New layout

Time for my winter late fall/early winter layout!

To say that this new banner and layout (inspired by Sansa and Arya Stark and their home, Winterfell) are beautiful and that I love them together would be an understatement. It took about 5 rough drafts to finish my banner, but I'm pleased with the final product : ) The layout is from a new site I found called Plumrose Lane and their layouts are beautiful without being overtly girly or over the top.

The quote in the header was inspired by Sonna Rele's song "Strong" from the new Cinderella movie. 

A bird all alone on the wind 

Can still be strong and sing 

Sing...

I was orginalliy going to put that bridge up there, but I think my GOT edition was more fitting.

AVMBP - Day Seven: Pick a Character; Choose Your Favorite Portrayal

Day Seven: Pick a Character; Choose a Portrayal 

Christine Daae

      Christine Daae is such a wonderfully complex and confusing character/ There is a vulnerability about Christine and a reality to her character that really brings her to life. There might be those who can relate to Christine due to her early loss in life which led to loneliness and often seclusion. She has dreams and ambitions, but is quiet and humble about them. She very kind, compassionate and knows her worth as a singer, dancer and actress, but still remains open to more learning and training. 

      It was probably many of these qualities that endured Raoul to Christine when they were children and eventually Christine to Erik. I believe that is was Christine's genuine goodness that drew Erik to her in the first place, but everything spiraled quickly when competition is thrown in the mix. When Erik begins to kill, Christine blames herself for not being better, stronger and more capable with her emotions. She loves both men dearly as well as all the people in the Opera House and is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to protect everyone around her. 

     I love Christine because she is real. She is on the balance between obtaining her dreams as a professional actress or becoming a viscountess. There is no selfishness, arrogance, or ill-will within her; extreme loss at a young age sent her into a world of grief, but it didn't hold her back, it pushed her forward and that is what Christine does. She continues to go forward in her life even when it means looking back might break her heart. Christine is a soft-spoken fighter whose angelic voice and fierce protective heart captures everyone around her.

AVMBP - Day Six: Your Theater OTP

Day Six: Favorite OTP

OMG!!! This is so difficult because I have so many! So I'll name my top 3.

     Curly & Laurey - Oklahoma!: My absolute favorite OTP!! There is an innocence and sweetness about Curly and Laurey that I love, especially compared to Jud Fry (the villain and Curly's competition). Their relationship in the play starts put as annoying one another with teasing and banter and slowly grows in unexpected love over the course of one day. Now, it's common knowledge throughout all of Claremore that Curly is crazy about Laurey, but Laurey tries to write him off as immature and arrogant. Then when trouble strikes, the first person Laurey runs to is Curly. There is a reality is their relationship that doesn't make it sappy and allows both of them to come out in the end as heroes. 

     Adam & Milly - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Any woman who marries a man within an hour of meeting him might be considered insane, but no one ever said that Milly was conventional. Adam and Milly both marry out of convenience and not really love, at least that's what they told themselves. When Adam brings Milly to his backwoods cabin and introduces her to his rowdy brothers, all of Milly's  hopes and dreams of a family of her home quickly disappear when she realizes that Adam only wanted a cook and clean for his household. However, Milly rolls up her sleeves and gets the work done, immediately gaining the respect and admiration of Adam's brothers and even Adam himself. As the story progresses Adam and Milly slowly fall in love, although not always seen, but rather implied. When Milly kicks Adam out of the house for 6 months, both of them realize how much they loved each other and Adam returns to Milly with a stronger understanding of love, marriage and life. 

     Georg & Maria - The Sound of Music: An outgoing and forward-thinking governess who failed to become a nun. A stubborn, withdrawn Naval captain and widower who rules his house with militaristic order. Could there be a more perfect relationship?? At first glance, one may say no, but Georg and Maria's love for the children they both call their own unites these two very different people into a unlikely love story. When Georg and Maria first meet, they are hardly on correct terms and Georg finds constant fault in the new governess. Maria herself is appalled by the captain's overbearing and strict rule of his children and allow them to have the freedom that they have been restricted from. Overtime, music, laughter and temporary loss brings them together and no one could ever say it wasn't real or genuine.

AVMBP - Day Five: Favorite Theater Males

Day Five: Favorite Theater Males

      Curly McClain - Oklahoma!: Handsome and charming Curly McClain brings so much life and energy to Oklahoma! He is definitely a true hero that's admirable and strong in his own ordinary way. Although he possesses a rather arrogant attitude from time to time, Curly makes has hopes and dreams for the coming Oklahoma state. His love for Laurey is so genuine and real, and I loved watching their love story unfold slowly in the story. By the end of the play, Curly has definitely matured from the cocky cowboy he was in the beginning with a new wife and new future ahead of him.

      Marius Pontmercy - Les Miserables: A university student who goes from raving revolutionary to lovestruck lad in a matter of seconds. I always found Marius to be a fun character and in a way brings a small amount of humor to the story due to his awkward and unexpected experience in love at first sight. Then Marius' life takes a drastic change when he is forced to choose between following his beloved Cosette out of Paris or to stay with his friends and fight. Marius makes the honorable decision and risks his life to save the poor and destitute of Paris and his courage is rewarded when he is reunited with Cosette and becomes the long awaited son in his new father-in-law's eyes. 

