of people have decided to forgo otherwise enjoyed activities, services, and products in an effort of saving money for more important things.

For Your Stressed-Out Father: Major Spa Massage Trips

Yes, the economy has been hard for all of us, but mostly for our fathers who strive to give us the best lives we can have. Give him a break from all the stress in the past year by a free trip to the spa for some pampering. Yes, he needs that too. But if you’re father is like mine, who prefers his pamper times in the comfort of his own home, check out some home service massage parlors. They offer gift certificates too.

For Your A(g)i(l)ing  Mother: A Complete Make-Over

Aging is a difficult reality for most of us. It must be especially so for the woman who brought us into the world. Help her regain any lost confidence will a full make-over: hair, make-up, and fashion. You may not even have to spend much on this, because you can always shop in your mom’s closet for items she might never have thought to bring together. Make this your bonding moment. Our moms sometimes get insecure too. Help her find her shine again.

For Your Sister-Thief: Make-up Palette

If your sister always digs into your vanity to snatch a few of your eye shadows or lippies, empower her by getting her a make-up palette, complete with eye shadows, blushes and lippies. At least all you have to worry about is her taking your foundation. The Body Shop has nice, portable palettes. For a more sophisticated palette, try the NYX professional palettes which are available here.

For Your Low-Key Sister: Skin Rejuvenating Facial

Your sister might not be all that vain, but everyone, every single person in the world, at the very least, wants clean and clear skin. Your pretentiously unvain sister does care about the increasing number of black and red spots in her face. Don’t let her fool you. Just make sure that you know whether your sister’s skin is dry, oily, normal, or a combination so you can select the right kind of facial for her. Apart from the usual Belo, Calayan, Facial Care Centre, you might want to try the VMV Hypoallergenics Skin Treatments.

For Your Married Brother: Eye Cream

Working and having his first baby takes a toll on your brothers peepers. Undereye circles, puffiness, sullenness makes his youth disappear from his otherwise happy face. While it may seem un-masculine, he will thank you in the years to come for helping him keep his good looks and charm. Fatherhood need not mean a tired look and a belly. Zirh makes a complete range of products for men. For undereye circles, try Zirh Restore.

For Your Peter Pan Brother: Room Fragrances

He’s 35 but lives like his 12. Your mother still washes his clothes and waits up for him at night. He’s room smells and looks like a teenager’s room! He’s the ungrown grown up. He probably still lives in dreams. Help him get better zzz’s. Keep him dreaming with a line of aromatherapy room fragrances. Zen Zest has a set of room fragrances with a room fragrance and linen spray. For the dreamer , try the Calming Room Fragrance Set from Zen Zest.

For Your Gelled-Out Boyfriend: SPF

All that gel in his hair might have drained all moisture from his face. Plus! The fact that he’s out in the sun for a whole lot of time’s not helping at all. But he needs that tan (seriously.) and that much activity. Prevent burning with a good sunscreen. All sunscreens available in the market can equally be used by males. Just don’t get him the tinted versions. Get the clear ones or the cream types. Try the Clinique Sun SPF 30 Face Cream.

For Your Flirty Aunt: Red Lipstick

She was the one who taught you how to get your man’s attention. Stand tall, pin-up make-up and plunging necklines, this aunt opened you to your beauty. Nothing can epitomize her more than the classic red lipstick. Try MAC’s Red, Ruby Woo, or Russian Red or NYX’s Fire, Hebe, or Snow White, if you are on a budget. Throw in a true red nail polish to complete the flirt.

For Your Eligible Bachelor Uncle: An Electric Razor

–if he doesn’t have one yet. Many might agree that nothing is nicer than a clean-shaven man. And for the uncle that still plays the field, maybe a clean shaven look will help him look like the type of guy someone would bring home to their dad, instead of the player he actually is. And maybe, he might just decide to settle down too! But that’s expecting too much already.

For Your Life-Saving Yaya: Salon Day

She’s been with your family FOR EVER. She’s practically family! The only difference is that she makes it easy for everyone else. Make her the princess for one day. Paint her nails. Get her a new haircut and color. She plays a big role in making us live like princesses. Try getting her a gift certificate to your favourite salon. I can assure you that she will jump in joy.

Take time to think about the gifts that you give. Christmas isn’t about simply giving gifts. Christmas was the gift that saved us all. As we share our blessings, let’s think, how can we save each other today? Make people smile. Make people feel loved. Awake the warmth in their hearts. Bring the warmth of Christmas to their doorstep.

