#i have two matching boxes that match my beds space theme similar in style too

[lilgynt]

it may have taken me quitting my job and then not getting accepted at the next one but guess what. ROOMS CLEAN.

[sirtommyholland]

Four Years of Birthdays

A/N: Hey everyone! This isn’t my first time writing for Harry but my first time actually posting it so I’m very excited! This is inspired by the little piece I wrote on Tom Holland’s birthday, I wanted to make a similar concept. Hope you guys like it, and happy birthday to our beloved baby boy Harry Styles! We love you so much!💜

Word Count: 2.4k (she tiny because I suck)

Summary: Harry’s four different birthdays with Y/N in differents points of his life. 

Fluff all the way! with like a little talk about sexual themes because I had to.

poc friendly and plus size friendly (I think, please tell me if I made a mistake!) because we dont blush bright red or swim in men’s clothes in this house💫

2019 - 25th Birthday

Spending his birthday with Y/N was one of Harry’s favourite things. Over the last ten years of his life, she had missed quite a few of them as he was on the road and she was back home in London, going to uni and living a normal life. It was only the last couple of years that he was able to be home on his birthday, his solo career allowing him a bit more freedom to arrange his schedule as he wanted. 

This year, he had wanted to have a quiet birthday, just with his family and close friends. And of course, his girlfriend, who was currently climbing on his back on the bed, trying to coax him out of sleep. 

“Loviee” she whined into the back of his neck between kisses. “Wake up.”

“No.” his voice was deeper than usual as he groaned, trying to bury himself more into the pillows to avoid the bright sunlight in the room. “‘M sleepy.”

“But it’s your birthday.” she protested with a kiss to a small part of his cheek that wasn’t hidden away. “I need to give you your 25 kisses.”

“Just 25?” he frowned, raising his head from the pillow to look back at her. “That’s nowhere near enough! You kiss me more on a regular day.”

“Hmm..” she pretended to ponder his words, one of her hands going up to brush away the soft curls that fell on his forehead. “Then how about I give you a blowie for 25 minutes?”

Even if she couldn’t see his face, she would still be able to hear the grin in his voice. “Now that’s more like it.” He was turning over and laying on his back in a heartbeat, tugging at her thighs to make her straddle him again. 

She complied, throwing one leg over his hips and gently sitting on thighs, not putting her full weight. She leaned down to softly brush her lips against his, once, twice, three times. “Happy birthday, baby.”  she sighed against them, rubbing her nose against his lovingly. 

“Thank you, angel.” he smiled, letting his hands roam over the soft material of her shirt. “I reckon it’s gonna be the best one so far.” 

“Really? Is there a reason why?” she grinned, feeling like she already knew the answer.

“Because this is the first one I’m waking up with you as my girlfriend. Finally,” he sighed. “I can kiss you for real instead of making a wish for it when I blow out the candles.”

“You’re so cheesy.” she teased with a smile, leaning down to give him another kiss. “I still can't believe you wished for it.”

“Literally every year.” he confirmed, only blushing slightly under her loving gaze. “Honestly don’t know what I’m gonna wish for this time. It’s been the same thing for many years.” 

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something.” She placed a final peck to his lips, then swiftly got up from his lap. “Now get up, your mum’s expecting us for breakfast.”

“But- but- my blowie!” 

She looked back to see an adorable pout on his lips, one that she almost couldn’t resist. Almost.

“Later.” she promised, pulling him to his feet and laying a few kisses on his neck. “I’m gonna take care of you properly tonight, after your party. Along with your final present.”

“You’re a tease.” he breathed, the meaning behind her words not so hidden. She grinned, and trailed her hand softly down his back until she was grabbing his bum, giving it a firm squeeze. 

“Heyy!” he jumped, trying to grab her before she made a run for the bathroom, and failing.

“Pick your outfit, it takes ages!” she yelled through the closed door, making him huff and fall back on the bed dramatically. 

“Harry Edward Styles!” Well, guess she knew him too well.

“Yes, ma’am!”

2009 - 15th birthday

“Hello.”

Harry raised his head from the plastic cup he was refilling, to see a familiar girl looking at him with a friendly smile. 

“Hi.” he smiled back as he straightened up, silently giving her the cue to go on. 

“Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to say that I really liked your performance. You guys were incredible!” 

“Oh, thank you! Of course you’re not bothering me. I’m glad to know you liked it.” He grinned. “We’re at the same school, right? I’ve seen you around before.”

“Yeah, but we’ve never actually talked, I think. I’m Y/N, by the way. Will invited me because I live next door.” she explained, nodding towards his bandmate that was currently hosting his birthday party/small concert in his garage. 

“You don’t need to explain yourself! Next time, I’ll just have to make sure that I invite you myself.”

She grinned at his words. “That’s very nice of you, Harry. Oh, and happy birthday, by the way! I almost forgot.” Right, she was at his birthday party. She already knew his name. 

“Thank you! And thanks for coming.” 

Before she could open her mouth to say anything else, the lights were dimmed and the back entrance of the garage was illuminated with a soft, orange light as his friends brought in the cake. Off-key voices singing him happy birthday filled the space, and he made his way to his friends with a huge smile on his face, Y/N joining the small crowd around him as they waited for him to blow out the candles.

“Don’t forget to make a wish!” one of his mates yelled just as he was leaning towards the cake. 

“Sorry.” he chuckled, then closed his eyes to make his wish. I want to make music. For all my life.

Little did he know, that would be his only wish in the next ten years that didn’t involve the girl that he had just met. 

2016 - 22th birthday

“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling twenty-two! Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you!”

“What the fuck.” he muttered into his pillow, trying to figure out if he was dreaming or if his phone was actually ringing with a Taylor Swift song. But even when he was wide awake after a few minutes he could still hear her melodic voice, so he reached out with a groan and checked the caller ID. Of course.

“How did you manage to change my ringtone all the way from London?” he answered in a groggy voice. 

“Well, good morning to you too, hun, took you long enough! I’m very good, thanks for asking! And I got Niall to do it yesterday, obviously.” 

“... Morning Y/N.” 

“Oh, stop grumbling, it doesn’t suit you. Get up and get ready, I’m gonna facetime you in thirty minutes.” And before he could say anything, she hung up on him. 

He looked at this phone in disbelief. Did she just hang up on me on my birthday?! He rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the soft smile that appeared on his face. To be honest, there were a lot of things he couldn’t help when it came to her. 

Half an hour later, when he was freshly showered and dressed, his phone rang with an incoming facetime call just like she said. She probably set an alarm for exactly thirty minutes, he thought fondly.

Her smiling face greeted him as he accepted the call. “Happy birthday, Haz!!”

“Thanks, love.” he chuckled, eyeing the tiny cupcake in front of her through the small screen. “Whatcha got there?”

“That’s your birthday cupcake, made it myself! Was tired of shitty store-bought cake.” 

“I don’t know, it looks kind of ugly.” he joked, grinning at her mock-offended face. “I could do better. I worked in a bakery, ya know.”

“You literally just ran the register and washed the dishes.”

“Still, in a bakery!” 

She was shaking her head at his shit-eating grin, but he could still see a soft smile playing at her lips. It caused his heart to flutter in his chest. What he wouldn’t give to see her smiling at him like that everyday. 

“Anyway, candle time!” she piped, grabbing a lighter from somewhere behind the camera and lighting up the single candle on her tiny cupcake.  

Harry watched her raise the cupcake closer to the camera and she instructed him to make a wish. This routine was familiar to them now. Every year, she would video call with a different type of cake, to make up for not being able to be there with him.

Harry closed his eyes, and made the same wish that he had been making for the last six years of his life. I wish you were mine. 

He opened his eyes and blew lightly towards the screen, her actions matching his as she blew out the candle in his place. She gave a little cheer afterwards, and the brightness of her eyes warmed him up all the way down to his toes, even through a phone screen. 

They talked for a while after that, catching up on each other’s lives and discussing the dates they would be able to meet up again. She hung up with a final ‘happy birthday, love you!’ and then he was left staring at his phone, a small smile still remaining on his face. I wish you were mine. 

And later, when he logged onto his twitter account and tweeted some certain song lyrics, he only cared about one person’s reaction out of millions. 

2018 - 24th birthday

“Hey. I’ve been looking for you.” 

Harry turned towards the kitchen door that led to the back garden, seeing her slide it close to make her way towards him.

“Just taking a breather, love.” he said, accepting his woolly coat that she handed him. “Thank you.”

“Didn’t want you to catch a cold.” She sat next to him on the wooden porch bench, wrapped up in her own fuzzy coat. There was another item in her hand, a thick, heavy looking box. 

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing at it. 

“Oh, I came here to give it to you. Your final gift.” 

“Y/N.” he sighed. “The others were more than enough.” 

“I don’t think this even counts as my gift, honestly.” She grinned at the puzzled look on his face. “Just open it.” 

He did. Inside was a thick notebook, a scrapbook by the looks of it, that read ‘Happy Birthday Harry! - 2018’ 

He looked at her curiously, but she just smiled and told him to open it again. He turned to the first page, and ran his gaze across the page. His eyes widened in surprise. He quickly flipped a few pages to see that all of them had the same thing; printings. Printed screenshots from various social media platforms, of his fans wishing him a happy birthday. 

“I know you don’t use social media a lot these days.” she explained as he kept reading the tweets glued onto the scrapbook. “But you were trending on Twitter today, and yesterday too, lots of people wishing you a happy birthday and telling how much they loved you. I thought you might want to see it.”

He let out a watery laugh, not being able to tear his gaze away from the book in his hands. He couldn’t help the tears, not really. She had taken the time to print out lots and lots of tweets, instagram posts, everything; she had cut them and put them in this book and added little stickers in between with colorful doodles. And she had done it to carry his fans’ messages to him, she had basically hand-delivered their gifts of love to him.

“Thank you.” he breathed, his voice catching in his throat. “This is… I think this may be the best gift I’ve ever received.”

“Well, like I said, it’s not technically from me. I just put some tweets together, your fans are the ones who wrote them.” She paused, then added. “I just wanted you to see just how loved you are. By everyone. You have such a kind heart, and an amazing soul; all of these people are aware of it and they love you for it.” She tapped the book in his lap, emphasising her words. 

“Thank you.” he repeated himself, seemingly at a loss for words. He closed the book and carefully put it back in its box, intending to read everything in it later. He placed it beside him, then turned to her and pulled her in a hug. 

Her arms were around him in a second, not hesitating to tighten around him and pull him closer. She was so warm even in the cold weather, and she smelled so nice, and he wouldn’t be able to pull back if he tried. He didn’t know how long they sat there in each other's embrace, but when he felt her starting to lean back, something in him shifted. He turned his head towards her as she pulled away, so his cheek was softly grazing hers. She stilled a bit, looking into his eyes as if she was looking for something, then she closed her eyes and turned the rest of the way, her lips meeting his in a gentle kiss. 

His breath hitched in his throat as his lips slightly parted, a small gasp making its way out of them when he realized finally, finally he was kissing her. He was kissing Y/N. This was really happening.

He brought a hand up to gently cup her cheek, his thumb stroking her cheekbone as they kissed, probably the softest, the most incredible kiss of his life. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe how amazing she felt against him, how her hands in his hair felt just right, how warm her cheek was under his hand. 

But despite every bone in his body wanting to kiss her forever, he was the first one to pull away, because he just couldn’t keep it in anymore. “I wish you were mine.” 

“What?” she asked breathlessly, apparently still under the effect of their kiss.

“I wish you were mine.” he repeated. “That’s the wish I’ve made on every single birthday since I was sixteen. Everytime you looked at me and told me to make a wish, I was only able to think about how much I wanted to kiss you.” 

She stared at him with parted lips, looking into his eyes like she was trying to figure out if he was messing with him. She could only see love and admiration. 

“You’re an idiot, Harry Styles.” she breathed. Then, she cupped his face with her hands and kissed him again, and again, and again, and he felt like everything in his life was finally going to be okay. 

 some end notes: Sooo I’m sorry for the kind of shitty ending. It’s literally 3 am in Turkey rn and I have an early class but I just wanted to finish this quickly and post it before I went to bed. I haven’t written anything in months because I wasn’t 🌌feeling it🌌 so I basically bullied myself into writing this haha. This is my first posted Harry piece but there are a few other pieces I’ve been working on! (for months, literally. *sigh*)

~~

If you liked it, please feel free to reblog and leave a teeny tiny feedback! Writers really appreciate it!💜

[veilingofthesun]

Matilda the Musical at Malmö Opera - review

Our review is finally done. We apologise for any spelling and grammar mistakes. English is not our first language and we wrote it down really fast after seeing the production so we wouldn’t forget anything. This is a very long review because there’s so many things that we wanted to include. Still, we didn’t go deep into detail about everything, because then we would never have finished this review. If you have any questions, need clarifications, want us to go more into detail about something or are wondering about something we didn’t mention, just ask. We’d be more than happy to answer your questions.

The layout of the theatre

Malmö Opera has a big and very deep stage, so without the stage feeling crowded or small, they have the orchestra on stage(on a turntable) on a platform. The back of the platform is covered with black fabric, so you don't know that they're there. This orchestra is bigger, at least twice the size. Since the orchestra is not using the orchestra pit,  there's an 'extra' piece of stage on top of it, There's two curtains, one that is only visible before the performance starts. It's placed in the middle of the stage, has different sized 'boxes' and spells out Matilda. Different book titles are projected on it. When the performance is about to start the curtain turns black and there's light shining through the openings between the boxes. The curtain rises and reveals the second curtain that is further back. There's a frame on stage that consists of books stacked on top of each other. The second curtain fits into the frame, it has book stacks in the same light colour as the frame. The 'boxes' are present in this curtain too, with books in between the boxes.

The auditorium is very open and has four aisles (with stairs), two side aisles and two middle aisles, all of them lead up to the stage and are frequently used by the cast. A long row of spotlights hang from the ceiling, this will be important in The Hammer...

