'Isabelle Menin decided to abandon painting to turn to digital photography. Taking pictures, scanning pieces of nature, the artist constantly plays with textures and colours, transforming them, mixing them, in order to give shape to a fictional nature, dense and flamboyant at the same time.' I don't think I could have described what you are about to see any better so I didn't even try.  Isabelle Menin has this other-worldly talent to simultaneously evoke joy and fear in her artwork, magically layering feelings and flowers one on top of the other until both merge into one cohesive statement. It's magical, it's provoking, it's beautiful. 

This edition of Status Stalking is a little different in the sense that you will be let in on a little secret.  Rumi has a waaah-ierd obsession. She loves stalking doors and she's willing to go to any length to get a good picture. Nicely asking the owner - check. Nicely asking the owner and getting shooed away - check. Sneaking back to take the picture anyway - check. Getting caught - check. Waiting around the vicinity a few hours until the coast is clear  and light is perfect - check.  Scurrying down shady lanes and running past questionable bumps and lumps in dark by-lanes - check. Getting yelled at by Habibi - check. Tripping and falling while escaping goons who turned out to be mice in the alleyways while Habibi is yelling in the background- check. Nothing can get between that girl and her doors. Apparently she's not alone.

Which is your favorite? 

Check out Aigu's Pinterest page! 

I went digging so far down the rabbit hole that I hit China. It all started when I was reading these books. The books that I reviewed here are based on actual historical events which got me curious and to be honest, I was a little skeptical so I started hunting for facts with more than a little disbelief tinging my thoughts. Turns out I was wrong to be so unbelieving. A woman actually did rule China by herself, someone who started out as concubine first to a father and later becoming wife to the son. #truthisstrangerthanfiction #cantstopwontstop The woman I refer to is Empress Wu.

Empress Wu and her husband the Emperor Gaozong ( she was this guys dads concubine) 

Here are the facts I found eye-catching: 

1. Her father helped a man named Taizong become Emperor and found the Tang Dynasty. 

2. She later went to the court of Emperor Taizong as one of his many concubines at the age of 14 

3. She was super well- educated for a girl of that era , also extremely pretty and talented

4. She got sent away to a nunnery/temple when the Emperor died - as according to custom

5. The Emperor's son - Gaozong- was visiting that temple/nunnery when he came across her again and brought her back to the palace - as they say - the rest is history 

Now check this: 

6. Apparently she poisoned her own daughter as a part of a political plot 

7. She also poisoned various other officials, princes, whoever the hell she wanted to if they got in her way 

8.She had secret police aka spies aka terrorists aka henchmen do her dirty work 

9. She had bronze boxes placed among her empire so that people could snitch in style(#wtf!)

This is only the tip of the iceberg with this chick.. girl be cray. 

I like what this website has to say about her: 

'Even though according to the Confucian beliefs having a woman rule would be as unnatural as having a "hen crow like a rooster at daybreak," during the most glorious years of the Tang dynasty a woman did rule, and ruled successfully. She was Wu Zetian, the only female in Chinese history to rule as emperor. To some she was an autocrat, ruthless in her desire to gain and keep power. To others she, as a woman doing a "man's job," merely did what she had to do, and acted no differently than most male emperors of her day. They also note that she managed to effectively rule China during one of its more peaceful and culturally diverse periods.'

Good ol' Wiki had something to add that I found annoying yet true/ frustrating : 

Despite the important aspects of her reign, together with the suggestions of modern scholarship as to the long-term effects of some of her innovations in governance, much of the attention paid to Wu Zetian has been to her gender, as the anomalous female sovereign of a unified Chinese empire officially holding the title of huangdi (皇帝). 

I can't seem to put a pin on her. 

It's gotta be either - 

A. girl did what girl gotta do 

or 

B. Historians don't know what to do with her and where to place her so they do the most obvious and villainify her. 

#IMHO I think it's a healthy mix of both. She seems like she was an amazing empress and leader to her country. Plenty of Emperor's kill the opposition and do what needs to be done without qualms. So why is it such a big deal because a girl did it?   #rude #doublestandards 

Maybe toward the end she did get a little power crazy and couldn't keep it together but that shouldn't cast a shadow over all the good she got accomplished should it? 

Regardless, how totally fascinating is she? Total badass. 

#dotheWu I found this super cool site that has her history and a cool drawing. I spent a good few hours on the site checking out all the 'rejected princesses.'  Click on the picture to check the website out! 

While I was in the hole digging away, I came across a TV series from China based on the Empress starring Fan BingBing.  Get ready for some pretty! 

I can not wait to watch this series! Here's the trailer:

I’m not an actor and I have never acted in anything, professionally at least.  I know my 8th grade role of Tom Sawyer’s teacher does not count, even if I could belt my solo song to the back of the auditorium without a microphone. Nor does my 5th grade role of a tree in the play Birbal Tales make me any sort of expert on acting (yes I really was a tree. I wore brown pants and a green top and my teacher made me wear a garland of leaves. Regrettably, my part was emoting only, the tree had no lines, only emotions). 

 But.

 In my humble opinion, I’ve always maintained that comedy is a much harder genre to conquer than drama or romance. Yes, you need good material to start with but without a comic sense of timing or delivery, even the best of jokes can fall flat. With drama or romance or even thrillers, you have a lot of support to help you along, be it supporting actors, plot, physical scenes, music, etc,etc.  Not that comedies don’t need support, but all the support in the world can’t save a bad delivery of a joke.

That’s why I’ve always stood by my opinion that Diane Keaton is one of the best actors of that generation. I say actor on purpose, not limiting her by her gender. Yes, of late she has started to play variations of the same character over and over again, the over wrought slightly hare brained slightly eccentric older woman but what does it matter when she’s so irresistible?

#biasediknow

My first encounter with Ms. Keaton was in Father of the Bride, playing the perfect foil to Steve Martin’s character. I saw her again in the sequel of Father of the Bride, The First Wive’s Club, Baby Boom, and my absolute favorite – Because I Said So.

Then I saw Annie Hall, the movie she won a Best Actress Oscar for and I realized how brilliant of an actress she really is. She has a wide range of acting abilities, she just somehow either chose or got pigeon holed in a particular niche/genre. 

Her acting skills aren't the only reasons I love her though. Apart from being an actor with real acting chops, she also happens to have one the best personalities….ever.

Read this article. 

Then watch this video and I dare you to disagree with me.

See. Told ya. Plus she has an awesome sense of style - both in what she wears and how she lives.

Read about her style staples here. 

I could live in here all day err day!

Preach!

Check out more stunning pictures here  Sigh. Diane oh Diane, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways. 1. She's a legit actor - I would like to call forward as evidence an award called the Oscar.

2. She has an amazing personality - you watched the video didn't you? I REST MY CASE. Need just one more? Here.

3. 'I knew as early as age 15 that I live in black and white.' Love. Her. 4. She loves interior design - 2 books and counting!

5. She loves Justin Beiber - a fellow #belieber!

6. She introduced me to Frank Ocean - thank you!

7. Girl can put away the vino - she drinks it on ice and she made sure we can too!

8. She's obsessed with clown paintings -- errrrmmm.

9.She has really cool style ( I already mentioned this, but just look at her dude, she's awesome)

10. See for yourself :