Fairy Tale Imagery at Pottery Barn Kids

Pottery Barn Kids has a new bedding theme which includes fairy tale imagery, primarily Frog Prince, called simply Grace which isn't very helpful in showing that it is fairy tale related I captured some images to share here. I always enjoy non-character licensed fairy tale stuff for kids, so this is fun. I may have to get a pillowcase or two at some point. 

Description for the sheets:

Capturing the enchantment fairy tales are made of, our cotton percale sheeting features pretty princesses, royal castles and magical frogs rendered in soft watercolor style over a pink ground.

And for the duvet cover:

From pretty princesses to royal castles, our embroidered cotton duvet cover evokes the characters and stories kids love to dream about. The fun fairy-tale scene is rendered with running stitches and fill stitches, then trimmed in pink cotton cording.

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Bargain Books by Alex Flinn

 

Cloaked with Bonus Materials by Alex Flinn is available for 99 cents as a special preorder. It is the full book, released last year, and Flinn's most recent fairy tale exploration. She kicks off a new series soon--Bewitching (The Kendra Chronicles)--which is why this book is being offered at a deal price to promote the new one.

Unfortunately, the bargain edition currenly doesn't have a cover image, so I am using the regular ebook link for the image but it is priced $9.99 so beware of clicking on it. Be sure to click on this link--Cloaked with Bonus Materials by Alex Flinn--to find the bargain priced one.

Flinn also has a new novella--Beastly: Lindy's Diary--a companion to her Beastly (the one made into the movie), which also doesn't have a cover yet. It is $3.99.

Book description for Cloaked:

I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

Book description for Beastly: Lindy's Diary:

See the #1 New York Times bestselling story Beastly through Lindy's eyes! This is her diary, kept while living in captivity with the beast. Lindy's Diary captures all the romance and edgy mystery of the original!

Diary,

I am locked away . . . with no one to confide in but you . . . and him. His fur, those claws—they caught me off guard at first, but now I'm noticing something else about him—something deeper. It's the look in his eye. It tells me he's got a secret to keep. That's okay—I've got one, too. I think I'm falling in love with him. . . .

Lindy

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Happy New Fairy Tale Year!

Happy New Year, dear readers!

I don't have much to say other than I am grateful for all of you. I don't have profound words and I gave up New Year's Resolutions years ago, although I make plenty of resolutions throughout the year. I have enjoyed many of the holiday wishes and greetings this year, but I admit one stuck and I had to share in case you missed it. This is from Neil Gaiman's journal, just yesterday, but it is a wonderful sentiment and very liberating when the year feels fresh with no new mistakes in it.

And for this year, my wish for each of us is small and very simple.

And it's this.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

So, yes, perhaps if I were to allow myself to make a resolution today, it would be a resolution to make mistakes, because they are inevitable if we are striving and learning and just simply trying, aren't they?

And the image is from KingBarbarossa on DeviantArt, originally part of a greeting card line from Duirwaigh Studios.

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Advertising: Red Bull and Fairy Tales

Frog Prince

I'm not a fan of Red Bull myself and never really cared for these ads, but in the interest of sharing ad campaigns, here they are! At least they went for less of the princess tales and some of the others instead.



Rapunzel



Aladdin

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Advertising: Sky TV Spots and Fairy Tales

Frog Prince

I first featured the Princess and the Pea Sky commercial when this blog was fairly new and the ad campaign of Sky fairy tales was brand new. But I have never shared the other spots, so here they all are together. Surprisingly enough, I think the Aladdin is my favorite followed perhaps by Emperor's New Clothes. Red Riding Hood annoyed me with its editing.



Aladdin



Princess and the Pea



Emperor's New Clothes



Little Red Riding Hood

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My Fairy Tale Gift List Item 2: Frog Prince Reversible Puppet by Folkmanis

Sorry folks, I am buried on some outside projects--I wish they were fairy tale oriented!--but I wanted to request more fairy tale gift lists from you. See December Giveaway: Favorite Fairy Tale Things for more details. But as a real quick, I am sharing a gift I am finally receiving this year after eyeing it for a few. (My want list is rather short these days so it was easier to justify it!)