The set

Books are very present in this set. Pop up books are used in a very clever way. When Matilda is sent to her room, a huge book appears on stage. When the door is opened, Matilda's room 'pops' up: a loft bed, a desk with a chair and drawings on the wall (drawings that show excerpts from the acrobat and escapologist stories) The wallpaper is blue and has words written on it. The pop up book has pages that Matilda turns. When she turns the page to a hallway, three doors and a huge plant pops up. The same with the bathroom, a mirror, a sink, shelves with bottles and a toilet pops up. Maybe pops up is not the right way to describe them, you could say that they fold themselves up....

Miss Honey's house is a book that is rolled in, laying down. Matilda and Miss Honey open it up, and a bed, a small wooden box that serves as a table, and a tea pot and tea cups(made out of paper) pops up. Miss Honey's wallpaper is a mild yellow and just like Matilda’s, there are words written on it. There's a small window and on the wall hangs drawings that her pupils have drawn for her. For example, a drawing of Miss Honey in her pink dress,surrounded by children.

In When I grow up, there's climbing frames that look like books standing on their sides. They are also used in The smell of rebellion for the pupils to climb over.

The two long benches that are used as school benches are always on stage, if they're not in the classroom, they're placed on each side of the stage. The classroom has a board with a long bench in front of it. The students sit on long benches that are attached to a table each. The benches has books underneath them. The school gate is pulled all the way down at the beginning of School Song. During the school scenes it usually loams above and in the background of the set pieces.

During the library scenes the curtain is behind them and occasionally opens up to reveal the acrobat and the escapologist. When Matilda tells her stories, her drawings of what happens in the stories are projected onto the curtain. The projections sometimes appear to be moving at a fast speed towards the audience. It's really effectfull and beautiful.

Mrs Phelps book cart is quite big, it has three shelves in it and has a big space on top for Mrs Phelps to sit on. Matilda also stands on top of it sometimes during the stories. Other than books, Mrs Phelps also stores a box of biscuits there. The cart also has words on it, similar to Matilda’s and Miss Honey's wallpapers.

The Wormwoods living room, has a huge screen, facing the audience, a couch and an armchair. When the dance competition starts in Loud, the curtain rises, the turntable rotates and the orchestra is visible for the rest of the number.

The lightning is very harsh, black and dark blue most of the time. The exception is Miss Honeys classroom, it's still dark, but a mild yellow light shines on her and spreads throughout the classroom. Miss Honeys house has the same mild and welcoming colouring.

The library is also yellow, but warmer and brighter. During the stories, the lightning is darker. but is broken up by the projections.

Act 1

Miracle

The overture is not the same as in the original. It's hard to explain, it is a short piece that leads into the quiet theme. It's really good though.

It starts with the 'curtain' rising and the bench, with the kids sitting on top of it, being pushed forward. Two kindergarten teachers, a female dressed as a cupcake, and a male dressed as a bunny, enter from the sides. The cupcake welcomes all the parents to the end of the year concert. The parents enter from the stairs(this theatre has four aisles/stairs) calling out for their kids, waving and taking pictures. The kids stand up on the bench and start playing their instruments, badly. (It's obviously the orchestra playing...it sounds like the start of Miracle, but really out of tune.)The bunny is trying to conduct them, but it doesn't really work. Some of the kids are more interested in waving at their parents and looking over at them. Bruce turns his trumpet upside down, and sticks his face into it and Amanda bangs her cymbals together right in front of one of the other kids face.

The parents are now on stage. Eric jumps off the bench and runs to the front of the stage to sing the first line. The other kids join in and start dancing. The choreography has a similar concept to the original. For this number, some of the kids are siblings and most of them match their parents' style. Among the parents, there are one lesbian couple, one gay couple and a single mom.

The cupcake, the bunny and a magician bring out trays with cotton candy and each of the kids grab one. They are incorporated into the choreography and the kids dance while holding on to them for quite some time. Nigel smashes his into the face of the cupcake.

The kids swarm the bunny and Lavender climbs up on his shoulders. The kids tug at him and he stumbles and falls to his knees, Lavender gets off. In this version, Hortensia is the ballerina. Her mum is holding her leg, trying to make her do an arabesque while her dad is taking a photo.

Hospital scene

There are three screens, some nurses and the doctor. Mrs Wormwood sticks her head out from behind the curtain in the middle screen. When she talks about Rudolpho, she says: “I've got a real ace in my fishnet stockings”

The nurses are overly happy and excited, standing in the background with huge smiles and nodding. The doctor is very enthusiastic in this version too... When Mrs W says: “Am I...am I?” He nods happily and beams from ear to ear. When Mrs Wormwood asks if there's something the doctor can do, she grabs his arm,gets really close and up in his face. Another nurse enters with a wheelchair and gives Mrs Wormwood a mask with laughing gas. She wheels her in behind the screen. The other screens turn and reveal two couples with their newborn babies, looking happy. They start dancing while holding the babies. Mrs Wormwood, still behind the screen, actually pushes the nurse, who stumbles back several feet and looks horrified.

Mrs Wormwood is wheeled out from behind the screen, holding baby Matilda uncomfortably.

Mr Wormwood and Michael enter. Michael is awkwardly walking around in the background, looking at the other two couples babies. Two nurses are taking pictures of the parents and their babies. Michael tries to photobomb one of the couples and the nurse and the parents try to stop him.The nurse hands Michael baby Matilda and he carries her around while Mr Wormwood is talking to the doctor. Michael actually looks proud and happy while holding her. Mr Wormwood approaches one of the couples, trying to hand them money and gestures for them to swap their baby for his. They look scared and hurries off stage.

Mr Wormwood has a lot of different names for penis, about five of them. Instead of saying: “A boy with no thingie” He says: “A little boy without a little man” “I can't find his frank and beans” is “Can't find his package”

Mrs Wormwood sits in her wheelchair with an uncomfortable male nurse sitting next to her. He starts dancing with her, spinning the wheelchair around. They added the “Why do bad things happen to good people...” part from the Stratford production. The doctor tries to hand baby Matilda to the Wormwoods, but no one wants to take her. Eventually Mr Wormwood takes her and the Wormwoods leave the stage.

The 'curtain' opens and all the parents, kids and babies appear. The parents have strollers, except for the single mom, who has her expensive brand purse. The kids are jealous of their new siblings and make faces at them. Hortensia tugs at her sibling's legs and tries to tear the baby away from her parents.They try to get their parents attention, but the parents are occupied. The doctor lifts Lavender and twirls her around, at first she looks happy. The doctor puts her down and smiles his characteristic passionate smile. Lavender makes a face, like she's wondering who this weird man is. Everyone leaves and the Wormwoods enter with their couch and TV. There's no big entrance for Matilda, she enters shortly afterwards, carrying her book clutched to her chest. She sings her part as she enters and stands next to the couch. As she enters, Mrs Wormwood (who enters pushing in the TV) shoves her away roughly. The line: “My daddy says I'm a bore” is translated to “Daddy says I lack a penis” When she has finished singing, she sits down to read.

Family scene 1

They have a huge screen as the TV. Mr Wormwood is on the phone while Mrs Wormwood and Michael are eating take away food. Instead of saying: This is all your fault, Mr Wormwood points at Matilda and says: That is your fault.

Mrs W  is talking with her mouth full and holds out her take away box and points her utensils at Mr Wormwood when she says: Dinners don't microwave themselves. When Mrs Wormwood says that she must be the worlds greatest acrobat, she falls over the back of the couch, spilling her food.

Naughty

A large set piece, looking like a closed book (standing up) comes forward. Mr W opens the book, revealing Matilda’s bedroom. It's kind of like a pop-up book, where the furniture pops out of the pages. The room has a loft bed, a bookshelf and a desk with a chair. There are drawings on the walls, depicting scenes from the acrobat stories.

Mr W takes the book from Matilda, spits in it, and mocks her, saying “bookworm, bookworm...”. Matilda climbs up the ladder to her bed, takes another book from her shelf, and starts singing. During the song, she turns a page in the book set, and steps out into the corridor. She sneaks past some doors, and turns yet another page, and enters the bathroom. This room has a sink (with a mirror and a shelves) and a toilet, which also pops out of the pages. When Matilda has picked up the bottles, Mrs W enters, wearing a nightgown and a sleeping mask. She turns on the lights, and Matilda quickly hides under the sink. Mrs W uses the toilet and then leaves the room and turns the light off, she appears to be almost sleepwalking...... Matilda finishes the song with the Matilda pose, mid stage. She then runs to the edge of the stage, grabs a book, and starts reading. She looks out into the audience, smirks and makes a shushing sign (which she will do now and then during the next scene...)

Mr W and Michael enter the bathroom, wearing matching pyjamas. While Mr W is applying his hair tonic, he suddenly appears to be in pain. (Michael repeats Mr W's words and movements) He says “it's not supposed to sting like this” and yells at Michael to give him a towel. Michael picks up the bottle instead, and repeatedly tries to give it to his father. Mr W eventually gets the towel. Mrs W enters, exclaiming “good morning”, to which Wr W responds by singing “good morning, good morning” (in Swedish). The scene plays out similar to the original. Matilda suggests that her father should pretend he's the Hulk, instead of an elf. Mr W and Michael leave Matilda and Mrs W alone, and the book set piece moves out. Matilda and her mom laugh together about Mr W's hair and Matilda looks so hopeful when asking if she wants to hear a story.

Library 1/Story 1

Matilda stands alone center stage. Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey enter together, pulling a book cart. The are talking amongst themselves, and seem very affectionate. They touch the other persons arm/shoulder while they talk. Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey seem to have a very special and deep relationship. Mrs Phelps calls her Jenny...but stops herself and calls her Miss Honey in front of Matilda. Miss Honey walks off to look for a book, climbing up on the book wagon to reach the books. Mrs Phelps notices Matilda, greets her and they hug before sitting down on one of the benches. Their conversation is slightly longer...Matilda adds: “Like, quality time” after her line. After Mrs Phelps says “Good Luck with Tolstoj” she turns to Matilda, explaining, he's a russian author. When Miss Honey leaves the stage, Matilda gets on her feet and runs over to the side of the stage, looking in the direction she left. After the line: “...my teacher” Mrs Phelps smiles and says: “You look happy” Mrs Phelps encourages Matilda to tell her a story by holding her hands and whispering: “Once upon a time...” Matilda repeats the phrase twice before actually starting to tell the story.

When Matilda starts telling the story, the “curtain” opens slightly, and the circus performers appear. The acrobat is up in her aerial silks, doing tricks. Matilda moves around more while telling the story, standing on top of the benches and climbing up on the book cart. Matilda illustrates the name of the trick with her body, doing gestures like crossing her arms in front of her in a hugging motion, when she says “locked in a cage...”  She does this every time she repeats that line. When Matilda says: “slipping her hand into his...”, she takes Mrs Phelps' hand and squeezes it gently with both her hands.

Projections are used a lot for the stories, at one point the acrobat and the escapologists house is projected on the backdrop, it feels like it’s coming straight at the audience.

School song

The “curtain” rises and the school gate is lowered halfway down. The older kids are standing on stage, looking creepy. They're chewing gum, glaring, smoking and twirling their hair around their fingers.There are two 'leaders' of the gang of older kids, one female and one male. They are usually the ones that terrorizes the kids the most and leads the others. They work together a lot too. (The adult ensemble is larger in this production, there are about 15 big kids.) The small kids enter from the stairs/aisles, looking scared. The scene plays out similar up until “why?!” The kids huddle together in the middle of the stage and Matilda joins them. Some of the older kids bring out big books with letters on them that are used for the spelling part. They toss them to each other and pushes some of the books roughly at a few of the kids.  The choreography in this number is fantastic. We thought it would be really hard to do something that would come close to the original, because it's so clever and creative. It's hard to describe choreography, but it's really advanced and physical and it looks really good with a lot of people.

This must have been a challenge to translate, since the Swedish language has three more letters. Some things had to be adapted and changed to work rhythmically, but it works really well. At one point, the older kids grab the small kids by their backpacks and pull them towards the gate. Towards the end of the song, two long school benches are pushed onto the stage. The kids are pushed down on them and the benches are spun around by some of the big kids. The other big kids are also sitting on the benches.The chalkboard and Miss Honey appears and the older kids leave.

Classroom scene 1

The kids are sitting on two benches, one in front of the other. They're still looking very scared. But Miss Honey is happy and welcoming. She writes her name on the board. The counting sequence isn't that different from the original. Miss Honey writes I can now read words on the board and the kids excitedly raise their hands. Nigel gets up on the bench in front of the board, where miss Honey usually stands. He looks at the board, turns around and looks at his classmates, confused and scared. Then he turns back to the board and gets into position. Nigel can actually read a few letters. (Mostly consonants, for some reason) He starts off with the first letter and Miss Honey nods  and smiles to encourage him. He then jumps to the next consonant and goes back and forth a few times, adding another letter every time, going faster and faster. He moves along the board pointing to each letter he says. It's really hilarious. Miss Honey has to stop him, comfort him and lead him back to his seat. After Lavendel says “Yes!”, Miss Honey repeats what she said and makes a gesture.

Miss Honey looks very touched, as if she is about to cry, when Matilda starts listing all the books she has read. Some of the titles have been changed to Swedish books and books that are more known here. When the bell rings, the kids skip and jump out whilst talking among themselves.

Pathetic

Miss Honey starts out in the front of the stage, when she turns to walk out, she starts walking up the stairs/aisles. She sings the “this little girl” part still standing in the aisle. Then determinately walks back on stage. It's mostly similar to the original.

The hammer

Trunch is pushed in sitting her 'tennis judge' chair, with her hammer in hand. When Trunch says: “Thank you for suggesting it...” she turns in her chair so that her back is facing the audience. Miss Honey starts climbing up the ladder on the chair. Trunch then turns back violently and Miss Honey ducks and quickly climbs back down. Trunch climbs down from her chair and when she says: “So can I” she bangs her hammer on the floor. Miss Honey replies: “Ehh...yes....” patiently, like she is talking to a child. They walk up to the front of the stage and Trunch blows her whistle. The kids come running in. The big kids bring out a prize podium and a shelf with Trunch's trophies and balances it on the heads of some of the small kids. A couple of the small kids polish the trophies, which wobble as if they're about to fall. The kids have to jump and lift each other to reach the shelf. Trunch swings the hammer over her head and everyone follows the motion with their upper bodies to avoid getting hit. Trunch “throws” the hammer out into the audience. While it sails through the air, she says the: “no,no,no...”part. The hammer hits something that hangs from the ceiling and there's a loud crashing noise. Trunch exclaims: “Yes!” before saying a final no. The Trunch gets up on top of the podium and two of the big kids hang gold medals around her neck. One of them drops a medal on the ground and looks so terrified, as does his friend. Trunch glares at them both. After they have put all the medals around her neck they lift her off. When Trunch says: “Sing, children!” all kids run and stand on straight lines, singing the chorus. When Miss Honey joins in, she and the kids start marching on the spot. Trunch climbs up on her chair again, and says: “get out!” Everyone leaves the stage and Miss Honey walks out to one of the aisles and says her line and exits through the stairs.