Merry Christmas!

Note: None of the products mentioned have sponsored or supported this blog or author. These recommendations are personally drawn, without advise or relation to all the brands mentioned.

Wednesday Review: The Book Thief

“It kills me sometimes, how people die.” – Death

DISCLAIMER: This is a juvenile attempt to capture the essence of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief.

As soon as I finished reading The Book Thief, I had a strong urge to write a “review.” I put it in quotes because I feel like this will merely turn out to be a long note on Markus Zusak’s award-winning novel. Either way, I am thunderstruck.

How do I determine the worth of a book? I look at five significant things: title, synopsis, opening paragraph, the ending, and the overall layout of the book. These are merely ‘technical’ aspects of the book, and I use these to gauge how engulfed I would find myself in reading the book. Sometimes, the title alone is enough. The Book Thief passed all requirements with flying colors.

The title. There is something about the idea of thievery that pulls me like a magnet. There is an air of mystery and adventure about it that I could not resist. By questioning the character’s motive for stealing books I have already plunged into the plot, head first. “The Book Thief” sounded so simple yet intriguing. A few people have asked me, “What are you reading?” “The Book Thief.” They would chuckle and say, “So what’s it about? A person stealing books?” I would chuckle back. “That, and then some. It’s a historical fiction about the Nazis.” That would render them speechless, and they would leave me alone.

The synopsis. What is it about The Book Thief that drove me nuts? The first two lines in the back cover say, “It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.” It sounded dark and heavy, especially upon the mention of Nazi and Death. That, however, is just the first piece of a giant 3-piece puzzle. The second piece is this: The Book Thief tells the story of a little girl named Liesel Meminger whose life dramatically changed when she found “something black and rectangular lodged in the snow” near her brother’s grave. It was a book called The Grave Digger’s Handbook, and it was the first jewel she laid her hands upon. In the care of her foster family, the Hubermanns, Liesel learned how to read. Her love for words fueled her acts of thievery, and she soon found herself in the most dangerous places at the most dangerous hour of her life. And the third piece? Liesel’s story is told from the point of view of Death. Sweet.

The opening paragraph. The first chapter of the Prologue is entitled “Death and Chocolate.” Death introduced his story with four lines. “First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.” The next two lines were typed in bold. “HERE IS A SMALL FACT. You are going to die.” Needless to say, I ended up reading all 4 chapters of the Prologue in a little corner of the bookstore. The fourth chapter called “The Flag” compelled me to read some more. (In other words, take The Book Thief home.) Death states, “Yes, often, I am reminded of her, and in one of my vast array of pockets, I have kept her story to retell. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one extraordinary in its own light. Each one an attempt – an immense leap of an attempt – to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it. Here it is. One of a handful. The Book Thief. If you feel like it, come with me. I will tell you a story. I’ll show you something.” And so I listened to Death’s story.

The ending. When I say ‘ending,’ I mean the last line of the story, that group of words that will satisfy my hunger for reading. Some of you might think I’m crazy (which I probably am) because I’m defeating the purpose of savoring the story from cover to cover. I generally don’t care about the ending. I am after the events that led to the ending – the core of the story. In The Book Thief, Death concludes his tale with, “A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR. I am haunted by humans.” How I love the poetry in those words! It is the kind of ending that leaves me speechless, that makes me want to put the book in a glass case that you see in museums. Death’s last words make The Book Thief not only Liesel’s story, but Death’s as well.

The overall layout. Being the artsy fartsy girl that I am, I enjoy reading books that present the story in a non-traditional, inventive way. I enjoy looking at various fonts and indentations. (Yes, I am peculiar that way.) The Book Thief has a Prologue, an Epilogue, and ten chapters that are further divided into sub-chapters. In each section of the story, Markus Zusak provides the readers with a fresh perspective and ends the chapter with lines that get you more hooked to the story with each passing minute. Because the story is told in the point of view of Death, traditional narrative is juxtaposed with thoughts and commentaries of Death that either provides a vital key to the previous paragraph or foreshadows the events to come. These thoughts and commentaries, typed in bold, reinforces the omniscience of the narrator. Embedded in the story are 2 wonderful tales of Max Vandenburg – The Standover Man and The Word Shaker – that are complete with handwritten fonts and illustrations. The edition that I bought has 550 pages, but because the story is chopped in a way that a chapter is two (sometimes one-and-a-half) pages long, you will find yourself devouring the entire book in one day.

