love ♥ summer

this is my first much love monday post, and yes, i'm loving monday very much right now! anna at much love has this spark idea to create a weekly series of blog posts to start off the week on a cheery note. 

on this bright and sunny monday, i'm loving: summer ♥

summer = ice cream, beach, sunshine ...  and also is a delightful piece, by talented japanese musician joe hisaishi.

here is the link for the audio of the live piano version of 'summer',

and the orchestral version of 'summer',

when i first heard it, it made me smile, and still does.
hope you like it too!

... what are you loving this monday?

( see ) beyond the story

there's something magical about studio ghibli films.

the animations are beautiful, the music moving, and the storylines whimsical - together they speak together ever so fluently, in a way that inspires imagination. a bit like seeing dreams come to life.

i had the chance to watch 'whisper of the heart 耳をすませば ' today. it's a gentle, poignant film that tells a seemingly simple story of two young people - shizuku tsukishimi and seiji amasawa - who find each other through serendipitous happenings, fall in love unknowingly and attempt to pursue their dreams. whisper of the heart is not one of those cliche stories, but rather, layered with creativity, expressiveness and hope.

like all studio ghibli films, the animation is a masterpiece artwork. i love it all - the nuances of emotions the characters express, the intricate details of the background settings, the delicate colour palette. it's not just a story, but a film made with much thought and heart.

whisper of the heart is a charming 111 minutes, and the enchantment still lingers with you afterwards.

( see ) with your heart

on ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur.

l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

i'm very much loving this quote at the moment ♥

translated from french, it means 'one only sees well with the heart. what is essential is invisible to the eyes'

the quote comes from a classic french novella called 'le petit prince' by antoine de saint-exupery. it's a whimsical story, brimming with imagination, originality and lightheartedness.

moment

i stumbled upon the one little word project the other day, and i think the idea is rather neat. so much so that i might join in for a bit too.

there's so many possibilities for my 2012 one little word. i felt like i was standing in awe at an ice-cream parlour trying to decide on only one flavour out of what seems like endless (and all delicious) choices.

after some thought, the flavour that tickles my tastebuds, i.e. my one little word for the year is : moment

be in the moment, focus on the moment at present, and treasure the moment.

fresh beginnings

twenty-twelve has knocked on my door with a sunny smile, ever so politely/
welcome my friend, nice to meet you/