For the love of stop motion

I absolutely love stop motion animation and I'm glad that it has rubbed off on Amir. I can't explain why I love stop motion so much... perhaps it's the artistry involved, or their handmade quality. I just know I love them.

Since we've been watching some of our favourites over and over again this past few weeks, I thought I'd pay tribute to the ones we've enjoyed the most as mother and son. 

To start with, let's take a look at my personal favourite stop-motion movie of all time - Coraline (2009). Why is it my favourite? Well, firstly because Neil Gaiman is simply incredible and secondly because it was brilliantly directed by Henry Sellick. I had always wanted to share my love for stop motion and Coraline with Amir, but when he was younger, he found Coraline too scary. But now that he's 10 years old, he absolutely loves it too!

He has even memorised this awesome number by Ms Spink and Ms Forcible - it's hilarious when he sings like them!

Amir certainly has a thing for catchy tunes. When he watches Pirates of the Carribean, he loves Jack Sparrow and the pirate shanties the most! Speaking of pirates, here's another stop-motion movie that we've enjoyed watching together - The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists (2012). 

 

It's based on a book by another of my favourite authors, Gideon Dafoe, and created by the makers of one of Amir's stop-motion favourites - Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). 

Actually, come to think of it, 2012 was a good year for stop motion. Besides Pirates, we also had ParaNorman and Tim Burton's Frankenweenie. 

Amir has yet to watch James and the Giant Peach (1996), another Sellick/Burton masterpiece, but he has just watched the Sellick/Burton cult fave The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). I dare say he loves it more than Coraline. The one that we haven't had the pleasure of watching yet, is The Boxtrolls (2014), from Laika, the makers of Coraline and ParaNorman. I'm so glad that they've come out with this one. I hope they'll do more!

Check out the trailer, it looks so awesome! We can't wait to watch it :)

I read online that Sellick is working on adapting Gaiman's Graveyard Book, which I love... love.. love! I really can't wait for that one and Disney better not shut it down for whatever reason!

Disney's Big Hero Six

This looks adorable! Can't wait to see it :) I know Amir will love it!
#baymax

#bighero6

I am Sherlocked!

Since I was little, I've loved reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. But when they made a Sherlock Holmes movie, with Robert Downey Jr, sadly my response to it was rather lukewarm. 

The same cannot be said, however, about my reaction after watching the first episode of Sherlock, the now insanely popular TV series with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Ladies and gents, I am absolutely Sherlocked! So much so that when Benedict Cumberbatch came to KL a few months ago to host the Laureas Awards, I thought I might go into spontaneous labour if I bumped into him in KL!

I have to confess that I'm a latecomer to the Sherlock TV show fandom, but hey, better late than never! Today, while doing my daily Pinterest prowl, I came across this awesome gem - an unaired Sherlock pilot! Squeeeee!!!!!!!

Ssherlock 2010 [Unaired Pilot] by UnknownArchiveTV

Shepherd's pie

Breastfeeding is hungry work and so to satiate my insatiable appetite today, I made shepherd's pie for lunch. I learnt how to make it over at The Fabulous Baker Brothers' YouTube Channel. The brothers truly are fabulous, I love them! Here's how my pie turned out...

Looking good...

It was super easy and quick to make... and tastes great! 

If you'd like to make this, let Henry Herbert of The Fabulous Baker Brothers show you how. Check out their video:

Hurray Oscars!!

I love that Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyongo, Jared Leto & 12 Years a Slave won :) Hurray!!

 

And these epic moments...


Ellen's awesome selfie...


Benedict Cumberbatch photo bombing U2 

Take it and go! Love these songs

I'm in a romantic mood today. and seriously, they just don't make songs like these anymore...

Not a big Madonna fan myself, but this song is just plain amazing. The video? I love it!

  

I'm not a Top Gun fan either, but this Berlin ballad rocks my socks!

Declutter diaries: How to fold socks

Today I thought I'd tackle my husband's sock drawer... I started off with this messy pile...

And ended up with this neat pile...

Learn how to organise your socks after the jump!

Check out "Goodnight iPad" by Ann Droyd (David Milgrim)

I admit it, whenever I hear a public service announcement about "how we're all losing touch with each other  because we're all addicted to gadgets," I get really annoyed. I didn't use to be into gadgets and on-the-go Internet... but then I went and got myself a tablet. Now I'm hooked. I think my son is getting hooked too. Monkey see, monkey do. What have I done!!?? Still, those announcements irk me. I'm probably in denial.

When I saw this video about a children's book called Goodnight iPad though, I wasn't annoyed at all. I was deeply amused! Cleverly written by Ann Droyd (Android LOLs), a.k.a. David Milgrim, it's a parody picture book for the gadget freak in us all. I'm going to keep an eye out for it in bookstores, but wouldn't it be ironic if they turned it into an interactive story book that sold on iTunes or Android? I hope they will! It's already available as an ebook!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park

Isn't this just a Potterhead's dream come true?! Take a sneak peak with Emma Watson and her cast mates as they tour the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando Resort which will be opening soon :) Forget Disneyland, gimme Potter world baby!