Reign Soundtrack

Hey! So my last post was about a new show called Reign. If you haven't read it yet, you need to STOP, DROP, and ROLL! Or you could just go read it... right now.

Ok, now that you know what I'm talking about, I shall continue. One thing that I noticed while watching Reign for the first time was its soundtrack. They have a lot of songs by the Lumineers (you may know them) and songs from other bands I haven't heard of before. I'm totally in love with the songs and I was listening to them while doing my homework last night.

The song below, Scotland by the Lumineers, is basically Reign's theme song. It's so good!

Below are my favorite songs that are played during the first two episodes. They are great! I can't wait to hear all of the songs that will be played throughout the season. The video directly below is Back to You by Twin Peaks. It might be my favorite so far.

This one is called Flowers in Your Hair by the Lumineers.

Follow by the Crystal Fighters

Charlie Boy the Lumineers

The Loved Ones by Sanders Bohlke

There are a bunch of amazing songs to listen to from season 1 so far. I love them! Listen to them and tell me your favorites in the comments below!

New Show: Reign

Hey guys! So, I seriously need some shows to watch. And no, I don't watch PLL. I've been watching Once Upon a Time, one of my all time favorite shows, since the first season, but I need some other stuff to watch when it isn't on. I tried out a new ABC Family drama called Twisted, and I got my cousin hooked on it, but the season ended a while ago.

I've been on the hunt for new shows to watch for a while, and I looked up a handful of them that were premiering in fall. There are a lot of shows that recently came out on the CW like Reign, The Tomorrow People, the Originals, and probably more that I don't know about. I decided to try out Reign and The Tomorrow People, but The Originals is a vampire show, which is not my cup of tea.

I tried to watch The Tomorrow People, but I didn't really like it... It was actually as stupid as it sounds. But, I decided I would watch one episode of Reign, just to try it out. I wasn't expecting much.

Reign is a historical drama with characters that actually existed in real life. I know, it sounds boring. But I am amazed at the modern twist they put into the show, and I really doubt any events in the show are actually historically accurate.

Reign follows the main character, Mary Queen of Scotland, who is off to marry the future king of France, Prince Francis, after multiple assassination attempts by the English. At the age of 9, she was hidden away to live with nuns at a convent. She is rushed to French Court after poison is found in the porridge served at the nunnery. Her friends from Scotland, her new ladies in waiting, meet her there.

Adelaide Kane plays Mary. She is so pretty! asdfghjkl

Even at French court, Mary faces problems. Francis, to whom she has been engaged to for almost her whole life, does not seem to want to marry her. His illegitimate half brother, Sebastian, also seems to take interest in her. Trust me, there is lots of drama and a mysterious girl who travels the palace through secret passageways...

Francis, future king of France

Sebastian, the half-brother

It is foretold that Mary will cost Francis his life. The Queen Catherine, Francis's mother, will stop at nothing to alter the prophecy- including hurting Mary. 

Queen Catherine

Mary's friends have their own issues. They have to make sure Mary is doing well, but that doesn't stop them from having their own fun. 

Kenna, one of Mary's friends

The show is only two episodes in, with a promise of royal drama to come. I'll be tuning in to Reign on Thursdays. Will you?

Scary Cat Legends from Around the Globe

So, Halloween is coming up soon, so I decided to do a creepy Halloween-themed post. Black cats are a common staple of Halloween, and you know that cats are my soul mates, so I decided to put the two together and share some legendary cat tales from around the world.

1. The Wampus Cat (USA)

This painting of a Wampus cat made me laugh :)

The tale of the Wampus cat is a Cherokee Native American story. Legend has it that a particularly beautiful woman of the Cherokee tribe followed her husband on one of the men's hunting expeditions instead of staying at camp with the other women. After the men finished hunting, they sat around a fire and told stories, talked, and did magic. The woman hid in the nearby bushes with a mountain lion hide over her as a disguise.

She was eventually discovered, which meant big trouble for her. According to the laws of the tribe, women were ABSOLUTELY NOT allowed to hear of the forbidden magic that the men practiced. She was punished by the medicine man, who bound the hide she was wearing to her skin, turning her into a half-woman and half-cat. She was forced to leave her camp and endlessly roam the mountains, howling in anger. It is said that the mutant cat still roams the forests of Tennessee unable to return to her human form, attacking anyone she sets eyes upon. Apparently, if someone hears one of her cries, it means that they or someone they know is destined to die and be buried in three days.