Family scene 2

Mr W mocks Matilda, again, by repeating her line about the book. When he rips the pages out of the book, he scrunches them into balls and throws them at Matilda. He also puts some in his mouth. He jumps on the book multiple times, jumping on one leg, posing for a while and then starting again. Finally he throws himself on the floor, on top of the book. Mrs W and Michael clap their hands. The three of them leave the stage and Matilda goes to get the superglue from the bookshelf at the back of the stage. While applying the glue, she notices Mr W's cap laying on the floor, and a smirk spreads on her face. Mr W enters, looking for his cap. He turns the cushion in the armchair. When he puts on the cap, you hear a squishing sound. You can actually hear that the cap is full of glue.  

Playground scene

All the kids enter. The big kids are bullying the younger kids, making them carry their jackets and polish their shoes. Lavender approaches Matilda. she lifts Matilda’s hair, like she's checking to see if her brains are coming out of her ears. Nigel enters from the back, screaming. He squeezes himself between Matilda and Lavender, crouching. Instead of saying her knickers stayed stuck to the seat” he says “there was a hole in her underpants”. Two of the big kids walk over. One of the big kids grab Nigel by the hair and pretends to swing him around like a hammer. When the chokey chant starts, Lavender takes Matilda's hand, and they run to the bench, where the other small kids are hiding. Matilda and Lavender huddle close together on the bench. When the chant is over, Matilda runs over to Nigel to comfort him. Only the small kids take off their jackets and cover Nigel, they then stand in a circle around him. Nigel says “please don't tell her I'm here”. The big kids (and Amanda who starts running towards Nigel, but doesn't make it and has to run back) stand further back. Trunch enters, wearing a map wrapped around her waist, holding it with one hand. The small kids get scared and run for cover under the bench. Nigel stands up and bows when he spots Trunch. After the Nigel sequence, Trunch turns around to walk away. Two of the big kids are whispering something and points to Amanda. They push Amanda forward, laughing. Trunch spots her, and yells. She walks over to Amanda, and grabs her. Amanda pushes Trunch, escapes and run for cover behind the big kids. Trunch pulls her back and grabs her by the pigtails (Amanda is now a doll). She spins her around and throws her into the wings. Some of the big kids run up one of the aisles to catch Amanda, and two of the boys carry her back on stage on their shoulders. Everyone chants Amanda! Amanda!. When Trunch turns to leave, you can see her hairy butt through the large hole in her skirt and underpants. Lavender throws her arms around Matilda and they hug as she says her line. All the kids leave the stage laughing.

Phonecall scene

After Mr Wormwoods phonecall with Sergei, the mechanic does a thing where he takes off his cap, twists it and puts it back on. Mr W tries to do the same, but obviously, he can't. After trying multiple times to get the cap off, the mechanic tries to help him. When that doesn't work, the mechanic puts his knee against Mr W's back and Mr W braces himself against him as he tries to get the cap off.

Loud

Miss Honey walks down the aisle and up the stairs and knocks at the Wormwoods door. Mrs W and Rudolpho are on the couch. Mrs W is on top of Rudolpho, stretching his leg. Mrs W calls Miss Honey a couple of different names, including Miss Horny.  After Mrs W says: “You choose books, I choose looks” she adds: “You're sinking, and I'm floating...On top...” Rudolpho says “calculate this!” and does a back handspring into the splits. During Miss Honey's and Mrs Wormwoods conversation, Rudolpho is going all out in the background. Even more than in the original. He has the whole audience laughing out loud at what he is doing.

Mrs W is wearing her nightgown on top of her ballroom dress. The first time she says loud, she dramatically pulls the gown off. She throws the gown at Miss Honey, who stumbles back into the armchair. Mrs W and Rudolpho start dancing with Miss Honey much earlier. Rudolpho also dances alone with Miss Honey, making her very uncomfortable. Her body language and facial expressions here are fantastic. During their dance, Miss Honey repeatedly points towards the direction she came from, as if she's trying to leave.

When the competition part starts, the curtain rises and the orchestra is visible. There are four couples and some judges. Mrs W and Rudolpho dance in the middle, with the other couples surrounding them. Miss Honey lingers in the back. Towards the end, Miss Honey comes forward and claps her hands, showing with her body language that she wants to continue with their conversation. Mrs W and Rudolpho pulls her into the dance again. The four couples leave the stage, dancing. Mrs W and Rudolpho end the number, leaning against the railing in front of the orchestra.

This little girl

Miss Honey doesn't fall to the floor at the end of Loud. Otherwise, it kind of plays out the same way. This little girl is translated to My little girl, which makes it even more touching. That she already thinks of Matilda as hers. During the last part of the song, Matilda enters and stands in the background looking at Miss Honey.

Library 2/Story 2

Mrs Phelps and Matilda share a moment while Miss Honey leaves. When Matilda talks about the acrobats sister, a silhouette of Trunch is seen on the backdrop. When the escapologist speaks, both he and Matilda do the gestures. When she says: “The audience jumped to their feet....” Matilda takes Mrs Phelps' hands and pulls her up and they spin around. She skips around the stage, clapping her hands and Mrs Phelps joins her. At some performances, they got the audience to start clapping too. When Mrs Phelps has said: “So the story does have a happy ending..” , Matilda sits with her head down, looking sad. When she mentions the trick she doesn't do the gestures, instead she backs up. Because it's Trunch that says the line along with her, she looks angrier and tries to mimic Trunch's intimidating posture. When she screams: “Off to prison you both shall go” she half turns and points aggressively to the wings, the same direction as Mrs Phelps is in.

Bruce

Mrs Phelps exits and all the kids run in. The scene doesn't take place in the classroom, it's in the playground. The big kids continue to bully the smaller ones, in the same way as described earlier. Miss Honey enters and approaches Matilda, who's standing on her own, reading. Matilda looks so happy after Miss Honey has talked to her about the books. With a smile on her face, she throws her arms around Miss Honey. Miss Honey looks really happy too and laughs affectionately. When she says: “You're going to hug all the air out of me...” she talks as if she's squeezed so hard that she actually has trouble breathing because of it. They hug each other for a while, smiling, until Trunch enters and yells at Matilda. Matilda says “I'm here...” and Trunch storms towards her. Miss Honey is being very protective of Matilda, and stands in front of her, trying to cover her with her body. When Miss Honey says that Matilda has been here all morning, Trunch mocks her by imitating her tone and voice. Meanwhile, all the kids stand on each side of the stage, in front of  the benches. While Trunch is yelling at Matilda, Bruce is fidgeting and you can see that he is troubled by what's happening. While Bruce says his monologue, Trunch moves so she's standing in between the benches. When the burp has landed on Trunch, she jumps forward and lands on one knee. The kids scream, looking terrified. The cook enters, rolling a cart with the cake on. Trunch goes to sit in her chair, and the cook sits on the steps of the chair.

The kids start out dancing on the benches, but most of the dancing is done on the ground. The big kids are in this routine too (they join in after a while), a couple of them dance on the benches during the majority of the number. When Bruce has finished the cake, all the kids cheer and celebrate. The big kids lift him up and throw him up in the air. Miss Honey bounces and jumps excitedly towards the end, when she sees that Bruce is going to make it. She screams in a really high pitch.Trunch has stepped down from her chair and is now standing near Miss Honey. Miss Honey celebrates and 'boxes' in the air and she 'happens to hit Trunch in the chest. Both of their facial expressions are hilarious. Trunch looks outraged and Miss Honey looks scared, but also kind of proud and amused.

When Trunch mentions the chokey, her chair is wheeled forward and opened at the side. Inside there's a chokey with spikes in the roof. The cook lifts Bruce and puts him in the chokey, while Bruce says: “I ate the whole cake, I did. Didn't I?” He screams and his screams weakens as the chair with the chokey is wheeled off the stage. Matilda climbs up on one of the benches and screams: “That's not right!”

Act 2

Telly

Before Telly, the orchestra plays an instrumental version of Loud. The orchestra is turned towards the audience, they react to what's going on on stage. Mr Wormwood enters and asks the conductor to get the orchestra to stop playing. They eventually stop and he starts his monologue. He picks someone from the audience and actually runs up the stairs to ask for their name. He says: “Say hello to... everybody” and everyone says hello. Then he proceeds to tease the person in question..   He says the line about evolving from unicorns in an Elvis like voice and gets into an Elvis pose. He has to start over about three times, because he is waiting for Michael to bring in the TV. When Michael enters, pushing the TV, Mrs Wormwood follows him. They stand on each side of the TV, bouncing along to the music. Before the ukulele part Mr Wormwood says: “Film this, this is amazing” Michael looks so proud of himself. Some of the authors that Mr W names has been changed to either Scandinavian authors or authors who's names rhymes on Swedish words. Roald Dahl is one of the authors. It's hard to explain the pun in English though.. During the last refrain, Michael and Mrs Wormwood walk along the edge of the stage, motioning for the audience to shout Telly.

During the matinee performance there was a lot of children in the audience. When he told the audience to not read books, the kids started booing so much that he whole audience joined in. They also booed  when he was teasing the audience member and during the line about how telly is more important than books. He laughed and was a bit taken back by that reaction, and forgot some of the words because of that. He had to read the words off the monitor.

Lavenders monologue

Lavender suddenly appears in one of the aisles, shouting: “Hiiii....”  She walks down the stairs towards the stage. She walks across the stage and into another aisle.When she talks about the newt, she takes out a pencil case from her backpack, opens it, and holds up the newt.  At the end, she jumps up and down and runs out. All three girls do the monologue slightly different. For example, Ella mutters: “What's wrong with me today?” under her breath. They are all spunky and very expressive.

When I grow up

Bruce crawls out from underneath one of 'upturned' books, he sings his part. Meanwhile, Tommy joins him, also crawling out. Tommy picks up a bottle of soap bubbles and starts blowing. Bruce looks very sad, but when he sees the bubbles, he starts to smile a little. He reaches with his hand, as if to catch a bubble. Tommy hands the bottle to Bruce, and they smile at each other. Bruce then proceeds to blow bubbles. Some of the other kids (both small and big) run in and climb up the books. Eric and Hortensia sing the second part.

One of the big kids climbs on top of Bruce’s and Tommy’s book and blows bubbles down on them. Bigger bubbles start falling from the ceiling. Some of the kids sit beneath the books, others on top of them and some are standing on the back side, leaning their arms and heads on/over them. Some of the small kids use the books as a slide.

A couple of the small kids run towards two big kids each and balance on their arms, reaching their arms up to grab the bubbles. The other kids reach their arms up after the bubbles, too.

The kids run to the back, but leave a bottle of soap bubbles on the ground. Miss Honey enters, stops to look at it and picks it up. She starts blowing bubbles before singing her part. Matilda enters about the same time, sits down underneath one of the books, and leans against it whilst reading a book and singing her part. Everyone but Matilda leaves...

Library 3/Story 3

Mrs Phelps enters and asks Matilda how she is doing. When Matilda says: “Not a child actually...” It seems like Mrs Phelps suspects something, because she says: “Matilda...what do you mean?” and is about to say something more, but Matilda interrupts and distracts her by asking if she wants to hear the story. Mrs Phelps gets really excited and she and Matilda 'poses' in the same way a couple of times as the intro music is played. As Matilda starts telling the story, the acrobat and the escapologist appear behind her. The acrobat wraps chains around the escapologist. Projections of a cage and flames appear, surrounding them. The acrobat rises up in the air. The scene really plays out before the audiences eyes. Foam from the fire extinguisher is seen near the acrobat. It's really beautiful, it almost looks like an extension of her costume. Their hands touch, and then she falls. Soon after, the acrobat is laying in the escapologists arms. (During this scene it's an ensemble member who plays the acrobat while she's in the air.) The sound effects are really good here, you can hear the sound of chains rattling and the door to the cage being opened. When Matilda says “the meanest, cruelest, horriblest aunt you can possibly imagine” she walks over to Mrs Phelps, who's sitting on her book cart, taking one step on every beat. She screams the last part in Mrs Phelps face, leaning over the edge of the cart. After Matilda has said “It's just a story...” Mrs Phelps says: “Yes, just a story. A story...that's something we need to remember. Both you and me...”

After Matilda finishes her story, Mrs Phelps takes out a box of cookies from her cart and offers one to Matilda. Matilda sits at the cart, eating her cookie.

Family scene 3/Story 4

The Wormwoods enter with their couch. They all sit down on the couch, Michael listens to music and Mrs W is sharpening her nails. Matilda tries to sit down on the couch next to her mother, but she kicks her away. When Mr W says that he wants his whole family gathered, Matilda happily comes forward and tries to sit down in her mothers lap. Mr W says: “Not you, boy...” and Mrs W pushes her away. Instead, Matilda tries to sit on the armrest of the couch, but once again gets pushed off by Mrs W. Matilda sadly stands next to the couch as Mr W talks. He asks “how do you fix the mileage on the cars?” and looks at Mrs W like he is expecting an answer. Mrs W thinks hard about it for a while. Her face looks blank and she looks really confused. Mr W turns to Michael, puts his arm around Michael's shoulder and explains what he did and how it works. When Mr W opens the bag to reveal the money, he starts throwing money into the air and Mrs W joins him, screaming with joy.  