It's the Frog Prince Reversible Puppet from Folkmanis. Isn't that adorable? I love puppets--own too many--but this one ended up being impossible to resist forever. I know it'll also be fun with the nephews and nieces at Christmas.

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Advertising: Besame Radio and Fairy Tales

Love can do anything.

For: Besame Radio
Advertising Agency: Ade, Bogota, Colombia
Creative Director: Nacho Martinez
Art Directors: Leonardo Silva, Cristian Borrero, Tomas Casallas
Copywriter: Eduardo Vargas
Illustrator: Miguel Ang
Published: October 2009

Via Ads of the World.

Why is it that the Little Red Riding Hood concepts are often the strongest when multiple tales are used?

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Advertising: Hero Baby and Fairy Tales

With Hero Baby Good Night, the end of the tale never comes.

Advertising Agency: Ignition K, Madrid, Spain
Creative Director: David Moure
Art Director: Manuel Martínez Soler
Copywriter: Victoria León García
Illustrator: Manuel Martínez Soler

Via Ads of the World.

Would you lose all respect for me if I admitted this one confused me? Old fairy tale characters selling baby food? Huh? So I did a search and was even more startled to see many articles accusing Hero Baby of poor sanitation and food standards. Ick. But then I found this blog about the campaign:

Good Night cereal with a print advertising campaign featuring fairy tales gone wrong. “With Hero Baby Good Night, the end of the tale never comes.” The Frog Prince sits waiting for his princess to come and kiss him, while Red Riding Hood grows up inside the wolf doing her knitting, while her grandmother dies waiting for the dashing woodsman to rescue them. Children dining on Good Night cereal don’t stay awake long enough to hear the happy endings of their bedside stories. The Good Night product is an easy-to-digest combination of 8 Cereals & Vegetables With Milk, designed for 6 month babies with follow on formula including Omega 3 and 6, prebiotics, 13 vitamins and 5 minerals.

Makes a little more sense, but doesn't sell baby food to me. Not at all. But I will give them credit for another interesting concept for LRRH. The Frog Prince no so much...

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Advertising: Jeep Wrangler and The Frog Prince

Fortunately, some legends are true

For: Jeep Wrangler
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Paris, France
Creative Director: Guillaume-Ulrich Chifflot
Art Director: Romain Toffoli
Copywriter: Elise Baudour
Illustrator: Olivier Colas Parros
Photographer: Khuong N'Guyen
Published: September 2011

Via Ads of the World. Certainly not original, but I liked this one more than many of the others we've seen this month.

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New Book: My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski was released earlier this month in paperback and ebook formats. It's a book aimed primarily at middle grade readers and sounds like fun, lighthearted reading.

This one riffs off several fairy tale and fantasy mainstays--such as a talking frog--not one fairy tale in particular, apparently.

Product description from the publisher:

"You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies." Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe. But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature! When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win.

The author was also interviewed over at The Enchanted Inkpot, here's an excerpt:

Where did the inspiration come for Jenny as a character? And what do you expect readers will like about
her?

Jenny first appeared in a scene I wrote several years ago when I was taking a break from a dark YA novel that was sucking the life out of me. In the scene, Jenny came into her room to discover a talking frog on her bed. Instead of being surprised or intrigued by the frog, she was annoyed. Not only that, but she threw the magical frog out the window! I knew I had to find out more about this character.

I think readers will enjoy Jenny’s sense of humor and resourcefulness, but they’ll also be able to relate to her on an emotional level. While Jenny might be braver than the average girl, ultimately she wants to find people who understand her. I think that’s something we can all relate to in some way.

