Finally, a cat video that encapsulates how we feel when we have to get up in the morning.
It’s pretty cute but who thinks maybe the kitten should just be left to sleep? Even after a six-hour nap? Mundt might be the world’s sleepiest kitten but we love it.
At Frost we have been waiting impatiently for the new Hunger Games film. When Lionsgate released the trailer, along with some official preview pictures we were pretty excited. The first cast photo of Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin has also been released and she looks great.
Credit: Lionsgate
Credit: Lionsgate
An interview with director Francis Lawrence was also released, in which he discussed finishing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s scenes after his tragic death before filming had ended. Lawrence said: “We finished the majority of his work (before he died), I think he might have had 8 to 10 days left on our schedule. In most of the scenes, Philip didn’t have any dialogue. We are going to put him into those scenes, but we’re only using real footage. We’re not creating anything digital or a robotic version of him.”
Julianne Moore gushed about joining the cast in her interview (shown below)
“I’ve read all the books. I’ve read them all the way through, and I’m like, ‘I want to be in this movie!’ Clearly, that was the only part that I could play.”
Are you excited?
The Red Queens don’t look like a regular wannabe pop band. They’re comfortably outside of the typical age bracket – frontman Darien Graham-Smith turns 40 next year – and their look can be described as “eclectic”, with influences ranging from punk to what one might call mature student chic.
“When we meet other bands, there is sometimes a bit of a coolness gap,” admits Graham-Smith. “They’re all nineteen, with fresh faces and achingly fashionable outfits. And then I wander in looking like I’ve got lost on my way to Waitrose.”
“But when you come to the game at a slightly older age you have a different perspective on that sort of thing. Some of the bands may look fantastic and unworldly on stage, but often the audience doesn’t really know how to relate to that. We come on as ourselves and I think we have a much easier rapport with the crowd.”
“It’s a similar story with the music: when you’re young, you’ve got everything to prove, and as a result the material can sometimes be a bit wilfully extreme, a bit hard to swallow. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. But I think a lot of the best-loved songs – the really universal ones that hang around for decades – are your classic pop songs with four chords and a catchy chorus. And that’s more what the Red Queens are about.”
It’s a theory the band has developed over two and a half years on London’s pub circuit, during which time the Red Queens have grown from the original duo of Graham-Smith and bassist/vocalist Terrie McCann into to a five-piece line-up with guitarist Tom Derry, keyboard player Felix Kirsch and, most recently, drummer Bobby McPherson. In July, the group is heading into the studio to record their debut EP with veteran producer Paul Tipler (previous clients include Elastica, Placebo and The Wonder Stuff), and after that who knows what may beckon. Check out www.redqueens.co.uk for videos, downloads and live dates.
The Red Queens play The Islington, Tolpuddle Street N1 0XT on 29 May 2014. Admission £5.
The trailer for Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age Of Extinction has arrived and if you love action movies as much as we do you are in for a treat.
Transformers: Age Of Extinction is out on July 10 in the UK and June 27 in the US. Will you go and see it?
I recently went to my local council with my fiancé to give notice to marry and was both shocked and appalled to learn that mothers are not included on marriage certificates in England. In Scotland and Northern Ireland mothers are included, but not in England. This essentially whitewashes women out of the history of their own children. Mothers carry their children for nine months and then go through the pain of labour and risk their lives to give birth to them, apparently this isn’t enough to be included on their marriage certificate.
It was upon reading this excellent guest post on Mumsnet by Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler that I decided that enough is enough. So I have signed her campaign and you should to. After all, without women the world would cease to exist. Yet the children that we have get a man’s surname slapped on them and then we are not even important enough to be included on their marriage certificate. As Alisa says in her blog post: “Did you know that marriage certificates in England and Wales include a section for the names and occupations of the fathers of the bride and groom, but the names and occupations of their mothers are not allowed to be recorded?
In Scotland and Northern Ireland information about mothers is included. Civil Partnerships also recognise mothers, unlike same sex marriages, which mirror their heterosexual counterparts.
