Back down to earth: Hudson changed into flip flops as she left the studio with her fiancé and father of her baby, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy
She accented her outfit with a pair of sky high beige peep toe Christian Louboutin heels which showed off her toned legs.
Hudson joins the trend of pregnant celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Rachel Zoe who continued to wear sky high heels throughout their pregnancies while many mothers-to-be opt for flats to cope with their swollen ankles.
Waiting: Kate says she and Matt have not found out the sex of their baby and want it to be a surprise
The pregnant actress appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show to promote her new movie Something Borrowed.
She was later accompanied by her fiancé and the father of her baby, Muse rocker Matt Bellamy, as she left and was then decidedly more dressed down.
Hudson had changed into a long flowing brown dress, a cream cardigan and wore flip flops as she exited the television studio.
Bellamy gallantly carried her bag for her while also clutching his iPad.
Promotional trail: Kate appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show yesterday in the same dress as she wore on Jimmy Kimmel
'I get really exhausted,' she told Ellen. 'More tired, more sick, more everything.'
Kate and Matt can't wait to meet their child, but refuse to find out ahead of time whether they are having a boy or a girl.
'I looked at Matthew and said: 'We're almost there',' says Hudson. 'It's so easy to find out.'
'But this way, there's no expectation on what the baby is. You're not thinking about what they look like. You're literally just going: 'Is it a boy or is it a girl?', she told USA Today.
The actress already has a seven-year-old son, Ryder, with her ex-husband Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson.
All smiles: The actress clutched her baby bump as she made her entrance on the talk show
Kate Hudson Guesses Her Baby is a Girl!

source: dailymail

VIA Pregnant in very high heels! Kate Hudson wears towering Louboutin stilettos

Niyang River Visitor Center

VIA «The centre for visitors on the bank of the mountain river»

The Architectural Heap

In the modern world you are surprised — as architects of the past could build approximately in one style, according to the general mood of an epoch, and consider it as art?

The original architectural project

In Competition on Originality there was a new applicant. Peking bureau MAD has offered the skyscraper project on which each floor gardens will blossom.
The basic feature of a design — not at height, and on horizontal saturation. The tower represents a heap of the floors, one on another where each layer will shift aside, thus creating open space for a patio and gardens. A 385-metre tower name Urban Forest.

Art Architecture in China

By the end of 2009 year architects plan to finish work on the design concept. The tower becomes the third studio in a portfolio. The studio offers new directions for development of city architecture in China. Namely actualization of ecologically steady multiplane structures which would return the nature in cities. The city of Chongking became the fourth on size a city of China in 1997.

VIA «The Architectural Chinese Greatness»

A few hours later he chauffeured his wife Victoria to dinner at Matsuhisa restaurant in Beverly Hills.
Beckham wears his favourite black beanie for the trip to Pinkberry. Eldest son Brooklyn didn't join the boys' outing
The family dog Coco joined Beckham and the boys for the trip to Pinkberry, where they often stop off for a frozen treat.
Eldest son Brooklyn, who was with Beckham when the accident occurred on Friday, did not join the outing.
Date night: Beckham later drove his pregnant wife Victoria to dinner at Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills
Mrs Beckham sat in the back seat while her husband drove to Matsuhisa - part of the Nobu franchise.
The collision happened after a gold Mitsubishi stalled in the fast lane due to mechanical problems, a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman said.
She said: 'Yesterday at approximately 9.13am Beckham was involved with a collision on the southbound 405 Freeway just south of Artesia Boulevard.'
She added: 'The biggest commotion was when people realised it was David Beckham.'
‘David’s car was taken away from the scene by a tow truck. It had lost a front bumper in the collision.’
Scare: The footballer was involved in a collision over the weekend with son Brooklyn (pictured together in March) but both were unharmed
source:dailymail

VIA On the road again: After his car crash David Beckham treats the boys to ice cream

Aqua Tower (Chicago)

Each skyscraper in Chicago is continuation of History of Skyscrapers which has begun for a city in 1885 with building Home Insurance Building. "Tower" in height of 42 meters (plus two floors have been completed in 1891, having finished height to 50 meters) became the first-ever building exceeding level in five floors. New Aqua Tower — height of 250 meters, the sculptural facade of a structure creating illusion of waves is unique.

The Unique Architectural Structure

Calcareous rocks, characteristic for area of Great Lakes became a prototype of a wavy facade.
Such architectural decision it has not only visual value, and is functional; waves are used as viewing platforms, and also a shadow veil.
Building parameters; 82 floors, 250 meters in height, 215 hotel rooms (with 1 on 18 floor), 476 apartments (with 19 on 52 floor), 5,100 sq. m. trading and office areas, an underground parking, a 8-storeyed cellar a total area of 32,000 sq. m., a terrace with gardens, pools, arbors, paths for walks and run.