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"Heavy Thoughts" by John Skurja

As I mentioned earlier this week, my parents recently visited the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, LA where they saw a few fairy tale related sculptures. My dad snapped some photos to share so I am spacing some out for posts this week. Today's offering is "Heavy Thoughts" by John Skurja. No, it's not directly a Frog Prince reference, but it implies it for me since I often have the tale on the brain. So I am sharing and letting you decide. Isn't he just thinking, "How do I end this enchantment?" when you look at him?

 I didn't find a ready site for Skurja, but apparently frogs inspire him as seen through his collection at Ian Russell Art.

From the Norton:

You can see the Norton's image of the piece here.

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"Puffed Up Prince" by Gary Price

As I mentioned yesterday, my parents recently visited the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, LA where they saw a few fairy tale related sculptures. My dad snapped some photos to share so I am spacing some out for posts this week. Today's offering is "Puffed Up Prince" by Gary Price. This bronze is also available through Price's site--that's the loveliness of bronzes, that they exist in multiples. Price has also added a princess to make a set, so I'll share it all today, too.

From the Norton:

And from Gary Price's site:

And The Puffed Up Princess from Gary Price's site:

I really enjoyed Price's site because he has many sculptures of children reading, a favorite theme of mine. If you like that, too, be sure to visit and see.

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Sunday Morning Pretty: Girl Coaxing Frog

GIRL COAXING FROG

ART NOUVEAU VASE

Continental c.1900

bisque 12" tall

$895.00

No, not strictly a Frog Prince rendering, but it certainly makes one think of the fairy tale so I wanted to share. It's pretty and I like it. I have a fondness for bisque pieces. Found via A Polar Bear's Tale but available for sale at Rick Kaplan Antiques.

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Jim Henson's The Frog Prince and Hey Cinderella and Bremen and Others

And, yes, while we have Jim Henson on the brain, I might as well post about his Frog Prince film, too. This is another fan/cult favorite. This time I will link to one of the videos on YouTube since this one has never been released to DVD to my knowledge. There are VHS tapes around, but how many people even have a VHS player anymore? I do, but I am a rarity. And I don't own this.

And while we're here, I'll add Henson's Hey Cinderella and Muppet Musicians of Bremen. All of these were made for tv, but that's film and they are charming. I didn't go hunting for the shorts available in Muppet Classic Theater, but I am sure you can find those, too, if you look. They include "The Three Little Pigs", "King Midas", "Rumplestiltskin", "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", "The Elves & The Shoemaker", and "The Emperor's New Clothes".


The Frog Prince:



Hey Cinderella:



Muppet Musicians of Bremen:

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The Frog Prince (A Romantic Comedy) by Elle Lothlorien

The Frog Prince (A Romantic Comedy) by Elle Lothlorien just dropped in price on Amazon from $4.99 to $2.99. It's only available as an ebook and is self-published for those who are wary of that. However, there are plenty of positive reviews--and, no, they don't appear to be all by family and friends of the author.

As for me, I loved the cover and just wanted to put it here. I've added it to my Elliptical queue--books to read on my Kindle while I am exercising. I devour books when I am exercising and exercise longer and harder than if I am listening to music since books are my happiness. And when I am exercising the reading material can't be too heavy or serious so this sounds like a fun experiment...

Book description from the publisher:

It was his pheromones that did it. With one sniff, sex researcher Leigh Fromm recognizes that any offspring she might have with the mysterious stranger would have a better-than-average chance of surviving any number of impending pandemics.

But when Leigh finds out that the handsome “someone” at her great aunt’s wake is Prince Roman Habsburg von Lorraine of Austria, she suddenly doubts her instincts—not that she was intending to sleep with the guy. The royal house of Habsburg was once completely inbred, insanity and impotency among the highlights of their genetic pedigree. (The extreme “bulldog underbite” that plagued them wasn’t called the Habsburg Jaw for nothing.)

It doesn’t matter that his family hasn’t sat on a throne (other than the ones in their Toilette) since 1918, or that Austria is now a parliamentary democracy. Their lives couldn’t be more different: Roman is routinely mobbed by paparazzi in Europe. Leigh is regularly mocked for having the social skills of a potted plant. Even if she suddenly developed grace, charm and a pedigree that would withstand the scrutiny of the press and his family, what exactly is she supposed to do with this would-have-been king of Austria who is in self-imposed exile in Denver, Colorado?