‘So what?’ I hear some corners of the internet cry – ‘haven’t we got bigger fish to fry?’ But imagine you’ve brought up your child on your own – when the most important day of their life comes along you won’t be legally acknowledged, and the absent father will be. And if you’ve raised a child together, imagine that only he is considered important enough to give his blessing to the union. And it’s about more than a hurtful snub – it’s about the erasing of women from the civil and legal system of which marriage is a central part. We’re writing women out of history, and it seems indicative of a society where decisions are made by men to suit men. ”
Enough is enough: please also sign the petition so we can end the sexism. 33,000 people have so far. Thank you.
Catherine
Follow Alisa here: Twitter: @nameequality
One of my favourite books is I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. In fact, Maya Angelou is one of my favourite writers full stop. She has had an amazing life and has overcame so many obstacles. She truly is an inspiring person so I thought I would source some of her quotes for you. I hope they add to your life in the same way they did mine.
‘There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.’
‘You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.’
‘All great achievements require time.’
‘Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.’
‘Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.’
‘My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.’
‘No sun outlasts its sunset but will rise again and bring the dawn.’
‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’
‘A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.’
‘You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.’
‘If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.’
‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’
‘Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it.’
‘I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the liver of life. Live it.’
‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’
‘I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.’
‘Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.’
‘We have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? And, according to our light, according to our understanding, according to our courage, we will have to say yea or nay – and rise!’
‘My mother said I must always be tolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.’
‘Nothing will work unless you do.’
‘I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me.’
‘It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.’
‘I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.’
‘We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.’
‘Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.’
‘One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.’
This is quite possibly the best book I have read in a very long time. A realistic way we all can live like Audrey Hepburn and she would wholeheartedly approve, charming, fun and witty this book takes you through every aspect of modern living and how AH would have conducted herself in these modern times.
What Would Audrey doIt’s enigmatic, down to earth and modiste just like the lady herself. From advice on dating to style, coping in bad times to conducting yourself in public. It’s simply a must read and you won’t be able to put it down for love or diamonds.
This wonderful book will give you inspiration creating the perfect home, scattering your world with flowers, Diptyque candles and fine white china, it will embody your inner most self with touches of AH.
‘What Would Audrey do’ has ideas for party themes in an oh so graceful manner, how to apply the best simple makeup, for the look she created. It will give you so much advice, I live by these rules and so should each and everyone of you. Try it for a day and I promise you will feel amazing. Plus my own little rule…don’t stress, don’t worry about your day and don’t worry about tomorrow as it’s all meant to be. Even in nasty horrid times remember this has a path that’s leading me to a positive place and be calm, take a moment to understand this when life gets tough and you will be ok my friends!
Audrey’s Check List:
Wear Mascara
Stand up straight
Get your clothes tailored
Lower your voice
When in doubt love
Be generous
Don’t kiss and tell
Forgive
Turn around and check the back of your reflection in the mirror when you leave the house!
Smile.
It will want make you rethink your every day, you will instantly adopt her mantra for learning to do one thing at a time, you will get more done and feel more relaxed about life, the stresses of the days will drift away and in short you will probably be a lot happier and even loose a few pounds! Stress makes us put on weight didn’t you know!
It will make you feel rewarded for time out and not guilt for slowing down, for saying no every now and again when you feel you need to.
I say take yourself off for some time out and open this pretty book What Would Audrey Do?: Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace & Style: Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style
It’s my new bible!
Tweet me @sarahbacchus and visit www.slbstyle for more fashion and lifestyle. www.sarahbacchus.com to take a look at my professional work.
Cats get a lot of bad press but actually they are amazing, loyal, lovable creatures. You can take that from someone who has had four cats at different stages in her life, or you can just watch this amazing footage of the family cat saving a young boy from a dog attack.
This was all picked up on security camera footage and has officially made family cat, Tara, the best cat in the world.
P.S: Here is a picture of my family’s cat, Trigger. He’s gorgeous and he knows it.
