As part of my aforementioned Disney Princess kick, I got some adorable keychains for my birthday. You buy them sealed in an opaque bag — you don't know which character you've got until you open it. I'm not usually a blind bag person, but these were on sale and I liked basically all of the … Continue reading Apples and dinglehoppers: Thoughts on Disney Princess symbols
Tag: Blog Posts
The two kinds of Twisted Tales (mini-reviews and DNFs)
I've been on a Disney Princess kick. It started last August and has been getting stronger ever since, fueled in part by the Twisted Tales book series. I've already written three posts about Twisted Tales (my thoughts on Mirror, Mirror and Go the Distance, a glowing review of So This is Love, and a deep-dive … Continue reading The two kinds of Twisted Tales (mini-reviews and DNFs)
Two tales of three orphans
I recently read a book that I absolutely loved. It's a juvenile fiction novel about a trio of British orphans (two boys and a girl, who is the youngest), written by an American author. The children are seen as bothersome troublemakers by many — until they meet the woman who is destined to be their … Continue reading Two tales of three orphans
A foray into historical fashion with Cinderella
One of my favorite things about Disney Princess movies is how they blend historical influences with the fashion sensibilities of the time they were made. It’s especially evident in the older films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: it seems to take place hundreds of years in the past, judging by the 16th-century-inspired elements … Continue reading A foray into historical fashion with Cinderella
Brown butter blondie bites (a cozy recipe)
Sometimes I wonder if this blog is too eclectic. I write about books, mostly, but there's also coffee, art, stuff about my Etsy shop, and now baking. I started Quill and Bean with the goal of creating an atmosphere of coziness, so I tell myself it all fits together: a good book, a hot beverage, … Continue reading Brown butter blondie bites (a cozy recipe)
Twisted Tales: Why I love “So This is Love”
The Disney Twisted Tales series has a fun premise: What if some aspect of a classic Disney story changed, sending the plot off on unexpected twists and turns? I've already written about Mirror, Mirror and Go the Distance, but today I want to spend some time luxuriating in the world of So This is Love … Continue reading Twisted Tales: Why I love “So This is Love”
Thoughts on two Twisted Tales
I recently read two books from Disney's Twisted Tales series: Mirror, Mirror, a reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), and Go the Distance, based on Hercules (1997). Though written by the same author (Jen Calonita), the two books are very different in tone — after all, there's more than half a century … Continue reading Thoughts on two Twisted Tales
Musings on foliage
This was originally shared on Instagram on October 6, 2020, as part of @lacelit's #lacelitober challenge. Prompt: "Foliage" As soon as I saw today’s topic, I thought of the beautiful fall foliage I saw in Japan last year. It was especially exciting for me as a Floridian who’d never fully experienced autumnal splendor 😄 The … Continue reading Musings on foliage
The color of memories
This was originally shared on Instagram on October 25, 2022, as part of @lacelit's #lacelitober challenge. Prompt: "Token" It’s cliche to start with the dictionary definition, but I liked the sound of this: “a thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.” It brings to mind this #QuillAndBeanColorPalette I … Continue reading The color of memories
Ella Enchanted: Thoughts on adaptation
As I wrote in a previous post, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is one of my favorite books of all time. That's why I was so disappointed with the movie of the same name when it came out in 2004: The plot and characters were almost unrecognizable. But since it's been almost 20 years, … Continue reading Ella Enchanted: Thoughts on adaptation