13th Book: Edgar & Ellen- Nod's Limbs

This is the six installment of the Edgar and Ellen books. Having not read any of the preceding books, it was a bit confusing at the start. But once you have established the facts related to their adventures before, you'll be able to follow the plot better.

Unlike my first impression of kids with only mischief in mind, this book actually presented the twins as having wits. They use it to fight for their house and save their beloved pet. In hopes of saving their house from being torn down, they joined a hunt- the hunt for Nod's golden limbs. In solving the riddles, they also figured a way that would somehow help them save pet just in time.

The riddles presented in this book are clever. I like riddles, so, I enjoyed finding the answers as much as Edgar and Ellen do. This book also presented Edgar and Ellen's unusual, love (if you may call it) for each others as siblings. It's like, they are born to annoy each other, yet they are one mind when it comes to mischief.

Have I told that the book is also musical. Well, Edgar and Ellen that is. They sing their hearts out during some parts of their adventure. For children, that is fairly common. (You know, the song that you use to sing whenever the school bell rings and it's time to go home.)

The twist of events were unexpectable too. The plot was well thought of, and told in the book. 

ParaNorman

I don't really have the thing for things related to horror. However, this time, I was as much expectant as my sister for the movie ParaNorman. If you think about it, there are lots of animation, and mostly like the evil vs. good,family,friends, but you would rarely see an animation movie related to horror( or zombies for that matter)and at the same time comical. The movie was done with the stop-motion animation so I was equally curious to that.

Norman not so normal
Our protagonist, Norman looks just like any children his age, except, for the fact that he sees dead people. Nobody believes him of course, people would look at him strangely and in school he is called a freak. But hey, who would've thought that the pass-down history about the witch's curse would change the town, and this boy, whom they call a freak, would be part of it.

How it's made
This animation reflects a typical American family. It's almost as if you're getting a glimpse of their culture, no one believes Norman, his older sister hates her, people think he's weird, too bad for him.

I like how the point was made. At the start you would have thought he was just talking to his grandmother, until his father told him (for the nth time) that she was dead. Going to school, you can see him talking alone, and moving as if he is avoiding bumping into an empty space, you would definitely think he's nuts, but flip the camera to Norman's point of view, and you'll see them: the friendly ghosts he's been seeing and talking with.

The writers also took advantage of witches curse and history, mixed it up and came up with a good story.

The characters are also nicely made. By that I mean that each of them are unique.

Photo from here

 Now that's what you call details.

Photos from here.

In the end
In the end, I think the conflicts were solved. Norman, the strange boy who talks to the dead, did something that no one in the town was willing to do, and thanks to him all's well again.

Somehow, it just made a bit sad that the cinema was not full when this was shown, this even have a more solid plot than Brave, in my opinion. (ah, the power of marketing!) Anyhow, this film was surely a treat, glad I watched it.

Cupcakes by Sonja

Going to Serendra is like going to a toyland where you will be welcomed by the fancy facade of different establishments. For sure, there are lots of nice places here where you can spend your lunch or dinner, but if you just want to spend time with a light snack, there are places to visit too. If you have a sweet tooth, Cupcakes by Sonja is a place to check.

This nook is like a fancy bakery. With its mirror walls, one can covet the lovely looking cupcakes inside.  

 Now, you must be aware though, that the prices here seems outrageous for the size. They cupcakes ranging from P60-100.

If not for a friend who wanted to try this, I think I wouldn't have visited. But anyway, it's a new experience. So I did a little research and according here one of the best sellers must be the Red velvet vixen as it has a high vote compared with the other cupcakes. And so I ordered that out of curiousity. I got another, the Smores tart.. My friend got the choco cream pie and the banana monkey cream pie.

Smores tart and Red velvet vixen

The red velvet vixen
The bread is not dry, the softness is enough, as well as the taste. It's not very sweet, just right, and it has this unique after taste, it must have something to do with the cream.

Smores tart
Now this one tasted too sweet for my taste. The chocolate tasted like melted milo plus three spoons of sugar. The mallows inside are ok, and just right.

My friends picks:

She got two cream refregirated cupcakes. Both of them tastes good, though she said she feels like she's eating some crushed cookies, and not cupcakes.

 I can say that we were satisfied with the taste, with the exception of my oversweet smores. Overall, the cute place, the cute, yummy cupcakes, were a nice experience.

It pays to be persistent

Today, I'm supposed to finish coloring a different drawing, but my little sis was very persistent in asking me to make a cover for her computer program. So I ended up doing her bidding for the last couple of hours. 

Now this is a good example of how persistence pays. (Luke 11:5-10)

Anyway's there's what she asked me to do. Hope I'll finish up her other drawings in no time.

"Hi!" says the bear.

Haiku-Juu San

Ber months
Cold breeze welcome us
Days fly fast 'cause ber is here
Soon Christmas will come.