Mrs W and Michael leave the stage as Mr W forcefully drags Matilda to her room, opens the door and throws her in. Matilda climbs up to her bed and wraps her bedspread around herself, then continues telling the story. She throws down her bedspread when she says the “threw her in a cellar “ line. She climbs down from her bed and continues the story. The escapologist enters dressed in his performance costume. He takes her in his arms and the scene plays out similar to the original for a while.  He gives her the scarf and when she continues with the story she's wearing the scarf.The escapologist doesn't carry Matilda to bed though. Instead she goes to get her bedspread, lays down with her head in his lap, and he tucks her in with the bedspread.  The escapologist throws his cape and runs out after saying his last words. At the same time, a huge silhouette of the Trunch, with her arms outstretched as if to grab the escapologist, appears on the curtain. Again, the projection moves, so it's like she's following the escapologist. When Matilda sadly says: “Because he never came home, ever again”, Miss Honey walks in at the back of stage, carrying two books for Matilda.

Phys Ed

Miss Honey hurries towards Matilda, looking happy and excited. Before she has the chance to give Matilda the books, Miss Trunchbull storms in. Miss Honey puts herself in front of Matilda to protect her. One of the older school girl runs in with a shredder around her neck. Trunch rips the books from Miss Honey's hands and shoves one of them into the shredder. Trunch's chair is in the background and one of the older boys lifts Bruce out of the chokey. Bruce walks over to Trunch, looking very broken down. Trunch gives him the other book and makes him put it into the shredder. Matilda grabs Bruce's hand and they run out together. The girl carrying the shredder runs out in the same direction. Miss Honey sits down and starts picking up the pieces of paper that are left after the books were shredded, then she stands up, holding the pieces to her chest. It's a beautiful parallel to when Matilda picks up the pages of the book earlier.

Trunch blows the whistle, and all the kids(both small and big) except for Matilda and Bruce run in. Lavender runs down the stage and down the aisle to get the jug.

The kids stand on straight lines and start off with stretching. Trunch is in the front showing them what to do. They also do some material arts like moves.Trunch then proceeds to walk around among the children, sniffing at the kids. For example, she sniffs Nigel's arm pits. Bruce comes running in, really out of breath, and takes Lavenders spot. He is panting loudly, Trunch yells: “quiet!” and he closes his mouth, trying to hold his breaths in. Trunch takes out her hair ties and shakes out her hair, so it's in a ponytail. She hands the hair ties to an audience member and tells the person to hold them for her. Around this time Miss Honey leaves the stage.

Trunch continues walking around, lifting and flipping some of the small kids around. She also shoulder presses Bruce. Afterwards, the kids practise boxing in pairs of two, usually one big kid and one small kid. Trunch goes to stand on her podium in the middle and the kids move on to different stations. For example, step ups at the benches and climbing over the 'upturned' books (from When I grow up) army training style. It's circle training, so they rotate between the stations. Some of the big kids are lifting two of the small kids up in the air.This is where Matilda enters (she's not wearing phys ed clothes though, she's wearing her school uniform, but without the jacket.) When the slow part starts roman rings are lowered from the ceiling. Trunch grabs the ropes and positions herself in the rings as they rise up. The students are now laying on the floor and leaning over the 'upturned' books, completely exhausted. Trunch starts doing tricks in the rings, including a full split. After Eric has said his line, Trunch (who is now down on the ground) start running after Eric. The students hurry to stand up, straight in the back, when Trunch comes running. The students run into position and continue with martial arts like movies, but even faster this time. By the end, all of the students are shaking really badly. They slowly fall to the ground, one by one.

Miss Honey enters and sees all the kids laying on the floor, completely out of it. She walks around the room, kneels close to the kids, patting them gently and trying to support them and make sure that they are alright. Lavender appears from the aisle with the jug and the newt in her hands. She holds out the newt and dangles it in front of an audience member, saying: “Look, it's the newt. I've got the newt..” She puts the newt in the jug before she hands it to Trunch, who puts it on the podium. Lavender then sneaks past the audience members on the  front row next to where she stands. She stands on the floor, watching everything play out from there.

The small kids tease Trunch more when she's panicking about the newt. They take turns to say things like:  “It's a snake!” “Watch out, headmistress Agatha!” “It bites!“I bet it's poisonous!” Miss Honey worriedly tells the kids to be quiet. When Matilda screams “You big fat bully” , Miss Honey is nearby, trying to protect Matilda. The other kids run and hide underneath the benches.

Quiet

The whole number is performed standing up. During the first part of the song, she is covering her ears the whole time. It's mostly Trunch that moves around in the background. Miss Honey moves around a bit, to check on the kids, who's hiding underneath the benches during the whole number.

There is a nice nod to Pippi Longstocking in the translation. (Pippi Longstocking is a famous character from a book series by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Like Matilda, Pippi is a little girl who takes control of her own destiny.) Pippi always sleeps with her feet on her pillow. So instead of singing: “Like the sound when you lie upside down in your bed.” she sings: ”Laying in bed, like Pippi, with your feet up”

When she sings “people around me” she walks over to the podium and reaches her hand towards the jug of water (as if she is thinking of using it) She walks back to the the spot she came from and finishes the song. The lightning in this number is gorgeous.

She turns towards the podium and focuses on the jug. The kids start to look up and crawl out from underneath the benches when they see that is something is about to happen. The newt lands on Trunch's chest. Trunch runs around, waving her arms and eventually stops next to Miss Honey. Trunch starts pointing and gesturing towards Miss Honey to do something, but she just looks at her, confused. The Trunch runs out and everyone laughs, even Miss Honey. Miss Honey tells everyone that it is best to leave and they run out whilst laughing and mocking Trunch by repeating her words and gestures. Matilda makes the mug tip again. Two of the big kids run past Matilda and Miss Honey, still laughing at Trunch. They take out the podium and jug of water. One of them drops Matilda's jacket on the floor. She picks it up and puts it on before walking away with Miss Honey. In the background, Miss Honeys house is being pushed forward, while Matilda and Miss Honey talk about Matilda's family.

My House

Matilda and Miss Honey open the closed book and it folds up like a pop up book. Matilda and Miss Honey talk and Miss Honey makes tea (not real tea) during their conversation. She then comes back and sits next to Matilda, on the edge of the book. Instead of singing: “On this floor I can stand on my own two feet” she sings: “And a floor, you can stand and dance upon” As she sings dance, she slides back with her legs in front of her, with a smile on her face. Matilda looks at her and a smile appears on her face too. Matilda goes to sit down on the bed while Miss Honey continues to sing. When Miss Honey sings about dreaming, she walks over to the bed and tosses her pillow to Matilda, who holds it against her chest. Miss Honey then sits down on the bed, next to Matilda. The song title is translated to “My own house” and that little extra word has a lot of impact. It's her own house, something that is just hers and that she and only she controls. It's something that the Trunch can't take away from her. The escapologist appears and walks across the stage, behind the opened book. He then stands to the side and never enters the house or approaches Miss Honey. When the Escapologist leaves, he tips his hat towards Miss Honey, as if to say goodbye to her. Matilda finds the scarf (which was hidden under Miss Honey's pillow) in the bed and asks Miss Honey about it. Matilda grabs Miss Honey's hand and drags her out of the house, but Miss Honey pulls away. She turns around, shaking her head, covering her face with her hands.

After Matilda shouts: “Miss Thunchbull!” the book gets pushed out and is replaced by the school benches. While the scene changes, Matilda hands Miss Honey the scarf and they have a sweet moment where Matilda makes sure Miss Honey is ok. Miss Honey puts the scarf around her neck, and she and Matilda join the other small kids, who are now sitting on the benches. Meanwhile, the chalkboard comes forward, with the Trunch standing on the bench in front of it. One of the kids hands Miss Honey a book, and she opens it and start to read to them. The kids all huddle close, pointing and gesturing, and everyone looks happy. It’s a really lovely moment. No one takes notice of Trunch, who's lurking in the back. When she starts talking, all the kids rush to their places, standing with their heads down. When Trunch asks Miss Honey what she's looking at, she replies: “You Agatha”

Spelling test and Revolting Children

Trunch takes out a bunch of papers with the spelling test on, places one bunch on each bench and the kids pass them on. Miss Honey is getting really angry when Trunch accuses Hortensia of cheating. When it's Lavenders turn to spell, Trunch lifts her up and she splashes like a fish. One by one, the kids stand up on the benches and start spelling. They yell: “Revolution! Revolution! Revolution!” in unison. Trunch puts on large earmuffs and takes out a large controller for the chokey. The chokey has a high screeching sound that makes everyone cover their ears. Miss Honey tries to protect the kids and get them to hide. Once they are hidden, she reaches out her hand towards Matilda and beckons for her to join the others. But Matilda doesn't notice what Miss Honey is doing. She stares intently at the board and the chalk start moving. The other kids come out of hiding. They lean over the front bench, reading out loud. Miss Honey stands to the side, she notices quite quickly that it's Matilda who controls the chalk. Emma starts hitting the bench and screams: “Run!” The kids stand up on the benches as they shout “Run!” Miss Honey starts shouting too.

The Bruces have different types of voices. Milton has a really strong voice and belt, Max has more of a souly voice with vibrato, Joel has a more poppy kind of voice.

Bruce tears the test apart when he sings “never again”.  He looks around at the other kids, and gestures for them to join. They tear their tests apart when they sing “never again” . On the last “never again” they crumple the tests to balls and throw them into the audience. Matilda and Miss Honey remain on stage for Revolting Children. Matilda sings and dances with her classmates and Miss Honey remains in the back, looking happy and proud. The big kids start filling in and Miss Honey talks to them and gestures for them to join the smaller kids. They join in, a couple at a time. Some of the big kids pushes the benches to the side. Bruce sings: “She can take her hammer and shove it up her ass” At the end, he covers his mouth with his hand, looking like he can't believe he said that... Miss Honey cheers them on and during R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N-G she claps along. After that she runs to join them and the kids creates a space for her in the middle. She looks so cute and happy when she dances with them. At the end, crumbled spelling tests fall from the ceiling into the midsection of the auditorium.

Ending scene

Mrs Phelps enters and as she starts talking, a letter slowly falls from the ceiling and lands near Miss Honey. She looks surprised as she picks it up and reads it. Matilda sits on a bench and reads. Matilda looks up from her book to say the line: “And a new headmistress took over” After Mrs Phelps has said the line about it being the best school in the entire country, Miss Honey smiles/giggles and waves the compliment away... Miss Honey walks over to Matilda when she says that Matilda can no longer move things with her eyes. She hands her a book and takes the one Matilda was previously reading. It's a nice touch...That Matilda finally gets to read the clever books that Miss Honey wanted to bring her. Miss Honey walks back to he middle of the stage as she talks about Matilda. Mrs Phelps puts her hand on Miss Honeys shoulder as if to comfort her, when she says that perhaps all stories doesn't have happy endings...

The Wormwoods and Rudolpho run in from the side. Mr W is wearing a bast skirt over his suit, Michael has a huge swimming ring (in the shape of a duck) around his waist and wears a sombrero. Mrs W wears a hat and a flamenco inspired dress and Rudolpho is dressed as a matador with a mask. Mr Wormwood grabs Matilda and starts to drag her away. Mrs Phelps cries out: “Matilda!” She sounds really heartbroken about them taking Matilda away. Miss Honey runs after them while saying her line. Matilda lightens up for a moment. The russians appear (there are more of them), entering from the aisles. Sergei has a cane and the others carry different weapons. Some remain in the aisles, glaring at the audience and showing off their weapons. The Wormwoods hide behind the benches and bookcases. Rudolpho slides under the bench, doubled over. Again, Miss Honey is very protective of Matilda. She tries to shield her from the russians and puts her arm protectively around Matilda. When Matilda is talking to Sergei, Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey stand close together, watching Matilda intently. Matilda turns in Mr Wormwoods direction when she says: “ And very, very stupid”. After Sergei says: “backwards”, Michael jumps out from his hiding place shouting: “ backwards dad!” with a huge smile on his face. Mr W gestures for him to go back, and tells him to be quiet. The russians seem to have some extra lines and interact more with each other in this version. Their russian sounds really good, especially Sergei, it sounds so natural. The russians push and shove Mr Wormwood, blow smoke into his face and forcefully grab the bag of money from his hands before leaving.

Mrs W, Rudolpho and Michael run out. Mr W stops and calls: “What are we gonna do with my daughter?” Matilda runs towards Mr W and almost gives him a hug. Mr W looks a bit uncomfortable and Matilda changes her mind and carefully shakes his hand instead. She shakes his hand and kind of squeezes it. It's hard to explain... But when she squeezes his hand, she makes the magic stop. You can tell by the look on Mr W's face that he can feel it. He takes off his cap and puts it on Matildas head before leaving.Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey are now hugging and looking happy. Miss Honey says: “And Matilda leapt into Jenny's arms” Rudolpho runs in, jumps up on the bench, poses, says his line, jumps down in a split jump and runs off again. Mrs Phelps is now standing next to Matilda. Miss Honey says: “Because they had found each other” Mrs Phelps nods and says: “Yes, they had” before Matilda says her line. Both Miss Honey and Mrs Phelps put their arms around Matilda and the three of them walk off together.

Bows:

The big kids run in first, then the acrobat and escapologist in their performance costumes and then the small kids. Rudolpho, Michael and Sergei enter together, Michael remains midstage as the Wormwoods enter. They shove him away before taking their bows. Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey enter, holding hands. All the kids walk in, standing in a V formation. The rest of the cast stand on the sides. The back curtain opens and Trunch enters, carrying her hammer. Matilda enters from the back and takes her bow. Everyone does the end of the Naughty choreography. Trunch walks past and everyone ends in the Matilda pose. The music changes into Revolting Children and the whole ensemble claps and get the audience going. The kids (small and big) do the last chorus of Revolting Children while the other cast members clap along. The back curtain opens all the way, and the orchestra in turned around to face the audience. It ends with all the kids throwing their jackets in the air and the whole ensemble doing a pose of their choice.