2. The Vampire Cat of Nabéshima (Japan)

The story of this "vampire" cat is an ancient Japanese tale that dates back to the late 16th century. It tells of a giant beast that transforms into its victims. In the legend, the huge cat attacks the Prince's mistress while she is asleep in her chambers. The beast takes her form after killing her, and continues to charm the Prince, while making him very ill. In the end, the beautiful mistress is seen transforming into the beast, and the Prince is informed. He orders the cat to be slain (which it is) and regains his health.

3. The Sith Cat (Scotland)


It is possible that the idea of a cat having nine lives originated from this Scottish legend. It is said that this fairy-cat still haunts the Scottish Highlands. Sith cats, the tale tells, are black with a white spot on their chest. They are fairy creatures, according to Celtic Mythology, but some variations say that Sith cats were actually witches that could transform into cats 9 times.

Scottish people did not enjoy the large Sith Cat.It is said that the cat would steal a soul from a dead body before it was claimed by the Gods. People also never lit fires during a burial- Sith cats were known to be attracted to heat.

3. Kasha (Japan)


The tale of the Kasha, a flaming demon cat, is yet another Japanese legend about a crazy feline. Are cats really that scary?

These demonic cats are said to travel the worlds on a burning chariot. They take corpses who have sinned right in the middle of their funerals , and enjoy devouring them- one limb at a time. There is really not much more to say about that.

4. The Black Cat of Killakee (Ireland)


There are many versions of this story, but they all focus on a phantom cat that haunts a building. The legend was born when while converting a dilapidated building (previously called the Hell Fire Club) into a center of the arts. The workmen who were completing the renovations caught a glimpse of a large black feline, but it quickly disappeared.

One of the owners of the new building thought that the "cat" the workers thought they saw was imaginary, until she herself came face to face with it when it was sitting in the hallway, staring at her with big red eyes.

The painter, however, had the most chilling encounter with the mysterious feline. The door to the room he was painting burst open, and a hazy figure emerged from the darkness. The painter thought it was a person, and jokingly called out "Come in, I can see you." He was very frightened when the figure answered with a ferocious growl. The beast snarled at him and stared at him with its gleaming red eyes.

After yet another creepy encounter, a local medium was called to the scene. She explained that the strange occurrences and sightings of the black cat were tied to the unhappy souls of two women who were members of the infamous Hell Fire Club. They had apparently taken part in the satanic rituals performed in the building.


So do you believe in any of these outrageous feline fantasies? I personally don't, but its always interesting to learn about different cultures through their legends and tales. Do you think that black cats are unlucky? I'm not a superstitious person, and I don't believe in "bad luck" caused by anything. Lastly, I'd like to ask you if you think cats are really that scary. I love cats... do you? Leave your answers in the comments!

Restaurant Review: Crepe Bar

Every weekend  is a new opportunity for my family and me to eat at different restaurants. On Sunday morning, we decided to try out a crepe place, Crepe Bar, for brunch. If you don't know already, a crepe is a French pancake-like food item. Crepes are extremely thin, and often filled with sweet or savory ingredients.

Crepe Bar has a cool, relaxing vibe. The location isn't ideal, and there are only a couple of small tables outside the main entrance for outdoor seating. The store is also pretty small in size, and some of the tables are positioned pretty close to each other. But, the overall buzz of the restaurant and fresh flowers at every table gave it a relaxed atmosphere.

A wide variety of interesting drinks were available at the front of the store.I had the opportunity to try wild strawberry soda. It was actually really good, and it had a natural strawberry flavor. Crepe Bar is also famous for their coffee, and my parents ordered two mugs. I personally dislike coffee, so I didn't get to try it. As soon as my mom took a sip, she realized that there was an odd flavor in the coffee. After taking a few more sips, both of my parents rejected the coffee. My dad said there was an odd aftertaste, and it made him nauseous. I wouldn't recommend trying it.

After taking a look at the menu, we decided to order three sweet crepes and two savory crepes. I ordered the cheesecake crepe, which had pistachio, cream cheese, and fresh strawberries. My little sister and I decided to share our dishes, so she ordered the chicken pesto crepe. My mom and my dad also decided to share with each other and ordered the breakfast burrito, which (we were told) was the most popular item on the menu, and the vanilla bean custard with strawberries. We ordered one extra crepe for all of us to share called the first time which had nutella and banana brûlée.

We had to wait in line to order our food at the back of the store, and were told that it would take 30 minutes or more for our order to come out! The kitchen was backed up, and the waiters looked very flustered. I don't think that the quality of service was up to par. It had been almost thirty minutes, and we were informed that the kitchen had not even began to prep our food. And so we waited.

After a while, our savory crepes arrived. The chicken pesto was pretty good, but it was not at its full potential. In reality, it needed more pesto! The chicken didn't have that green pesto sauce or the basil flavor that I really adore. However, I enjoyed the fact that it contained caramelized onions for that extra sweetness.