Read more about the author and other books that are on the way at www.ellelothlorien.com.

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Advertising: Frog Prince and VitaminWater

Well, we haven't had an advertising post in a while so fortunately I noticed this one this week while zipping through a commercial break on my DVR. It's a salute to the Frog Prince although I think the message is a little confused. But perhaps that's just me?

My favorite seconds are when the frog is obviously hoping to be transformed. I guess the message is that this water makes you appear like a princess to the point that a frog will hope you can transform him.

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Kiss Me! I'm a Prince by Heather McLeod and illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

Kiss Me! I'm a Prince by Heather McLeod and illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan was released in February.

Book description from the publisher:

"If you kiss me, I'll turn into a prince!" says the frog.

But Ella thinks that a talking frog is much more interesting and fun than living like a princess in a castle. And when she introduces her life to the royal prince, he tends to agree. Their friendship grows and when he does return to his world at the castle he makes a deal with his parents to allow him to continue his royal duties while also taking time out to play with his best friend...And, of course, only the kiss of a true friend can break the curse and return him to his true princely form.

And in keeping with Youth Art Month, here is some of Kerrigan's artwork. I like the gentle simplicity of these images and hope to add the book to my own library soon...

All images are copyrighted and used here for review purposes.

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Frog Prince Comic by Nick Galifianakis

The comic is by Nick Galifianakis for The Washington Post. It appeared with an advice column about gender roles in dating which referenced fairy tale stereotypes: Carolyn Hax: No happy-ever-after with fairy-tale ideas on gender but not anything interesting enough to share here. The comic made me laugh though. It's not the perspective we usually get on the tale.

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Smooch on the Hallmark Channel

This Saturday, February 11th is the premiere date of Smooch on the Hallmark Channel here in the states. This is a film inspired by The Frog King and suitable for the entire family. The link here is to the official site and the following are excerpts from articles about the movie. Yes, they are all rather derogatory over all, but these types of films always seem to get this kind of treatment in reviews. If this is your taste, it sounds like you will probably like it. I myself am interested to see Kiernan Shipka in something completely different from Mad Men.

From Hallmark's 'Smooch,' starring 'ER's' Kellie Martin, isn't quite state-of-the-heart by David Hinckley:

Even on this ocean of uncertainty, however, "Smooch" retains a lighthearted charm. It's one of those movies that somehow manages to have something for everyone: the wistful child, the lonely lady, the handsome prince who knows something has been missing from his princely life, but has never been able to quite identify what it is.

Anyone slightly familiar with fairy tales will recognize all of this and know where it's going.

And, as kids say when you read them the same story for the thousandth time, so what?

From Unchallenging 'Smooch' is completely inoffensive by Rob Owen:

Next Saturday, Hallmark debuts "Smooch" (7 p.m.), a romantic comedy loosely based on the Brothers Grimm short story "The Frog King."

The best thing about it? Actress Kiernan Shipka, the 11-year-old who plays Sally Draper on "Mad Men." She's adorable, and it's a relief to see her playing a generally happy child as opposed to her most famous character. Also, it was shot in San Francisco, where it's set, and Detroit, so "Smooch" benefits from a better on-location backdrop than many TV movies.

The worst thing about "Smooch"? It moves at a snail's pace — too much time spent watching people walk around — and it's entirely predictable. At best, it's cute pabulum.

Shipka plays Zoe, a girl who loves fantasy stories and happy endings. She believes a frog she rescued from a science class has turned into a prince (Simon Kassianides, "Quantum of Solace"). She brings home the man, who can't remember how he ended up disheveled in a park, and he's hired to be her nanny. Zoe also has a widowed mother (Kellie Martin, "Life Goes On"), so you can imagine where the story will go from there.