Cast list

Matilda:  Anna Heerulff Christiansen, Matilda Gross, Eva Jumatate

Bruce: Milton Felländer, Max Liljedahl, Joel Yebio

Lavender: Thia Skogmar, Ella Strandberg, Tova Toresson

Amanda: Emilia Helm, Alice Jönsson

Nigel: Oliver Palm, Gustav Sonesson

Eric: André Persson Gintner. Melker Wickenberg

Hortensia: Sonja Holm, Molly Johansson

Tommy: Wilmer Franzén, Leon Mentori

Alice: Siri Amundsen, Lisa Birk Pohl

Emma: Miranda Boulton, Wilma Persson

Miss Honey: Linda Olsson

Miss Trunchbull: David Lundqvist

Mrs Phelps: Marianne Mörck

Mrs Wormwood: Åsa Fång

Mr Wormwood: Michael Jansson

Michael Wormwood: Jeff Schjerlund

Rudolpho: Oscar Pierrou Lindén

Escapologist/Entertainer: Denny Lekström

Acrobat: Hanna Carlbrand

Doctor/Sergei: Jonas Schlyter

Adult ensemble: Davio Di, Emmie Asplund, Henric Flodin,Karin Mårtensson, Kitty Chan,Leila Jung, Marcus Elander, Tommy Englund, Emma Kumlien, Kerstin Hilldén, Lotte Ohlander, Nikola Stankovic, Oskar Kongshöj, Sara Lehmann.

Portrayals:

Matilda: The biggest difference between the Swedish Matildas and the RSC Matildas is that they are allowed to smile. Most of the time, they are serious, reserved and and doesn't smile, especially in the family scenes. But, when they spend time with Mrs Phelps, they smile and come out of their shell. Their movements are bigger and they seem more free. It's like the Matilda we see with Mrs Phelps is the person Matilda is deep down inside, and who she could be if she had loving, supporting parents. That makes it even sadder, in a way.  Matilda smiles at Miss Honey during the biggest hug in the world, and also occasionally during My House. When Miss Honey looks happy, Matilda smiles. Matilda seems happy when she is with Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey, you can really tell how much she loves them and that they mean a lot to her.

They're not as loud during the stories as in the RSC production.

All three girls are fantastic Matildas and they each have their own styles and their own portrayals. They're all very different from each other, which made every performance extra exciting to watch, because it was never similar to the previous one. We're not going to go through what each of them did in every scene, because that would be way too long. So this will be more of a summary of their respective portrayals and what kind of Matildas they are.

Anna: Anna is the oldest and the most experienced in acting of the Matildas, which is visible in her performance. Her Matilda is somber and a bit more quiet. Her performance is very nuanced, for example: When she tells the stories she is relaxed and carefree, but as soon as Mrs Phelps asks about her parents, her body language changes. She curls up, hunches forward and her voice gets sadder and lower. That being said, her more cheeky moments are fantastic, too. She has great facials during Naughty. Her facial expression when she shushes and smirks at the audience during the bathroom scene is amazing. Anna uses her hands a lot when she is acting, for example when she's talking to Miss Honey about Trunch and all the cruel things she did, she hits her fist against her hand for every thing she says. She is also very articulate, one reason for that is probably because she is Danish and she wants to make sure that everyone understands what she's saying. She speaks Swedish really well, but with quite a heavy accent. She is a strong and confident singer and it feels like the songs really suits her voice. You can hardly hear her accent when she is singing.

Eva: Eva is an really expressive Matilda, down to her fingertips. She uses her whole body in her performance, especially during the stories. Speaking of stories, hers are really intense. It seems like she enjoys getting strong reactions out of Mrs Phelps. Her Matilda seems like she loves having someone notice her and give her their full attention. She emphasises certain words throughout her performance, which has a lot of impact. She also does that while singing. Eva's voice has a very wide range, it's especially noticeable in Quiet. She starts off very low and uses her full range throughout the song.

Eva's Matilda isn't as scared by her parents and Miss Trunchbull as the others are. She mostly seem to think her parents are stupid, she's rolling her eyes at them and she talks to them very slowly. Eva also smirks when she thinks they're particularly stupid. She is the most angry of the Matildas too... The performance we saw was only Eva's second performance, so her portrayal might have changed a bit since then...

Matilda: Matilda is really perky and feisty and the one who smiles the most. She is the youngest of the Matildas and her Matilda appears younger than the others. There is an air of innocence around her... She seems like she doesn't understand that it's unusual that she reads. It comes as a surprise to her that it's not something that everyone her age does. When she realises that Miss Honey is in awe of her, she looks and sounds proud. She is louder in the stories than the other two girls, and her gestures are bigger. Her expression during the stories is huge, you can't take your eyes off of her.  She is tiny, but she strides forward with big steps and a look of determination on her face. Matilda has a higher pitch than the others and she sort of sings in a staccato manner.

All the girls are really strong dancers too. In this production, Matilda dances much more than in RSC's production. You can tell that the girls really enjoy being a part of that and dancing with all the others. All three of them are really good at speaking russian, it flows really well and sounds natural when they're speaking.

Matilda wears a grey linen dress with a white collar and folds at the front, grey socks and brown shoes. Her hair is let out and slightly curly.

Miss Honey: We may be slightly biased here, because Linda Olsson has been our dream Miss Honey for a couple of years now. She was even better than we had imagined. She has this light about her. Even though she is broken down and, she still finds little things to smile and laugh about. She is not less broken down, but she hides it more from her students. Also, she seems content and happy in her classroom with her beloved students and in the library with Mrs Phelps. It's similar to Matilda, she blossoms when she is doing what she loves, with the people that she loves. She is also trying to be strong for her students. As the story progresses, she slowly gets braver, and tries to stand up to the Trunch and protect them more and more. She often puts herself in between Trunch and the children, to shield them with her body. She has a very big and kind heart and you can really tell when she loves someone, she glows.. She is so supportive, patient and caring when it comes to all of her students. Somehow, despite what she has been through, she still tries to see the good in everyone. Perhaps she is a bit naive... sometimes, when talking to Trunch and Mrs W,  she laughs because she thinks they're not being serious. She is kind of funny too...

Her body language and facial expressions says so much. We haven't talked a lot about Pathethic and This little girl, because they're quite short and it's hard to describe all the little things that's going on. It's much easier describing the 'bigger' scenes... But she conveys everything Miss Honey feels so well in those numbers. It's the way she uses the tone of her voice, clenching of fists, dropping her shoulders... But also determinately straightening up...

A small little rebellious streak that she has from the beginning is that she never calls Trunch Headmistress, she calls her miss. And by the end, when Trunch asks: “What are you looking at?”, she simply says: “You, Agatha” That is really powerful, it's like she's feeling that Miss Trunchbull doesn't own her or control her anymore.

Her voice is so beautiful and so heartfelt.

Miss Honey wears an old pink linen dress with a collar and buttons down to her waist. The dress has slightly puffy shoulders and a fold in the front. She wears a pair of low, darkly coloured full heels.  Her hair is pulled back from her face by a hair clip on one side of her face.

Mrs Phelps: Mrs Phelps is just lovely. She is like a grandmother/fairy godmother. Her and Matilda have a very sweet and special relationship. She seem to be so fond of Matilda and she's very affectionate. Mrs Phelps hugs Matilda and puts her arm around her quite a lot. Phelps is very attentive to Matilda’s mood and the things she says. You can tell that she's a very intuitive person and that she senses that Matilda is troubled. This Mrs Phelps is more quiet and she doesn't react as loudly to the stories. Marianne Mörck is perfect for this Mrs Phelps, it feels like they have shaped the character around her. Her acting is really natural, she never says her lines exactly the same.

Her costume has different shades of beige and yellow and is made of linen and wool. Mrs Phelps is the epitomy of what us Swedes call a kulturtant (cultured lady). It's a lady, usually aged 60 and over, who consumes a lot of culture. She often has a membership to her local theatre or opera house, goes to art exhibitions, visits the library and advocates for culture to be available for everyone. They often dress like Mrs Phelps, in bright and earthy colours, and their clothes are made of linen and wool.

The child ensemble: All the kids are fantastic and they each bring something special to the performance. Their hard work at the Matilda school (they've been practising three days a week for about a year) has really payed off. Both teams are so tight, synched and with great chemistry between all of them. Their singing, dancing and acting is amazing and they have so much joy and energy. Their facials and reactions are fantastic. We can't praise them enough, we're in awe of them all. They have their own little quirks and things they do. They're all really good at staying in character and acting when they're not in focus. We never saw anyone lose focus, even if something unexpected happened.

In this production they don’t really follow the RSC model for the child characters. First of all, they have added another child character, called Emma. (We don’t really know why...probably because they wanted even numbers for the kids)Eric is not played by the smallest boys (so Eric doesn’t crawl around, hide with Bruce and all those things...) The Bruces aren’t always the oldest and tallest boys just as the Amandas aren’t the smallest girls (they are small, but not the smallest..) Some lines (both spoken and sung) have been switched around and given to other characters.

Some of the kids portraits differ more than the others, but we're not going in to details about that, since this is already so long.... They all make the experience so exciting and special with everything they bring. We wish we could have seen the production so many times so that we could focus on each and everyone.

Miracle outfits: Hortensia is dressed as a ballerina, in a pink outfit similar to Lavender's in the RSC production. Lavender wears a black silky dress and big sunglasses. Amanda wears a long,white, fluffy dress with flowers in different colours. Nigel and Tommy wear suits, Nigel has a white one and Tommy a black one. They also wear matching sunglasses (Nigel and Tommy are siblings in this number) Bruce wears a blue, more traditional suit and a crown. Emma (who is his sister in this number) wears a red dress, white stockings and a red diadem. Alice and Eric are also siblings here, and they are dressed in a traditional scottish/british countryside riding style, with grey/brown tweed jackets. Alice wears a skirt and Eric wears puffy pants and checkered socks. Eric wears a cap and Alice a beret.

Hairstyles: In Miracle both Hortensia and Lavender wear big top buns. Amanda has a lower bun, Alice has a braid, Emma's hair is let out and curly. Most of the boys have water combed hair.

For the rest of the show Hortensia wears pony tails, Lavender and Alice both have braids, Emma's hairstyle is similar to her Miracle style. Amanda has pigtails, of course (not a wig).

The kids wears grey school uniforms with a crunchem hall logo (not the same as in the RSC production) The logo is also incorporated in the school gate. The girls all wear the same type of dress and everyone wears white shirts, black ties, white knee high socks and black shoes.

For Phys Ed they wear black shirts with the logo in white and black knee high sports socks. The girls wear skirts and the boys shorts.

The adult ensemble: The adult ensemble play a bigger part in this production. The big school kids are much more involved in the school scenes and the dance routines. We have already mentioned that the adult ensemble is bigger in this production. Sometimes, they're all on stage together and sometimes not all of them are in certain scenes. For example, the ensemble members who play the russians are not a part of Revolting Children (at least no on stage, they sing along backstage)

There are more females than males in the adult ensemble, which you can hear during the songs. Especially in School Song and Chokey Chant. They're all very strong performers and they make a fantastic ensemble with great harmonies and tight and sharp dancing.They have excellent chemistry and really good at playing creepy (both as school kids and as the russians)

They wear almost the same type of uniforms, but the big girls don't wear dresses, they wear skirts instead. The big boys socks are not knee high. Their phys ed outfits are the same as the small kids.

Miss Trunchbull: This Miss Trunchbull is very similar to the RSC one. David is fantastic in the role, especially in the more comedic scenes. His facial expressions are out of this world. He is also a very physical actor, the way he acts with his body in the newt scene is fantastic. Twitching, bending his body in weird angles and running around in panic...  David's Trunch loves mocking Miss Honey and the students, and she repeats what they're saying in a hilarious way. Especially during the spelling test scene. Malmö Opera is located in the Swedish province Skåne and all the kids speak the accent skånska (some more than others) Skånska is a really famous accent here, everyone recognises it and pretty much everyone can speak a bit of fake skånska. One of the Hortensia's has a very strong accent, and after she says: “You can't put us all in chokey” Trunch mocks her by imitating her accent perfectly. (David speaks with another accent as Trunch) This Trunch is also very patronising. When she talks to people or say their names, she talks as if they are really far beneath her and are not worthy of her time at all.

When David speaks he sounds a bit similar to Bertie Carvel.... His singing voice is stunning, so strong and clear. Occasionally, he lets the notes go on for a bit longer. Especially at: “Don't let them take them away” in The smell of rebellion.

Trunch's costumes are very similar to the RSC Trunch in style and colour, but the socks are more of the athletic kind. She does not wear a hoodie for phys ed, but she wears a long sleeved shirt instead of her jacket. The year on the shirt is 1971 instead of 1969 (it has been changed because 1971 fits better with the rhythm of the song) and she wears a belt with medal on it. She has changed out of her heels for phys ed and wears black trainers instead. She also wears a different skirt that isn't as tight. Underneath her skirt she wears big, white underwear with flowers on.

Mr Wormwood: Mr Wormwood is also quite similar to the RSC one. Michael is equally fantastic... It's hard to talk more about Michael's portrayal, because we have mostly focused on the difference from the RSC production... It's not that his portrayal isn't memorable, because it definitely is. He is amazing in this role. We could easily see him play Mr Wormwood in the West End. Just like David, he is also very physical, but in a different way.... When he yells at Matilda, he often comes really close to her and screams in her face. When he mocks Matilda, his voice goes up and sounds squeaky, like he is impersonating her.

Mr Wormwood's outfits is more casual in this production, He wears a light green suit, blue skirt, blue socks and blueish grey loafers with gold chains. Instead of a hat, he has a white cap with “Wormwood's luxury cars” printed on it. He also wears some jewellery, like a necklace and a bracelet.

Mrs Wormwood: Mrs Wormwood  is still mean in this production, but more stupid than mean. She  is quite daft and out of it. She often has a confused look on her face. It seems like Åsa's portrayal is inspired by the participants of housewives reality shows.. She plays her part amazingly and portrays a lot of different moods in the same scene: Confusion, anger, hurt, annoyance, disappointment...to name a few. She doesn't yell/speak as loudly as the RSC's Mrs W. She drawls while speaking, when she is upset her voice is more squeaky. She also seems to dislike her husband even more. She sounds genuinely hurt by some of the things he says to her. She also laughs at and mocks her husband occasionally.

She seems very distant and cold towards Matilda, both mentally and physically. When Matilda tries to come close to her, she shoves her away and there always seem to be quite a lot of space between the two of them. She doesn't seem very fond of Mr Wormwood or Michael either, actually. The only person she seems to like is Rudolpho.