While some books are considered New York Times # 1 Bestellers, The Book Thief was labeled “The Extraordinary New York Times # 1 Bestseller” because that is exactly what it is. Extraordinary. The New York Times described The Book Thief as “brilliant and hugely ambitious… It is the kind of book that can be life changing.” Markus Zusak’s brave attempt to write a fictional tale about one of the most ruthless times in the history of the world is an effort that paid off and exceeded expectations. He grabs a valuable piece of history, mixes it with dark humor, and concocts a war story that is bearable to people of all ages.

The Book Thief is probably the best book I have read in 2009. A timeless classic.

5 of 5 stars

-Timmy

A Side Post: YugaTech Great Gadget Giveaway

Ok, so someone found this interesting giveaway contest that’s hard to put aside.  You better check it out:

If you want to get some of these check yugatech’s post.

This  week, They’re doing a series of different contests for the “YugaTech Great Gadget Giveaway”. Here is the mechanics for their contest for this week called “Merry Tweetmas”.

Round 1: Our theme for this week will be Twitter. Here’s the mechanics:

1) Follow @abeolandres and @talk2globe on Twitter.

2) Post a tweet “Just entered to win a Modu Phone. Quick! Go follow @abeolandres and @talk2globe and retweet: http://bit.ly/6e2q7O #thanks2yugatech”

They are  giving away a Modu phone, 10 Globe Tattoo and 20 Php500 prepaid call cards randomly.

Good luck to everyone!

Creative Tuesday: Cool Alphabets

Remeber the Santa is Yesterday’s Post? Well, the said artist—Paul Thurlby—has one the coolest alphabets I’ve seen. I found Paul Thurlby’s site in one of my blog hopping adventures. I was fascinated in the art and I found his other illustrations funny. Visit  his site (Paul Thurlby).

One of the Blog I follow, Made by Girl and I love their alphabet prints. Check this out:

Last, is a new found ‘typography’ from vi.sualise.us. But the artist flickr site is here.

I like how the basic ABC can be great art. I’ve attempted a few times to make my own alphabet design. It’s not as easy as i thought. Hope you enjoyed today’s post.

Until tomorrow, see yoU!

Random Monday: Christmas ’round the Corner

Artwork by Paul Thurlby

Christmas is in the air. Christmas is just around the corner and I have yet to get in the spirit. I haven’t gotten into the gift giving mood.  I think I have grown cynical about it recently. However Paul Thurlby’s artwork of Santa sort of eased me to Christmas.

Do you have a Christmas wish list? I used to write a list, but with this year’s economic difficulties and seemingly continuous looming of dark clouds it seems unimportant.

What do I love about Christmas?

1. Cold mornings

2. Classic Christmas Music

3. Decorating the house

4. Meeting up with friends

5. Christmas Morning

6. Wrapping Presents

What do you love about Christmas?

Hope you enjoy the song. Have a lovely week ahead of you.

Until tomorrow, see you!

Food Friday: Lessons from A Rustic Apple Tart

I was looking for a nice pie crust recipe when I found myself on the pages of Tokyo Terraces. She made an interesting and beautiful Rustic Pear Tart.  It was enticing enough for me to try it myself.  So for this little recipe please check here. I didn’t have pears so I decided to use the exact same recipe and replace the pears with APPLES ( When will my apple frenzy end?!).

I have to be honest though…there were a few problems in my attempt. Note, none of which is the fault of the actual recipe.

1. The crust was salty: My fault was to use a butter compound and then add salt.

The lesson: Be sure your butter or butter substitute does not have any salt in it. Otherwise, omit the salt from the recipe.

2. The filling was too tart: My apples weren’t very sweet or juicy. I might have to cut the lemon juice to half.

The lesson: Never compromise the apple quality. I decided to make this tart because the apples were on the fridge, but they weren’t your typical baking apples.

3. It took a while to brown the crust: Ah yes, it took me an extra 15 minutes to get to the golden brown color.

The lesson: Brush the crust evenly with egg white. Preheat the oven and make sure you have the right oven temperature.

I did this recipe on a whim. I came home from work and thought why not. But i was also all over the place.

Lesson: Be in the right mind to bake.