The New Aqua Tower

VIA «Aqua Tower by Studio Gang»

Today, I have Michael Mullin visiting us for Fairy Tale Fortnight! Michael is a writer who has two fun fractured fairy tales! He's written 8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf, which is exactly as the title suggests and the story of the 8th dwarf in Snow White's tale and The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny , the story of a girl who gets picked on at school and decides to hire the witch from The Frog Prince to seek revenge. How fun does that sound?!

AND Michael has been generous enough to offer an e copy of each to one lucky winner! AND since they are e-copies, that means it's INTERNATIONAL!:) Details on that at the end of the post! And now — The interview!
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What do you make of the resurgence in popularity for fairy tales? (Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsmen, all within a very short time)? Do you see it as a trend that will sort of peter out, or is it just getting started?

Studio trends are about competition and money. Keeping in mind movies and TV shows are in development for years before the public sees any billboards, it’s not too surprising that similar themes reach the public around the same time. If something is well received, similar projects in development are revised and hurried.

Personally, I hope the trend lasts; it’s a great marketing tool for my eBooks. As long as the executions maintain some level of quality, people will want to read and see retellings. My irrational fear, of course, is that at the moment of my big break, someone decides fairy tale retellings are “so last year”.

What impact do you think fairy tales have on society (especially with the same tales popping up in various forms in every society)?

I think the sanitized versions (Disney and the like) have the most impact, and not much of it is positive. Those princesses are terrible role models for young girls, but that argument has been made often and far better than I ever could.

As far as cross-cultural impact, I defer to Joseph Campbell, who tells us the symbols of myth (including fairy tales) tap into what Jung called the collective unconscious. The trouble is, who’s reading or hearing the originals these days?

Book in a Tweet: Your fairy tale in 140 characters or less?

I have 2 books, so I get 2 tweets, right?

An 8th dwarf named Creepy was banished to the basement for being a misfit loner. Yet he affected the Snow White tale we thought we knew.

A teenage princess hires the witch from The Frog Prince to get revenge on a Mean Girl at school. A troll she meets thinks it’s a bad idea.

Favorite fairy tale:
I’d say The Frog Prince, the early Grimm version in which the transformation comes not from a kiss but from the princess throwing the frog at the wall in disgust. Seems odd behavior to reward, but the symbolic images throughout that story are rich. And I love the King’s no-nonsense attitude about making his daughter keep her promises.

Most underrated fairy tale?
Godfather Death. Surprises me more hasn’t been done with this one. Maybe I’ll do it myself.

Most overrated fairy tale?
Sleeping Beauty. Aside from the ultimate passive heroine, I never liked the idea of the whole kingdom going to sleep to “combat” the spell.

Last year we asked everyone’s fairy tale hero/heroine name; this year, we want to know your fairy tale villain name:
Lincoln La Rogue (Linus, maybe?)

Using that name, give us a line from your villainous fairy tale:
Having been dead for centuries, La Rogue paid no attention to the so-called “life and death” matters with which the townspeople seemed so concerned.

If a genie granted you 3 wishes, what would they be?
I’m assuming I can’t ask for more wishes. (Standard caveat.)

1. Sounds superficial but I’d ask for success. With it comes money and influence that I happen to know I’d use for the greater good – not just on myself.
2. Sounds corny but I’d wish happy lives for my kids.
3. Some oddball superpower, like being able to stop time.

Best way to read fairy tales? (ie location, snacks, etc)
On the living room couch, glass of red wine or scotch in hand.

If one of your books was being turned into a movie and you could cast 1 character, which character would you cast and who would play them?
I think the young woman from the 2010 remake of True Grit would make a good Princess Penny. (Yes, I had to look up her name: Hailee Steinfeld.)
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Thanks so much Michael! I'm totally loving these fairy tale interviews! (Don't tell anyone else, but the FTF interviews are always my favorite!:) )

And now — To win an electronic copy of Michael's books, you need to leave a meaningful comment on this post, something that shows me and Michael that you have read the interview, or are genuinely interested in his books!
You can also get an extra entry by Liking the facebook page for 8 and for Following Michael's Blog. Just let me know in your comment how many of the 3 you did!

AND- make sure you have filled out the main giveaway form so that we can get you your prize! (So, don't be leaving personal info in the comments! Just fill out the form!)

Click the button to be taken to the
Fairy Tale Fortnight Main Page & Schedule
(button image via)

In a unification — force!

“Symbolising idea of accessible knowledge, a building openly city”, — is spoken Thom Mayne, by the author of the concept.
“The visual transparency of public zones connects institute to a physical, social and cultural component of a city”.