Mrs Wormwood has a lot of different outfits throughout the show. She starts out with a bodysuit with a pink fur jacket on top. During the first family scene she wears a light green dress. For Naughty she puts on a nightgown on top of her dress. The nightgown is used for the beginning of Loud, underneath it she wears a light pink dress with neon green and neon yellow details. For Telly she wears a longer fluffier dress. Later she wears fishnet stockings, a top, panties and her fur jacket on top of it. In this scene she has her hair rolled up under a hair net. She finishes off with a flamenco style dress.

Michael: This Michael is very different from the West End/Broadway Michael. He is more present in this version. Michael sits up in the couch, listens to his parents and interacts with them.

He is mostly in his own little world though, so he might not really understand what's going on. He seems content and kind of happy with that, smiling proudly every time he is acknowledged. Michael  usually has his headphones on and wanders around without direction.

Michaels costumes are based on Mr Wormwoods, he wears the same colour scheme as his dad. Michael wears a polo, shorts with suspenders, a Wormwoods luxury cars cap, (backwards) high socks and loafers.

Rudolpho: Oscar is a fabulous dancer and he can bend and twist his body in so many ways. He is also an amazing performer, his stage presence is something else... He and Åsa have an amazing connection, their chemistry is so good. Oscars Rudolpho is hilarious and a real drama queen... Sure, Rudolpho is very dramatic, but this one is extra dramatic. Everything about him is big, his gestures, movements...

Rudolpo has shorter black hair in this production. He wears a black, tight ballroom costume. For the last scene, he wears black, tight pants and an unzipped matador jacket without a shirt underneath it.

Sergei: There's something very likeable about this Sergei. It's hard to explain exactly what it is though... But we connected much more with this productions Sergei than we've done with the RSC ones. He seems really genuine and you can really see his depth.

Jonas really makes Sergei his own and it's great to see. It's great to watch him with the Matildas and how they interact with him. Sergei is dressed almost completely in black. Black shoes, pants, a mostly black coat (it shimmers a bit in dark blue/grey).  Black sunglasses and a black fur hat. He also carries a black fancy cane. He occasionally uses his cane to emphasize certain words and getting his gang to listen, by banging the cane on the floor.

The biggest difference between the productions is that Malmö opera's version have more moments where the characters are happy, or at least are able to smile and show a happier and more relaxed side of them selves. This gives the show a slightly different feel, but we like it. It makes the transitions between the lighter and darker scenes (and even the moments) even more poignant. This direction lead to a deeper relationship between some of the characters, we especially loved the added moments between Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey. Marianne and Linda have such a wonderful chemistry, you could tell how much they love working together. As we have already mentioned, Mrs Phelps and Matilda have a deeper relationship too. It’s so lovely to see Mrs Phelps together with the Matildas. It’s really clear how much she loves and cares for Matilda, and Matilda loves her back just as much. Seeing them happy together and smiling is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Because when the scene and the mood changes, you just feel so bad for Matilda.

It’s lovely to see all three of them together, interacting and being happy in the ending scene. They’re all so sweet together and you can really feel the love and happiness between the three of them, they really are like a family.

In conclusion, we really loved this production and thought it did justice to the original. Thanks for reading all of this. Again, if you have any questions or want to know more about something, just post your question here or send either of us an ask  @veilingofthesun @askyfullofcomets 

[ericleo108]

〰️ The Unconscious Mind in Media

🔥This is an update to “The Collective (Un)conscious in Music & Media” which is now in two parts. There’s this part and 🎤Music Artists Composition and Communication which is the conscious part of music, but what about the unconscious? This treatise explores the subconscious mind and how it reacts to music, ETM, and the gods.

Points of Realization (POR)

One thing you will notice with the collective unconscious is what I like to call “points of realization” (POR). This is when you find yourself doing something physical in real life that is in associated coordination with the music or media. For example, notice if the song says “I opened the door, went into the kitchen,” you’ll be opening the door to go into the kitchen right as the artist sings that in the song. For an actual example, I have caught myself on multiple occasions while driving noticing I was turning on the bright lights right as Taylor Swift sings “headlights” from the lyric “Midnight, you come pick me up no headlights” from her song “Style.”   

Anecdotal Example

The following is an anecdotal example that I logged. If you pay attention you’ll see they happen often.  At around 1:30 AM on October 17th I was in bed listening to Taylor Swift’s “Everything has changed” and I was feeling hungry. I made the decision that I was gonna eat an Atikins bar so I jumped up, grabbed a bar from the shelf next to my bed and right as I opened the package Ed sung “and opened up the door for you.” (Right after, Taylor sings “and all I feel in my stomach is butterflies.”) I know I wasn’t opening a door but I was still doing the act of opening something right as the song said “open up.”

This brings up the question, did I grab the Atkins bar because I made up my mind about eating it and subconsciously reacted to coordinate the time of me opening up the bar with the music? ...or did the music, with it’s (also other associated) lyrical content (e.g. “stomach is butterflies”) make me hungry and drive me to grab that Atkins bar? If it did stimulate me to action, what does that say that I was in coordination with the music?  Was it a combination of both influences? I would say this is random, chance, or happenstance but it really happens way too often to be a fluke!

POR are real, they happen all the time and you just don’t notice your physicality is in coordination with the media. This means your brain subconsciously syncs your body with the media and calculates and coordinates the time and action to have POR!

The Problem with the Mirror

Your mind reflecting the music makes sense because it is your brain recognizing the music, it’s pattern, and timing and coordinating it with your actions and physicality. You’ve heard it before, you’re merely reacting at a subconscious level. That should make a lot of sense to people.

What’s more confusing and concerning to people is when POR happen and you’ve never previously heard or seen the media before. ...because what does that mean? Again POR exist and are you “in tune” with the media you’re consuming. This tells us there has to be a natural collective unconscious, i.e. BLU🌐, that you can tap into or an external manipulating entity like ETM coordinating the reflection if you’ve never consumed the media before.

Action!

POR are real, it’s just that no one really notices them. POR are synthetically coordinated all the time in music videos and by movie directors but for the most part it goes wholly unrecognized. Cognition precedes behavior and drives you to action.

There’s countless stories of artists being inspired to write songs from action/events like Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” which is about his son, or “The Star Spangled Banner” which is about the War of 1812. People driven to action from media is what advertising is all about, that’s the whole point and purpose and it works well. This is what large corporations do for marketing products. Not only are there commercials between shows but there’s product placement which is placing an ad in a movie like a Coke and Lays chips in “The Edge of Seventeen,” Dr. Pepper in the original Spider-Man, or Reese's Pieces in “E.T.”

Other examples of people moved to action by the media are Travis Reinking, as discussed in the Cry About It journal, and John Hinkley who tried to kill Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster after seeing “Taxi Driver.” My whole argument in ETM and ETM2 is that media, specifically semantic priming, drives individuals to (pejorative and self-defeating) action. Movies and popular music videos are used as an anchor/primer (as discussed in ETM) and drive individuals to action through news and commercials as briefly described in the “Corporate Ideology in Practice” section of The Fascist Capitalist Nazi Ideology journal. For more information on these capabilities consume the media from the “watch” section at the end of ETM, specifically PBS’s The Persuaders and Unconscious behavioral guidance systems.

Marketing

If you think this is complicated think about how the collective unconscious becomes exponentially harder to grasp when you think about how shows, movies, and news, are all interwoven and how corporations in their commercials intentionally do subliminal advertising all the time, every single day. What is the use of these influences, by sheer market forces literally competing for space in your mind, doing to society? What a responsibility marketers have to society!

The Real Problem

“You can’t be told what the matrix is, you have to be shown” ...and some people just can’t see it.  When Columbus came to the new world shaman/priests had to show the regular citizens that there were actually boats on the water. The regular people couldn’t figure out why the waves were breaking. The priest had to explain to them that there’s a ship there which is shown in the linked clip from “What the Bleep do we Know.”

The Unconscious in Music

Sampling is when you take someone's specific lyrical cadence and match it intentionally. However there is a certain pattern in the music ethos that reflects a more conscious sequence that seems intentional but has to be a reflection of a form of collective consciousness as exemplified in The BLU🌐Treatise. What I am specifically referring to is the use of words and phrases that were being repeated at an unusually high frequency in a short period of time (i.e. trending). The genesis/origin is unknown and seems spontaneous because there are so many rappers coming out with the same words/phrase at the same time. As discussed in the Societal Cornucopia journal there has to be a collective pattern that makes these trends spontaneously generate and flourish. ETM can synthetically create such patterns but the whole of the pattern is dominated by BLU🌐, the mind of humanity.

The best example of this I can site is when Jay-Z released “The BluePrint 3.” He rhymed “iPod” with “my god” and the ethos didn’t stop repeating (especially) “my god” from other rappers until Eminem’s lyric on Roman’s Revenge.  This makes sense because as discussed in The BLU🌐Treatise the mind of humanity is dominated by BLU🌐.

Here’s the example (and progression):

“Blueprint's in my white iPod. Black diamonds in my Jesus piece, my God” - Off That by Jay-Z released September 8th 2009

“In the back, I sit and I nod. To the beats that are bumping from my iPod. My God, they're starting to pray.” - Rant by Bo Burnham released October 2010

“Quit hollerin' ‘Why, God?’” - Roman’s Revenge by Nicki Minaj (Eminem’s lyrics) released October 30th 2010

This evidence shows that (basically) the conscious or unconscious mind (of the rapper) picks up on “it,” whatever it is, consciously or unconsciously and responds consciously or unconsciously. Either way, there is a response. Whether the creation of this reflection-effect phenomenon is deliberately created synthetically or naturally or if it can even be controlled needs more research/study and is debatable. However, the fact is the created trend is there! I call this reflection-effect phenomenon “residual echo.”

The “my God” trend seems like it may be synthetically created but you would have to have controlled conditions to account for individuals that could have started the trend and just informed the trend-setter (e.g. Jay-Z). This brings into question whether if Jay-Z started the trend or just built of its momentum and we just noticed it start with Jay-Z because he’s popular and in the public eye.

Pandora’s Box

Questions abound like: Did Bo write his lyrics before Jay-Z published his? Did Bo sample Jay-Z intentionally? ...or maybe unintentionally? Did Eminem (un)consciously catch on to the “my God” trend and that was his ([un]conscious) response?

There would have to be public cooperation for a conscious goal of gathering resources and analyzing the data to identify the origins in trends and themes in music. It would be data driven for the most part but a similar prototype interview would have to be conducted in full cooperation of the artist(s) to get “in the mind” of the artist and therefore the collective conscious to attempt at trying to understand the created the trend in question.

We would have to interview artists of all statuses and ask questions like: Have you ever written down a lyrical progression that was similar to one that someone else released at a similar time? Have you ever written lyrics that you didn’t use that someone else later used or sounded like they sampled you? Have you ever written any lyrics and then noticed it was similar to one of your (favorite) pieces by another artist? ...have you ever had anything similar happen?  etc.

Basically the point is to get into the mindset of the artist and ask specific questions from a questionnaire created specifically to identify attributes of the specified part, i.e. trend of the collective conscious. As you can tell by reading Stolen Ideas, ETM does this naturally from birth as explained in ETM2.

[crazyflyingspip]

Come on in and enjoy this four-bed Edwardian semi in the Wirral Peninsula

‘Before moving here we lived in a Victorian maisonette, but when the children came along, slightly earlier than planned, we needed more space,’ says the owner of this four-bed home in the Wirral. ‘We wanted to find our dream home, but didn’t want to rush things, 
so we sold up and moved into a rental property until we could find somewhere that ticked all the boxes on our wish list.’

Discover more real-life decorating ideas – visit our real homes section

‘We wanted something Edwardian in style, classic and timeless, and with a decent-sized garden, and in the end it took a year of searching, with a few lost properties along the way. Luckily, we both fell in love with this house as soon as we set foot inside it. We loved the character and the original features, 
and it felt like a house that gave you 
a hug as soon as you walked in.’

Exterior

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

The day we got the keys I started decorating, and the first few weeks were really exciting, though I have to say, the novelty soon wore off! All the fireplaces and cupboards were dark wood and the two front rooms had green carpet throughout, so it all looked dull and dingy.’

‘I’ve always bought lots of interiors magazines to give me ideas on budget decorating and I also created moodboards for different rooms on Pinterest, so I knew what I wanted before we began any work.’

‘I immediately took down the chintzy curtains, but we wanted to live in the space and see how we used the rooms before properly deciding how to decorate, so I just freshened up the walls by painting them a neutral colour and gradually started decorating each room. I did really want to put my stamp on the house straight away though, so I painted the front door my favourite pale seaside blue colour, Farrow & Ball’s Parma Gray.’

Hallway

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘I saw this half-moon table standing outside a charity shop getting wet. 
I paid £10 for it 
– a quick lick of 
paint gave it a 
new lease of life.’

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘Even the stairs get the Christmas treatment in our home. This garland with added fairy lights, from Inspirations Wholesale, adds to the look.’

Get the look Buy now: Similar Snowflake tissue paper decorations, £4.50 for two, Ginger Ray at Pinks & Green Buy now: Similar cut-out heart lantern, £10, Matalan

Living room

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘I change the accent 
shade in this room, depending on the time of year – at Christmas I like to add a few red accessories to pick out the red decorations on the tree.’

Playroom

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘I switched the old electric fire for this log burner. It’s a lovely focal point in the playroom and we can hang the kids’ stockings from the fireplace.’

Dining room

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘It’s a real luxury having 
a separate dining room. 
At Christmas we can 
extend the Ikea table and host the whole family,’ says the owner, who recommends stocking up on stain remover if living in an all-white home. ‘And don’t be too precious.’

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘I like to match my table theme to the rest of 
the house, so I stick to whites, greens and 
rustic accessories.’

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

Brown paper is a cost-effective choice for wrapping gifts, and can be easily decorated using greenery, cinnamon sticks and twine.

Kitchen

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

A white country kitchen was top of the list and I could see in my mind’s eye how it would look. As it’s a north-facing room, it needed to feel light, bright and airy. White quartz worktops, a chandelier and a range cooker were also on my wish list, which, so far, is the only room we’ve had to do any building work on.