     Georg von Trapp - The Sound of Music: Words cannot describe how so in love I was with Christopher Plummer in this film! Georg's transition from grieving widower to a loving father is an absolute testimony to what Maria's life brought to his once lonely household. His transition doesn't come quickly, but it's worth the wait. Georg's greatest attribute to his character is his courage to stand against Hitler even if it means putting his own life (and his family's) at risk. He is willing to leave everything he has ever known so he can raise his children in freedom.

AVMBP - Day Four: Favorite Theater Females

Day Four: Favorite Theater Females

     Aunt Eller - Oklahoma!: In 1906, Claremore, Oklamoma territory, the wise and strong-willed matriarch  reigns supreme as the voice of reason, understanding and good will. Not to say that the woman doesn't have a fun side; she's humorous and genteel and has no problem putting people in their place. She loves her niece, Laurey, fiercely and only thinks about what's best for her. Aunt Eller is the heart and soul of Oklahoma and defines the pioneer spirit entirely! 

     Milly Pontipee - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: I'd like to think that Milly Pontipee was probably the younger version of Aunt Eller. Spunky and determined to always make the best out of the worst of situations, Milly strides to straighten out the seven unruly Pontipee brothers, while trying bring the small town to accept the backwoodsmen. Ever since I saw this movie (at 6 or 7), I always loved Milly for her prettiness, sweetness and sense of camaraderie with everyone around her from the townsfolk, her husband, her brothers-in-law and her friends. 

     Fantine - Les Miserables: One of the most heartbreaking, but heroic characters in the whole story.  No one defines the broken human soul that longs for redemption as much as Fantine does. She is a woman who has made mistakes and spends the rest of her young life trying to atone for them. Except forgiveness is not a virtue the 19th century French have really cared to practice. Everything Fantine does is for the sake and livelihood of her daughter and in the end she is rewarded for her goodness, courage and overwhelming love. 

Vlog #10 - October

Discussing feminism, the transgender community and society's double standards. If I offend anyone with my personal views, I'm not sorry.

Edit: To clear up any confusion: when I say feminism v. the transgender community, I mean my personal views as a feminist,  not society's views on feminism. 

AVMBP - Day Three: Theater Character to Defend/Discuss

Day Three: Theater Character to Defend/Discuss

Cosette & Eponine Thenardier 

Wow! I wrote a post similar to this three years ago and it's still causing controversy! 

I'm going to copy and paste my original article into this post

Cosette

      I don't understand why people view Cosette with such dislike and raise Eponine on a pedestal. I mentioned this in my movie review, but now I'm going to go a little deeper with it. I have never really liked Eponine at all and to those who say that she is the true heroine of the story, well then you clearly haven't understood the story. Fantine is the true heroine. A single mother who gave her life for her precious daughter is far greater than a lovesick girl getting shot for a man who doesn't love her at all or at least not romantic love. It's clear that Marius cared about her, but it wasn't the love that Eponine wanted. He loved Cosette, end of story.

      I always saw Cosette as the Cinderella of the story and isn't that what people love? A poor girl from obscure beginnings who is rescued by a kind man and raised in his love. Why do people see her as a clueless airhead? They condemn her for being silly and ridiculous for falling in love with a man she only saw once, but didn't Marius do the same thing? How come Marius isn't ridiculed and called an airhead for the same reason?

     Cosette has lived a sheltered life in a convent with her father for nine years, so she hasn't really grown up around men at all. She has been raised to be innocent, generous and kind. Yet, she probably hasn't forgotten her abused former life and the Thenadiers, so she isn't that clueless about the outside world. Then comes the first glance of love from the first man who seems to notice her and she is curious, amazed and even a little scared. Give her a break, I think we've all been there.

      Quit punishing Cosette for being kind and generous. Stop going on about how she has no real importance in the story She plays a very distinct part in Les Miserables. It was because of her that her mother gave her life, it was because of her that Valjean could live the life he always dreamed of, it was because of her that Marius finally saw love in a concrete form and not as an abstract illusion. In a world that was dominated by darkness, terror and fear, Cosette stood out with a gentle, but strong light to those who needed it. Her mother, her father, and her lover.

Eponine Thenardier

     Even as a little girl and watching the musical, I found Eponine incredibly annoying. All she seemed to do was whine and moan about a man who didn't notice her. I didn't understand her role in the musical at all and even now, I'm annoyed by her. They're at the brink of a revolution and she's crying about how alone she is. Dry up Scarlett.

     Now, I'm not going to be entirely cruel. There are many honorable aspects to Eponine. She was courageous, she helped Marius find Cosette as well as take a bullet for him. There is a general charm and kindness about Eponine and that's how a lot of people see her, but they don't have to slander Cosette just because she got the guy and the poor girl didn't.

     Also, Eponine is is completely destitute, she has no home and no money and is also (in the eyes of Javert and the Parisian government) a menace to society, because she helps her father with his plots. She knew full well that Marius couldn't conceive the thought of taking her because of those qualities. Unfair as they may, they are what make Eponine who she is. She didn't join the barricades because she believed in a better world, she was there to be with Marius and nothing more or less than that.

     We all live, we all love, and eventually we all die with love, without love, or fighting for love. That's what Eponine did, she died for love. She died so Marius could live and love Cosette.

**Original Post**