VIA «Interior on service at knowledge»

VIA Rachel McAdams joins 2010 best

VIA «The house of the Italian photographer»

Not a good look: Cheryl teamed the tracksuit with a pair of heeled boots
And the only hint of Cheryl's now-renowned sense of style came with the black boots she teamed the outfit with, as well as her designer white handbag.
But Cheryl seemed happy enough with her outfit, keeping her head down but managing a smile for photographers as she made her way through Los Angeles' LAX Airport.
In disguise: Cheryl tried to go incognito in a pair of huge sunglasses
And it's no wonder the singer is smiling, as she has won rave reviews already for her part on X Factor USA.
Cheryl flew out to LA the day after it was announced that she would be joining the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and LA Reid.
Can't you see anything? Cheryl, who was wearing dark sunglasses, is guided through the airport
Glamour girl: Cheryl's dressed-down look was in sharp contrast to her appearance at the X Factor USA auditions last week
And while Cheryl's involvement in the show has already been a success, she met criticism from some viewers when she sat next to Simon on the panel - the seat usually reserved for Paula Abdul.
An insider told MailOnline: 'The fans are angry because Cheryl is sitting next to simon.
'They call Paula and Simon "Saula" and think that Cheryl is splitting them up.'
Chic: Cheryl went for huge hair and a vibrant outfit for her first day of work Stateside
Cheryl Cole at the first 'X Factor USA' live taping

Cheryl Cole: Live From Studio Five 09.05.2011 - US X Factor Launch

source: dailymail

VIA Cheryl Cole makes a fashion faux pas in unflattering grey tracksuit

This week's Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and Bookish is favorite book quotes. Luckily I have a lot of these! In no particular order:

1. "I had that terrible feeling you get when you realize that you're stuck with who you are, and there's nothing you can do about it. I mean, you can make characters up, like I did when I became like a Jane Austen-y person on New Year's Eve, and that gives you some time off. But it's impossible to keep it going for long." A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
2. "Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs. I wonder how they feel tonight." The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
3. "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you." Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. "Sometimes I think that knowledge--when it's knowledge for knowledge's sake, anyway--is the worst of all. The least excusable certainly." Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
5. "It is simply wrong to love music halfway." Perfect From Now On by John Sellers (I love this book! I've never mentioned this on her before because I forgot but I really, really love this book!)
6. "And so now, having been born, I'm going to rewind the film, so that my pink blanket flies off, my crib scoots across the floor as my umbilical cord reattaches, and I cry out as I'm sucked back between my mother's legs. She gets really fat again. Then back some more as a spoon stops swinging and a thermometer goes back into its velvet case. Sputnik chases its rocket trail back to the launching pad and polio stalks the land. There's a quick shot of my father as a twenty-year-old clarinetist, playing an Artie Shaw number into the phone, and then he's in church, age eight, being scandalized by the price of candles; and next my grandfather is untaping his first U.S. dollar bill over a cash register in 1931. Then we're out of American completely; we're in the middle of the ocean, the sound track sounding funny in reverse. A steamship appears, and up on a deck a lifeboat is curiously rocking; but then the boat docks, stern first, and we're up on dry land again, where the film unspoolls, back at the beginning..." Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
7. "Youth and death shed a halo through which it is difficult to see a real face--a face one might see today in the street or here in my studio." Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf
8. "Everything she said was like a secret voice speaking straight out of my own bones." The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
9. "If I broke down here, what would that mean/ Was I not as strong as my father had been?/ But I think I can fight this all on my own/ With a handful of happiness that never was shown/" The Doctor's Waiting Room by Joshua Partington, Part of the anthology Revolution on Canvas
10. "Buy why think about that when all the golden land's ahead of you and all kinds of unforeseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you're alive to see?" On the Road by Jack Kerouac

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Luxury Restaurant in Sydney

Sean Kitchen — the project of studio BEE Design opened in September, 2008 in Sydney.
The head cook and owner Sean Connelly (the Winner of popular competition head cook Sydney Morning Herald in 2007) supervises over this dynamical restaurant.

Sean Kitchen by Sean Connelly

The restaurant consists of the several zones named “contact points”. In each of such zones various variants of a delicatessen and a decor that gives possibility to diversify the menu in the same institution, at invariable quality of service. Zones are named: Tapas Bar, Ocean Shelf, Patio Bar and Lounge.

Restaurant in Sydney (Australia)

The restaurant on 300 places, with the Mediterranean interiors perfectly combines in the interior earthy shades red and brown with sharp illumination.
However the most intriguing aspect of a premise is the openness of area for cooking of the dishes, allowing to observe skillful masters of culinary arts in work and all movement of the kitchen personnel.