After we enjoyed our savory crepes, the sweet ones arrived. The cheesecake crepe was a plain crepe with cream cheese puree, fresh strawberries, and granola. It wasn't exactly what I had expected, and wasn't really anything to write home about.There wasn't enough cream cheese on the sides of the plate to eat with the crepe.

The vanilla custard looked a lot like the cheesecake. It was a plain crepe with a creamy white vanilla custard on the sides of the plate, and fresh strawberries to top it off. The custard had a strong vanilla flavor that not everyone would enjoy. It was pretty good.

The best crepe, hands down, was the first time! I am personally in love with Nutella, and love it paired with banana. The crepe was filled with ooey gooey Nutella and pieces of banana, and garnished with a carmelized (brûléed) banana. It was divine. It's really the only crepe I would recommend to anyone who goes to Crepe Bar.

Overall, this crepe place was pretty good. If I ever come back, all I'm ordering is the first time crepe with some strawberry soda. I would recommend this place if you want to try something new and still not venture too far from normal everyday flavors. The ambiance is enjoyable, and it's a fun environment for a relaxing get together over breakfast or lunch.

Cuisine of the Month: Thai

One of my favorite types of food to eat is from the beautiful country of Thailand. My family and I never get tired of it, and cook Thai food and go to Thai restaurants all of the time! One of our favorite Thai restaurants is Yupha's Thai Kitchen in Tempe. They have out of this world Thai food, complete with a very relaxing and comfortable ambiance. If you haven't tried Thai food, it's a great restaurant to try for the first time, and if you are already a fan of it, it's one of the best Thai places out there.

Thai food consists of aromatic flavors. Some of my favorite Thai dishes are curries, especially Panang. To flavor Panang curry, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, and coconut milk are added. The result is absolutely spectacular; a creamy curry with  sweet notes of palm sugar are balanced perfectly with the lemony flavors of lemongrass and kaffir lime, complete with a fiery kick.

Doesn't this look so good?

My favorite Thai noodle dish would have to be Pad Thai. It consists of rice noodles with a sweet, sour, and spicy peanut sauce. The delicious sauce has tamarind paste, palm sugar, peanuts, and more. The noodles are sometimes served with bean sprouts and crushed peanuts for extra texture.

How can you not be drooling right now?

The two dishes above are probably my two classic favorites, but there are so many more delicious Thai dishes like the ones below!

Green curry is another of the many types of delicious coconut based Thai curry dishes available. It's name comes from its soft green color, due to the curry  paste used in its base. It has a more mild flavor as opposed to some other Thai curries. I prefer to have seafood in my green curry.

The last dish I am going to feature is my favorite soup EVER called Tom Yum soup. I like it with shrimp, which can be ordered at a Thai restaurant as Tom Yum Goong. The soup has a clear broth which is spicy, sour, and lemony. It, too, has lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, along with fish sauce and palm sugar. Another ingredient that makes it unique is Galangal root, which is a stronger version of ginger. Some varieties of Tom Yum soup may include mushrooms, tomatoes, or other ingredients.

Some varieties, like this one, can include noodles.

I hope this post has inspired some of you who haven't tried Thai food to go out and try it! And if you have already, I hope I made you crave it horribly. All I know is that I am starving, and I need to get my hands on my favorite Thai food ASAP! I'll be posting more soon, so stay tuned!

                         

Welcome Food and Fashion Lovers!

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

If you don't know me already, I am a teen who loves fashion, food, music, and cats. I've always wanted to write a blog, so here it is! This blog will include tidbits of my daily life, all of the latest trends, delicious food, my favorite music, and tips and lessons that I can share with you.

I have one cat named Raja, although my family and I are probably going to get a new kitten early next year. We are thinking about getting a Bengal cat like this one:

What do you think? I think Bengals are unbelievably adorable!

In music, I have an eclectic taste. I mostly enjoy rock/alternative music, but I also listen to the latest pop and rap music. You may ask who my favorite singers or bands are. Right now I am obsessed with Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, Imagine Dragons, and Of Monsters and Men. I am also obsessed with this amazing song called Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood.

Tell me I'm your national anthem!

Another one of my passions is food. Simply put, I LOVE FOOD! I watch food network, read food magazines, cook, and bake. My family and I enjoy trying out new restaurants and cuisines from all over the world. My favorite cuisines include Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mediterranean. Bring on the spice, too, because I love it!

YUM

In fashion right now, I am obsessed with sweaters and boots. Winter is my favorite season. I love winter clothing!

Guess who this is!

I hope you enjoy my blog! I'll be posting more soon!