The film's theme, according to writer Howard Burkons, is the notion that love goes on, even if you lose the one you love, as Zoe's mother has.

"That love that you find in one romance can become part of who you are," Burkons said, "and that love can spread to touch other people, and through a child's imagination, anything is possible."

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Carola Dunn's Fairy Tale Romances

So earlier this week I was sleepless thanks to a lingering cough and resorted to some lite reading late at night. I ended up choosing The Frog Earl by Carola Dunn as my light reading of choice and had a fun time with it. Yes, this is a romance novel. Yes, it is almost twenty years old and has been rereleased to ebook format along with several of Dunn's other novels. This also means it is not a bodice ripper but more in line with Georgette Heyer lite. If that is your taste, Dunn's books may be for you. I was interested since I have read some of Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple mystery series and enjoyed them. I own this one somewhere as a tattered copy found at a used bookstore years and years ago but I've never read it. My allergies often hinder reading old paperbacks and they have to go in sealed boxes to prevent my sneezing. Not an issue with an ebook...


Here's the book description:

Escaping into the countryside to nurse his wounded pride and heart, Simon Hurst encounters the lovely but eccentric Mimi (half English, half Indian and all mischief) who promises him three favors—then only grudgingly doles them out. If he can capture that last one—that kiss—before she learns the truth about his identity, he should transform into an earl once again.

I had fun with just how many ways Dunn incorporated the Frog Prince into the story. It's fun and clever with several little "wink-winks" at the reader. In truth, I was impressed with just how well the tale is incorporated into the plot. There is no magic but the fairy tale elements appear in several places. I think I also enjoyed it because it is rare to read a novel-length interpretation of the tale. We have Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast everywhere, but the Frog Prince is pretty rare and Dunn shows how it can be successfully used.

The leads are interesting, too.  Few Regencies I've dabbled with include half Indian, half English heroines so that was a change of pace. I definitely got my $4 worth of entertainment on a sleepless night. Now I will be adding her other fairy tale romances to my TBR pile for when I need some lite reading. I will share those below although I haven't read them myself yet.

Lady in the Briars by Carola Dunn is a take on Sleeping Beauty, a much less literal adaptation of the fairy tale it appears.

Book description:

Rebecca Nuthall, downtrodden unpaid companion to a relative, is saved from drowning by Lord John Danville. Lord John has been ordered abroad by his father after indulging in a frivolous but near fatal duel. About to leave for Russia with his cousin Teresa Graylin and her diplomat husband, he persuades Teresa to take Rebecca along as governess for their little girl. In St Petersburg, Rebecca blossoms…until she is arrested for espionage. Once again, John must risk his life to rescue her.

This review from Library Journal is more descriptive and better explains how the Sleeping Beauty theme is used.

After nine years of terror and abuse by her uncle, Rebecca Nuthall flees to London. There she enjoys a dull but safe and insulated life as a companion until she meets the Graylin family and becomes involved in their adventures of intrigue. Lord John Danville, a gentleman of the ton with profligate habits, has been banished to the family estate. Old friends with the Graylin's, he too becomes involved in their schemes--and with Rebecca. Initially John feels sorry for Rebecca; she is so timid and fearful of men. His feelings change as he and Rebecca travel with the Graylins to Russia and Rebecca learns to overcome her fears and assert herself. A light, diverting romance, this is the author's ninth Regency.

 
Finally we have The Magic of Love by Carola Dunn which is actually a collection of three Regency romance novellas. I own this one but had quite literally forgotten about it.

Book description from the publisher:

Three Regency Fairytales and a Halloween ghost story:

RUMPLESTILTSKIN—with an unexpected hero

ALADDIN’S LAMP—turns up in Regency Oxford, jinnee and all

THE FIREBIRD—with a wer-fox as heroine

with Superstition—a Halloween short story, in which a Gypsy’s fortune-telling proves doubly accurate

All of these books are also available in other ebook formats, not just Kindle mobis, at Belgrave House where several of Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple short stories are free for downloading.

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