VIA «Sean's Kitchen Restaurant»

Copyright by Oliver Fritze | Images from series ›Lea, Clémence, Knut, Petra und Hartmut‹, ›Kino‹ & ›Jahrmarkt‹

Oliver Fritze is a fashion photographer. He lives in Paris, having relocated from his native Germany. (...) He learned much from artists like Ruven Afanador, Dimitri Daniloff and Nick Knight, to whom he owes one of his favorite memories in the studio: shooting an album cover for the Rolling Stones. Fritze considers light an essential part of photography, and he has developed a style tinged with emotion and spirit. Oliver Fritze has won the top prize – the  Prix Picto 2012  as part of this years Prix Picto de la Jeune Photographie de Mode.
OLIVER FRITZE

VIA The Beautiful Artwork Of Photographer Oliver Fritze

VIA Miss Universe Canada 2011 Contestant - Sheri Cuillerier's Photo & Profile/Biography

Today I have Emily Wing Smith visiting the blog! She's the author of the recently released, Back When You Were Easier to Love and she's going to be sharing with us her this or that choices! I really enjoyed a lot of her answers! I'm really curious about that dare now!:)

Spring or Fall:
As long as I’m armed with Claritin-D, fall wins for its perfect temps and gorgeous scenery. Oh, and my fall birthday!

Past or Future: The past is real. The future isn’t.

Marvel or DC Comics:Marvel was the studio behind my fave 80s cartoon JEM.

Legos or Lincoln Logs:Growing up, my brother had Legos pretty much everywhere pretty much all the time. I used to step on Legos galore--in bare feet! Ouch. But I have a soft spot for them. Thanks, Andy!

Detailed planning or spontaneous decisions:I consider myself detail-oriented, but much of what I do is on a whim.
Turkey or Ham:Wednesday is $5 Turkey footlong at my local Subway.

Sweet or Salty:Both. My total comfort food: M&Ms/chocolate Teddy Grahams paired with pretzels or salt and vinegar chips.

Ocean or Mountains:Ocean, though ironically, I live in the mountains!

Hardcover or Paperback:Paperbacks are cheaper so I can by more of them for the same amount of money. On a non-cheapskate note, they also take up less shelf space!

Truth or Dare:I tend to over-share. Besides, the one time I chose Dare it got me into a very uncomfortable situation.

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter:Um, solid chocolate, YO. Plain for the win.

A one room library or Books in every room in your house:
Books in every room in your house. Gum or Breath Mint:Gum, although I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, so breath mints would be a better choice, wouldn’t they?

Painting or PhotographPhotography. Looking at it, not taking it.
Uncertain theory or Absolute fact:Hmm…I believe in certain absolute truths, but other things are up for debate. Thank you so much Emily for joining us today! And readers, be on the lookout for my review of Back When You Were Easier to Love! It'll be up in about two weeks!:)

The Futuristic Structure

For the next addition to a sky of the city of Dubai architectural studio Graft Lab answers. The new object is called “Vertical Village”. This set of multifunctional buildings applies on LEED Gold Certificate.

The architectural decision is optimized for climatic conditions of a place; the building minimizes heating from the sun and on-maximum uses possibilities for solar energy manufacture.
The building for itself creates a shade, in northern block, and on east and a West side is built in such a manner that penetration of long solar beams is complicated.

The Architectural Generation

The Solar Energy in Dubai

Solar collectors in the south automatically rotate behind the sun. Crossing of intricate coal forms gives the chance to generate the internal block where pools are placed. The composite ensemble of separate buildings creates the integral project.

VIA «The Solar Energy Absorber»

CitizenM is the hotel made of ready modules of rooms.

The philosophy of a new hotel brand is that:

“Small rest in road is necessary to All travellers. To researchers, wise men, dandies, businessmen, adventurers and dreamers. They are independent and individual, but they are united by one — aspiration to travel positively. For all mobile citizens of the world. CitizenM”

VIA «Hotel of new type in Amsterdam»

VIA Miss Universe Canada 2011 Contestant - Rana Khaled's Photo & Profile/Biography

Luxury Bar in Las Vegas

Bar in Las Vegas, work of the Japanese studio “Design Spirits Co., Ltd” became one of winners of competition The Great Indoors Awards. The Chinese restaurant is in one building with very large casino and hotel on 3,300 apartments.

Luxury Relax & Consume

The project has won a nomination “Relax and Consume”. Walls and a ceiling are covered by a white openwork pattern from a steel.

Habitual registration of an interior — division into various zones by means of various "samples". In the given premise there is one magnificent feature — an absolute openness, absence of columns. Designers have decided to use this fact and have issued all interior in uniform style. The space has turned out unique and picturesque.

VIA «The Bar Interiors»

VIA NBC Bosses Don't Like The 2011 "Wonder Woman" Pilot?