‘The room had been so gloomy, dark and damp, and was split to include a pantry, so I gave it a temporary update by painting the existing units and changing the doorknobs on the cupboards. 
I wanted to make it look more modern and fresh until we could afford to renovate the kitchen fully. It also meant I had time to shop around for the best prices for units and furniture without compromising on quality. We began a major refit in 2018 and the room was completely stripped back to the bricks. The electrics were redone and 
we reorganised the layout of the room.’

‘These units, in Super White from Wren Kitchens, give 
the look a modern twist. The mantel above the wow-factor De’Longhi range oven shows off my collection of stars and ceramic jugs without having them cluttering the worktop.’

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

A chandelier 
adds 
unexpected glamour.

‘We were lucky to have found a really great builder who was worth his weight in gold. We used him before for some smaller jobs, but he specialises in fitting kitchens and bathrooms, so having him on board
took a lot of stress out of the build for me and I really did have a ‘wow’ moment the day the kitchen was finished. I put all of our new accessories out on display and hung some pictures on the walls, then stood back with the garden door open and just looked at what we’d managed to achieve.’

‘We knocked out the original pantry 
to make the room a more regular rectangular shape and we blocked up the side door to make space for a range cooker. We then added a new door, which now leads straight out to the garden – but what we thought would be a simple job became more complicated!

‘Our builder had to make new steps 
to the outside, and since these didn’t match the existing flagstones, we decided to completely redo the patio. Also, when we took out the original kitchen cupboards, various problems were quickly unearthed, which we had expected as it is such an old property. But how uneven the floor turned out to be was a major issue, which took a 
lot of work to get level, and much longer than expected. So it turned out that renovating the kitchen alone ended up taking three months.’

Get the look Buy now: Similar Sudie five-way chandelier, £91.99, Wayfair Buy now: Similar Vinterfest faux bouquet, £9, IKEA

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘I always wanted white quartz worktops, but I’ve softened the white-on-white look with contrasting 
wooden accessories.’

Get the look Buy now: Similar Colonial Home Heart Board, £11.99, T&G Woodware Buy now: Similar White Metal Barn Star, £12.95, Melody Maison

Kitchen dining area

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘Being able to fit a 
table in the kitchen is great for children’s teas and coffee with friends.’

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

Get the look Buy now: Kentucky dining chair, £99.99 for two, Argos

Master bedroom

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

Fairy lights run along the headboard, adding extra Christmas sparkle. ‘I love this hand-carved oak 
bed from Loaf. It fits perfectly 
into the French-style scheme 
I wanted to create in this room.’

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

A decorative ladder makes a feature of a sparkly outfit. ‘Keeping to a neutral colour scheme means 
I can mix up my styles, though I do like the pop of pink these cushions add.’

Get the look Buy now: Love cushion, £7, Asda Buy now: Similar Toulouse bedside table, £69, Dunelm Buy now: Similar Mandisa bamboo shelf ladder, £49, Houseology

Bathroom

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘I painted the original green tile trim using white tile paint and updated the room with fresh new accessories.’

Boy’s bedroom

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

‘My mum made the quilt for my son, and adding 
red accents makes this room look really festive.’

Girl’s bedroom

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

The draped canopy from Ikea gives 
this girl’s bedroom a fairy-tale quality.

‘To keep costs down, we decided to 
live in the space while we did all the work, cooking on a camping stove and living on microwave meals and baked beans! I have to admit, it wasn’t much fun having a layer of dust covering absolutely everything in the house, 
but the worst moment was when Betsy, our dog, managed to walk over the freshly-laid wet concrete floor, leaving paw prints everywhere! I quite quickly began to realise that you just have to 
try to let things go and just accept that your house will be messy while building work is going on.’

Ready for another? Take a tour of this smart Surrey townhouse, all dressed for Christmas

‘Everyone thought I was mad to choose an all-white home, and even the guy 
in the kitchen showroom looked at 
me like I had two heads when I was choosing white units, worktop, sink and oven. But now that it’s finished I’m so glad I stuck to my original vision. It’s the perfect backdrop for any season, but I particularly love decorating it 
at Christmas. I’ve softened the look with lots of wooden accessories and decorated with fake greenery, fairy lights and stars, and I’m so thrilled with how the whole house has turned out.’

The post Come on in and enjoy this four-bed Edwardian semi in the Wirral Peninsula appeared first on Ideal Home.

from Ideal Home https://ift.tt/38DuGj7

[aaltjebarisca]

The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ 2018 Is a Gem in Sapphire

Ever wonder, wouldn’t it be great to live in a cozy home in the woods that would make waking up each day feel like being on vacation? For one lucky winner, that daydream will become a reality, thanks to the much-anticipated launch of the The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ Giveaway 2018! Enter daily for a chance to win from August 6 at 9:00 a.m. through September 26 at 5:00 p.m.

We had a chance to get the inside scoop from interior designer Elizabeth Demos on all the design details of this gem of a home, located in Sapphire, North Carolina, where charm meets luxury.

What was the most creative and fun part of designing this retreat?

The most creative and fun part about designing the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat 2018 was exploring the region and incorporating the ideas and objects I found into the project. Sapphire is situated in a beautiful part of North Carolina. There is an abundance to see and do for sportsmen, nature lovers, history buffs, and antique shoppers alike.

Does the design process differ for you when it’s a renovation of an existing property versus a new build?

My approach for renovations and a new build is similar, but a renovation is definitely more challenging, after all, you inherit the bad with the good and have to make a design work regardless. New builds are technically a clean slate, but in design there will always be something that requires tweaking.

How did you marry modern and traditional elements to create the right balance of wood, metal, color and texture?

Repeating core elements such as color, surfaces or textures help to create a rhythm and flow from one room to another. Mixing more traditional choices with modern ones make the home appealing to a wide audience. The dining chairs are the perfect example. I chose a very traditional Windsor style frame but had them painted in a bright modern color, then I paired them with a modern metal-based table. I’d say I kept the ratio of traditional to modern elements in the home to 60/40. 

How did the surrounding environment inspire you for the design and color palette?

The first cue for the color scheme came from the surrounding North Carolina landscape. As a result, earth tones play heavily in the home’s bigger color moments. There were two strong design themes that originated in the shape of the main hexagonal room of the house. I repeat that shape in the door hardware and decorative objects throughout the house. I was also inspired by the rich gem mining history in the area, so faceted items like cabinet hardware, pottery, wallpaper patterns, and planters make an appearance too. During one of my frequent trips to antique shops, I found vintage gem prints and other items with the same local flair. 

The master bedroom used to have a sink right out in the open. How did you achieve both function and a spa-like experience to create a true master bathroom?  

While roomy, the old master bedroom had outlived its usefulness. After absorbing the square footage of the entire wing, we were able to carve out a generous master suite as well as a cozy study and guest bath off the entryway. It was shocking how much wasted space was discovered on that side of the house. The original bathroom was actually quite small considering the amount of space in the bedroom. The finished space has a freestanding soaker tub, a double shower, a double vanity and a private loo. All of it included without sacrificing flow or space.

One of the most interesting rooms features custom bunk beds and mountain scenery. How did that concept come to life?

I knew the house could use a fun younger looking space and a double bunk seemed appropriate for the room shape. It also needed an equally impressive moment on the opposite wall. I’ve collected vintage paint by numbers for ages and I knew in my travels I had seen interesting mountain-scapes. I found some old pictures and postcards of North Carolina mountain valleys and commissioned a mural from a talented painter friend. He drew up an original image and seamlessly incorporated the paint palette I used in the rest of the house. The mural painting took six days, but the resulting work of art was well worth the wait.

What were your favorite vintage finds that were used in the house?

Oh goodness, I love so many! In no particular order … the antique bird, fish and gem prints because they felt SO very North Carolina. The old wooden crates bought for looks, but the bonus storage makes them pretty fantastic all around. A fat vintage dictionary and the globe, which, really, every good study needs one of each! Two old Windsor chairs I rescued before the construction crew tossed them in the dumpster, and a collection of primitive augers I found at a local antique shop, because they were sculptural and manly additions to the study.

How did you carry the design aesthetic from the interior to the deck so that it flows well with the natural backyard setting?

Because the back deck is visible from every room in the house, I chose furniture pieces and accessories that reflected the color and texture choices from the interior. Keeping the seating areas looking like extra living spaces helped as well. For the more casual lower deck, I picked rustic mountain furniture and a fire pit but painted it to match the main deck furniture and added cedar to connect it to the home’s exterior and the surrounding environment.

What do you hope the winner enjoys most about living in this year’s Ultimate Retreat?

I hope the winner enjoysthe seamless living from inside to outside, the plentiful entertaining and hosting space, splendid kitchen, the sophisticated master suite, the colorful laundry room and smart storage solutions throughout. Most importantly, I hope they enjoy the serene landscape and water views. It’s a magical setting.

How can homeowners balance using wildlife or woodland accents without the décor becoming too cabin-esque? 

When it comes to wildlife and woodland accents, a little goes a long way. My advice, if you keep a majority of those items in the accessory category they are easy to edit as you tire of them. Investment pieces and bigger commitments like furniture or cabinetry should be more timeless. There is nothing wrong with incorporating cabin-esque items but balancing it out with other sophisticated or classic items will give your interior longevity?

Which room is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to enter the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018 twice a day for a chance to win, from August 6 at 9:00 a.m. to September 26, 2018, at 5:00 p.m.

DIY Network, DIY Network Ultimate Retreat, DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway and their associated logos are trademarks of Scripps Networks, LLC. Photos © 2018 Scripps Networks, LLC. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the U.S., age 21 or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends at 5 p.m. ET on 9/26/18. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. For full official rules, visit diynetwork.com/UltimateRetreat or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: “DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018”, P.O. Box 52151, Knoxville, TN 37950. Main Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC d/b/a DIY Network.

The post The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ 2018 Is a Gem in Sapphire appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/the-diy-network-ultimate-retreat-2018-is-a-gem-in-sapphire

[mikebrackett]

The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ 2018 Is a Gem in Sapphire

Ever wonder, wouldn’t it be great to live in a cozy home in the woods that would make waking up each day feel like being on vacation? For one lucky winner, that daydream will become a reality, thanks to the much-anticipated launch of the The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ Giveaway 2018! Enter daily for a chance to win from August 6 at 9:00 a.m. through September 26 at 5:00 p.m.

We had a chance to get the inside scoop from interior designer Elizabeth Demos on all the design details of this gem of a home, located in Sapphire, North Carolina, where charm meets luxury.

What was the most creative and fun part of designing this retreat?

The most creative and fun part about designing the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat 2018 was exploring the region and incorporating the ideas and objects I found into the project. Sapphire is situated in a beautiful part of North Carolina. There is an abundance to see and do for sportsmen, nature lovers, history buffs, and antique shoppers alike.

Does the design process differ for you when it’s a renovation of an existing property versus a new build?

My approach for renovations and a new build is similar, but a renovation is definitely more challenging, after all, you inherit the bad with the good and have to make a design work regardless. New builds are technically a clean slate, but in design there will always be something that requires tweaking.

How did you marry modern and traditional elements to create the right balance of wood, metal, color and texture?

Repeating core elements such as color, surfaces or textures help to create a rhythm and flow from one room to another. Mixing more traditional choices with modern ones make the home appealing to a wide audience. The dining chairs are the perfect example. I chose a very traditional Windsor style frame but had them painted in a bright modern color, then I paired them with a modern metal-based table. I’d say I kept the ratio of traditional to modern elements in the home to 60/40. 

How did the surrounding environment inspire you for the design and color palette?

The first cue for the color scheme came from the surrounding North Carolina landscape. As a result, earth tones play heavily in the home’s bigger color moments. There were two strong design themes that originated in the shape of the main hexagonal room of the house. I repeat that shape in the door hardware and decorative objects throughout the house. I was also inspired by the rich gem mining history in the area, so faceted items like cabinet hardware, pottery, wallpaper patterns, and planters make an appearance too. During one of my frequent trips to antique shops, I found vintage gem prints and other items with the same local flair. 

The master bedroom used to have a sink right out in the open. How did you achieve both function and a spa-like experience to create a true master bathroom?  

While roomy, the old master bedroom had outlived its usefulness. After absorbing the square footage of the entire wing, we were able to carve out a generous master suite as well as a cozy study and guest bath off the entryway. It was shocking how much wasted space was discovered on that side of the house. The original bathroom was actually quite small considering the amount of space in the bedroom. The finished space has a freestanding soaker tub, a double shower, a double vanity and a private loo. All of it included without sacrificing flow or space.

One of the most interesting rooms features custom bunk beds and mountain scenery. How did that concept come to life?

I knew the house could use a fun younger looking space and a double bunk seemed appropriate for the room shape. It also needed an equally impressive moment on the opposite wall. I’ve collected vintage paint by numbers for ages and I knew in my travels I had seen interesting mountain-scapes. I found some old pictures and postcards of North Carolina mountain valleys and commissioned a mural from a talented painter friend. He drew up an original image and seamlessly incorporated the paint palette I used in the rest of the house. The mural painting took six days, but the resulting work of art was well worth the wait.

What were your favorite vintage finds that were used in the house?

Oh goodness, I love so many! In no particular order … the antique bird, fish and gem prints because they felt SO very North Carolina. The old wooden crates bought for looks, but the bonus storage makes them pretty fantastic all around. A fat vintage dictionary and the globe, which, really, every good study needs one of each! Two old Windsor chairs I rescued before the construction crew tossed them in the dumpster, and a collection of primitive augers I found at a local antique shop, because they were sculptural and manly additions to the study.

How did you carry the design aesthetic from the interior to the deck so that it flows well with the natural backyard setting?

Because the back deck is visible from every room in the house, I chose furniture pieces and accessories that reflected the color and texture choices from the interior. Keeping the seating areas looking like extra living spaces helped as well. For the more casual lower deck, I picked rustic mountain furniture and a fire pit but painted it to match the main deck furniture and added cedar to connect it to the home’s exterior and the surrounding environment.

What do you hope the winner enjoys most about living in this year’s Ultimate Retreat?

I hope the winner enjoysthe seamless living from inside to outside, the plentiful entertaining and hosting space, splendid kitchen, the sophisticated master suite, the colorful laundry room and smart storage solutions throughout. Most importantly, I hope they enjoy the serene landscape and water views. It’s a magical setting.