Sometimes I wish that everything I bake for the first time turns out right. However, such is not the case.I shall try again. Nonetheless I love this recipe. The crust was beautiful, the dessert simple and yes, its worth all the effort. And did I tell you I LOVE THE CRUST RECIPE. It’s simple and beautiful.

Hope you give this tart a chance. I really think Tokyo Terrace was brilliant with the crust and the simplicity.

Have a lovely weekend. Until next week, See you.

Make-Over Thursday: A Review on the Stila Smudge Pot Sets

Top: Black, Bottom (L-R): Starry Night, Kitten, Violet

I bought this set a few months ago because of the raves that I have read about this product. Some people say that it’s much better than the gel liners from Coastal Scents. And if you have been following this blog, you would know that I did a review on the Coastal Scents-ish gel liners a few months back. I have found it very, very difficult to work with these gel liners. I take back the review where I said that the black liner is love. It has only been a few months and already, the gel liners are quite dry. They are dry enough to start flaking off your eyes after a few hours. You end up with a whole lot of fall out. And, take note, I set all my liquid or cream-based liners with an eye shadow in the same color. So I went on the hunt again for a lovable gel liner.

The smudge pots are not as inexpensive as the Coastal Scents gel liners. Locally, I think a standard sized smudge pot costs a little over Php 600.00, for about double the amount of product as CS. A standard smudge pot is has much more product than the CS gel liner. I don’t have images to show you though, since the smudge pot sets that I got come in about half the size of a standard smudge pot, making it the same size as the CS one.

This smudge pot set comes in four shades: kitten (nude champagne shimmer), starry night (bold deep blue with shimmer), violet (pretty purple with shimmer) and the standard black. It comes with a bonus mini brush, which I don’t use.

The smudge pots are creamy. This is how I envisioned a cream liner should be. The CS ones that I got were a little dry already when I got them. I am not sure if that’s the way it’s supposed to be, but it wasn’t as easy as the smudge pots to apply. The violet smudge pot can come off rather light, so to get the line I actually want, it could take a few applications. The starry night smudge pot is brilliant, although sometimes I feel like the glitter in the product gets in the way of producing a decent line. (Can you tell that I am not a huge fan of glitter?) Because I don’t really like using very light eyeliners (I feel like eyeliners should help define the eyes…not help them disappear.), I prefer using the kitten smudge pot as an eye shadow base. And it works excellently as one.

And the black? I didn’t really like it the first time I tried it. But when I used it again, I was extremely surprised at how quickly I had gotten the effect and the look that I had wanted. I first used the MAC 209 brush for it. It was a bit difficult to work with. But when I tried using it with a MAC 266 or just about any angled liner/brow brush, WOAH! Quick and easy. I didn’t even have to drag it across my lash line. Using just dabbing motions, I got the effect I wanted.

So, do I like it? Yes! Will I buy it again, maybe not. I mean, these smudge pots are quite a lot and it will take some time before I go through them entirely. If they dry up, I will probably use other formulas. But I do want to buy a full grey pot of the liner.

Next week, watch out for a list of gifts for a beauty junkie from different price points.

Wednesday Review: Fragile Things

There are so many fragile things, after all. People break so easily, and so do dreams and hearts.” – Neil Gaiman, Introduction

::: fragile (adj.) – easily broken or destroyed, and thus often of subtle or intricate structure (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fragile)

This is the first Gaiman novel I’ve read, and the fourth book in my collection. The other three were his books for young readers – The Wolves in the Walls, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, and Coraline. Anyway, I enjoyed this book a lot.

Fragile Things is Gaiman’s recent story collection. Subtitled Short Fictions and Wonders, Fragile Things transports you to seemingly nonexistent worlds and introduces a handful of oddballs that tell their stories. You may even use the term ’slice of life,’ because the stories in this collection are ‘cut-outs’ from the lives of the characters involved, without the intention of presenting a problem or resolution. Also interesting is how Gaiman reimagined familiar stories like A Study in Scarlet, Arabian Nights, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Of the 31 stories, 8 are okay and 23 are really good. And of these 23, 10 are my favorites. Because this is a novel intended for adults, the stories are darker and more sinister than Gaiman’s already dark books for young readers. I find it amusing that this collection is 30% Gabriel Garcia Marquez and 70% Haruki Murakami – the stories are simply bizarre, mysterious, and fascinating. Definitely a must read.

4 out of 5 Stars

-Timmy