How can homeowners balance using wildlife or woodland accents without the décor becoming too cabin-esque? 

When it comes to wildlife and woodland accents, a little goes a long way. My advice, if you keep a majority of those items in the accessory category they are easy to edit as you tire of them. Investment pieces and bigger commitments like furniture or cabinetry should be more timeless. There is nothing wrong with incorporating cabin-esque items but balancing it out with other sophisticated or classic items will give your interior longevity?

Which room is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to enter the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018 twice a day for a chance to win, from August 6 at 9:00 a.m. to September 26, 2018, at 5:00 p.m.

DIY Network, DIY Network Ultimate Retreat, DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway and their associated logos are trademarks of Scripps Networks, LLC. Photos © 2018 Scripps Networks, LLC. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the U.S., age 21 or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends at 5 p.m. ET on 9/26/18. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. For full official rules, visit diynetwork.com/UltimateRetreat or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: “DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018”, P.O. Box 52151, Knoxville, TN 37950. Main Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC d/b/a DIY Network.

The post The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ 2018 Is a Gem in Sapphire appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/the-diy-network-ultimate-retreat-2018-is-a-gem-in-sapphire

[aaronsniderus]

The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ 2018 Is a Gem in Sapphire

Ever wonder, wouldn’t it be great to live in a cozy home in the woods that would make waking up each day feel like being on vacation? For one lucky winner, that daydream will become a reality, thanks to the much-anticipated launch of the The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ Giveaway 2018! Enter daily for a chance to win from August 6 at 9:00 a.m. through September 26 at 5:00 p.m.

We had a chance to get the inside scoop from interior designer Elizabeth Demos on all the design details of this gem of a home, located in Sapphire, North Carolina, where charm meets luxury.

What was the most creative and fun part of designing this retreat?

The most creative and fun part about designing the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat 2018 was exploring the region and incorporating the ideas and objects I found into the project. Sapphire is situated in a beautiful part of North Carolina. There is an abundance to see and do for sportsmen, nature lovers, history buffs, and antique shoppers alike.

Does the design process differ for you when it’s a renovation of an existing property versus a new build?

My approach for renovations and a new build is similar, but a renovation is definitely more challenging, after all, you inherit the bad with the good and have to make a design work regardless. New builds are technically a clean slate, but in design there will always be something that requires tweaking.

How did you marry modern and traditional elements to create the right balance of wood, metal, color and texture?

Repeating core elements such as color, surfaces or textures help to create a rhythm and flow from one room to another. Mixing more traditional choices with modern ones make the home appealing to a wide audience. The dining chairs are the perfect example. I chose a very traditional Windsor style frame but had them painted in a bright modern color, then I paired them with a modern metal-based table. I’d say I kept the ratio of traditional to modern elements in the home to 60/40. 

How did the surrounding environment inspire you for the design and color palette?

The first cue for the color scheme came from the surrounding North Carolina landscape. As a result, earth tones play heavily in the home’s bigger color moments. There were two strong design themes that originated in the shape of the main hexagonal room of the house. I repeat that shape in the door hardware and decorative objects throughout the house. I was also inspired by the rich gem mining history in the area, so faceted items like cabinet hardware, pottery, wallpaper patterns, and planters make an appearance too. During one of my frequent trips to antique shops, I found vintage gem prints and other items with the same local flair. 

The master bedroom used to have a sink right out in the open. How did you achieve both function and a spa-like experience to create a true master bathroom?  

While roomy, the old master bedroom had outlived its usefulness. After absorbing the square footage of the entire wing, we were able to carve out a generous master suite as well as a cozy study and guest bath off the entryway. It was shocking how much wasted space was discovered on that side of the house. The original bathroom was actually quite small considering the amount of space in the bedroom. The finished space has a freestanding soaker tub, a double shower, a double vanity and a private loo. All of it included without sacrificing flow or space.

One of the most interesting rooms features custom bunk beds and mountain scenery. How did that concept come to life?

I knew the house could use a fun younger looking space and a double bunk seemed appropriate for the room shape. It also needed an equally impressive moment on the opposite wall. I’ve collected vintage paint by numbers for ages and I knew in my travels I had seen interesting mountain-scapes. I found some old pictures and postcards of North Carolina mountain valleys and commissioned a mural from a talented painter friend. He drew up an original image and seamlessly incorporated the paint palette I used in the rest of the house. The mural painting took six days, but the resulting work of art was well worth the wait.

What were your favorite vintage finds that were used in the house?

Oh goodness, I love so many! In no particular order … the antique bird, fish and gem prints because they felt SO very North Carolina. The old wooden crates bought for looks, but the bonus storage makes them pretty fantastic all around. A fat vintage dictionary and the globe, which, really, every good study needs one of each! Two old Windsor chairs I rescued before the construction crew tossed them in the dumpster, and a collection of primitive augers I found at a local antique shop, because they were sculptural and manly additions to the study.

How did you carry the design aesthetic from the interior to the deck so that it flows well with the natural backyard setting?

Because the back deck is visible from every room in the house, I chose furniture pieces and accessories that reflected the color and texture choices from the interior. Keeping the seating areas looking like extra living spaces helped as well. For the more casual lower deck, I picked rustic mountain furniture and a fire pit but painted it to match the main deck furniture and added cedar to connect it to the home’s exterior and the surrounding environment.

What do you hope the winner enjoys most about living in this year’s Ultimate Retreat?

I hope the winner enjoysthe seamless living from inside to outside, the plentiful entertaining and hosting space, splendid kitchen, the sophisticated master suite, the colorful laundry room and smart storage solutions throughout. Most importantly, I hope they enjoy the serene landscape and water views. It’s a magical setting.

How can homeowners balance using wildlife or woodland accents without the décor becoming too cabin-esque? 

When it comes to wildlife and woodland accents, a little goes a long way. My advice, if you keep a majority of those items in the accessory category they are easy to edit as you tire of them. Investment pieces and bigger commitments like furniture or cabinetry should be more timeless. There is nothing wrong with incorporating cabin-esque items but balancing it out with other sophisticated or classic items will give your interior longevity?

Which room is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to enter the DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018 twice a day for a chance to win, from August 6 at 9:00 a.m. to September 26, 2018, at 5:00 p.m.

DIY Network, DIY Network Ultimate Retreat, DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway and their associated logos are trademarks of Scripps Networks, LLC. Photos © 2018 Scripps Networks, LLC. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the U.S., age 21 or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends at 5 p.m. ET on 9/26/18. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. For full official rules, visit diynetwork.com/UltimateRetreat or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: “DIY Network Ultimate Retreat Giveaway 2018”, P.O. Box 52151, Knoxville, TN 37950. Main Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC d/b/a DIY Network.

The post The DIY Network® Ultimate Retreat™ 2018 Is a Gem in Sapphire appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/the-diy-network-ultimate-retreat-2018-is-a-gem-in-sapphire

[kdmm-global-creative-enterprise]

In the folklore of many cultures, it is believed spirits cannot resist or are compelled to follow a thread from one end to the other with some believing that spirits have to travel in a straight line. This belief results in spirit traps intricately woven with colourful thread such as the ojos de dios or “God’s eyes” of Central America, the elaborate ghost and demon traps of Tibet incorporating ram skulls, the cross charms of Rowan and red thread from Scotland, the spirit traps mimicking spider webs used by hunters in some regions of Africa, and even the dream catchers of North America (before they became items to sell to tourists). The most common colours used are red, blue, and yellow as they each have a very long history of being used for protection across cultural boundaries. The creation of them can be a highly meditative and spiritual act with the intent being protection and blessing –especially when they are made for children. A main rule of such spirit traps is there must be no knots in the thread. These traps are hung on the roof of a house, in trees, or over the bed. The spirit is extracted from the thread by burning it, putting it in a place where the sun’s rays will touch it to symbolically burn away the spirit, or by carefully removing the thread and placing it in a well-sealed bottle, jar, or box which is then either burned, buried, or hidden somewhere safe. Some spirit traps are made from hollowed out wood, usually two matching pieces that are placed together (or a box), sealed with wax or resin, and then bound with string or a leather cord like the shamans’ spirit trap of Burma/Myanmar. The bottle trees or “haint” trees of the American South were originally spirit traps based on the belief that the spirit, much like a wasp, could not resist going into the bottle but would not be able to come out again. Blue bottles are the most commonly used which makes sense as blue has been a powerful colour of protection for millennia. Some people place items in the bottles to lure spirits – binding herbs, string or thorns for them to become entangled in, or seeds for them to get distracted counting (in folklore witches and spirits are compelled to count seeds, beans, or grains when laid before them). Bottle spirit traps are believed to have their origins from slaves who came from Northern Africa and the Middle East where blue is a prevalent sacred colour. Bottle trees or bottle spirit traps can be found in Europe as well.Tsimshian soul catcher, 1879Some Native tribes of the Pacific Northwest once used carved hollow bones called “soul catchers” to trap spirits by sucking them into the bone and then sealing the two ends with moss or lichen. These, however, were mainly used to trap human souls stolen by supernatural spirits so they could be returned to their owners in healing ceremonies. The medicine man or woman would blow the soul into the ailing person’s mouth to put it back in their body. Some were made of wood, but bone seems to have been much more common. I am quite enamoured with the idea of using a hollow bone due to a similar tool found in Scotland, but there it is used for cursing by pouring the blood of a sacrificed animal through it (not really the same, but cool).Another spirit trap is the well known witch bottle of Europe which is used as a decoy and a spiritual alarm system on top of catching spirits. A witch bottle is first filled with the decoy which can be a combination of hair, nail clippings, blood, saliva, or urine. This fools a spirit into thinking it has found its target (you). Then nails and/or bent pins are added to bind the spirit and keep it in the bottle. Lastly, broken glass or broken mirror pieces are added for protection, to reflect away the evil intent. Then the bottle is corked, sealed, and buried under the front step of one’s house. If you live in an apartment it can be hidden in a wall or a forgotten cupboard, or buried in the soil of a potted plant. It is better for the witch bottle to be outside though to keep the spirit from crossing your threshold. If the bottle breaks, it means it has worked, and caught a spirit with the intent of harming the maker. It should then be burned, the ashes buried or released into running water, and then replaced with a new one. Witch bottles were not originally made by witches, but were used by ordinary people to protect from a witch’s magical attack. The spirit caught is often a witch’s familiar.If you are using a spirit trap not just for protection but to capture a specific spirit or soul, the trap must be consecrated to that purpose and used in a ritual with that intent. If your intent is bind and keep a spirit it must be transferred from the trap to a spirit vessel. If it is a thread trap the thread must carefully be unwoven and placed into a jar, bottle, box, poppet, stone, or skull. If it is inside a bottle, bone, or wood trap it can be sucked out of the trap and blown into the intended spirit vessel. Once in a vessel, a ritual is performed to consecrate the vessel to bind the spirit to it (a basic, customizable consecration ritual for objects is a must have in your magician’s bag of tricks). The spirit vessel can then be well sealed with wax and bound with more thread or covered in sigils or symbols of binding and protection.Once, I turned an entire hallway into one big spirit trap. It was the entry to my apartment with every doorway coming off of it. I put a mirror on each end along with protective amulets and woven spirit traps above each door. I knew it was time to empty the trap when the talismans or the pictures on the walls fell. Or if the trapped spirits decided to slam someone around in the hallway. The same oak picture frame fell and was broken half a dozen times due to this and scared my friends. I learned if you’re going to turn a hallway or a mudroom into a spirit trap, don’t hang anything of value in the space and clean it more regularly than you think you need to.This practice is often a last ditch effort to get rid of a troublesome spirit for which banishing did not work or for a spirit that is too powerful to handle and too nasty to leave running free. If it is a malignant spirit it is usually buried by running water or a crossroad where it won’t be disturbed. If the spirit vessel is to be buried, it should only ever be done with a container that won’t decay easily or quickly. Glass and ceramic are best, then metal. Wood is not a good idea. If the vessel decays or is destroyed or broken, the spirit is set free. Sometimes bound spirits are kept safe by the magician who trapped it, who don’t trust nature or other people and want to keep a close eye on it. If you are going to keep a particularly nasty spirit I recommend some seriously potent sigils and a ring of salt around the vessel wherever you store it. There have been many instances of family and students going through a dead magician’s house and finding bound boxes and bottles sealed with wax and string – never open them! They should be left as they are and given to another magician to look after or to properly dispose of it they have the knowledge and skill to do so.As with most magical practices, trapping and binding spirits is neither good nor evil. It is dependent upon the intent of the magician. They can be used as a preventive measure, as protection, or for healing in the case of PNW medicine men. It can also be dark magic used to bind spirits to steal their collective power to add to one’s own. Other times a dark sorcerer will use this magic to steal and bind the souls of their human enemies to both steal their power and stop the enemies from working against them. There are a very large number of folk tales all over the world where a hero defeats an evil sorcerer or spirit and sets free all the souls they have trapped over years, decades, centuries, or even millennia. If this theme sounds familiar it is because this has carried forward today into horror movies and fantasy TV shows.Any time you desire to bind a spirit make sure it is the right decision over banishing as if it ever manages to get free you are the first person the evil spirit will attack afterward. Good intent is not enough for this to work. You have to have knowledge, skill, and experience behind it to be certain it is done properly. If you cannot see spirits or tell they are in your traps, it is also unlikely to work. Always think carefully before trapping and binding a spirit and, if you yourself are not an advanced practitioner, it is recommended to have one present when doing so in case anything goes wrong.If you are new to this, I recommended starting with a witch bottle, rowan cross, or a god’s eye style spirit trap as they can simply be burned. As you burn the thread or the trap, you can ask your familiar spirits or a deity to carry the spirit away back to where it belongs. I also like to burn a purification incense afterward like pine or frankincense resins mixed with cedar or juniper tips. As a maker of rowan crosses and god’s eyes I’ve found they simply and mysteriously start to fall apart when they’ve been overburdened trapping spirits. If your protective trap falls down or breaks, it is time to burn it and make a new one. I recommend checking your traps every dark moon. If they are full, it is the perfect time to get rid of the spirits.