Tiny Iron Fists

Snack-Sleep Attack!

No big... I often fall asleep eating my food!

Korea's Got Talent: Choi Sung-Bong

Warning! Tearjerker alert! Check out Korean orphan Choi Sung-Bong's performance on Korea's Got Talent. There is no way a person can watch this video and not shed a few tears for this boy. And that's before he even starts singing. His story is heart wrenching. I hope he's the real deal.

Everyone's saying Choi Sung-Bong may be the next Susan Boyle. Good luck, young man! May you go very far in this competition and more importantly, may you find love and family and go farther in life.

[Thanks, Eva for the share!]

Toddlers & Tiaras with Tom Hanks

I didn't think that I could like Tom Hanks more. I was wrong. For all the recent drama-work, dude's still funny.

[Big ups to Gen for the link!]

Sesame Street: The Alphabet With Elmo and India Arie

Crazy! India Arie and I sound exactly the same when we sing the ABC song! Who knew?!

I Love the "I Lovely Love My Family" Print!

I adore the I Lovely, Love My Family giclée print by fine artist and illustrator Merrilee of Tuesday Mourning. And for $20 it's a steal for the home and for friends. Best of all, the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Schultz family (co-creators of the loveable childrens' show Yo Gabba Gabba) to help offset their daughter's medical bills.

If you're curious about the phrase, "I Lovely Love My Family", check out the Yo Gabba Gabba song (of the same name) written by Amos Watene and performed by the Roots below:

[Big ups to Ohdeedoh for the link]

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

 

I know this is a car commercial (kudos VW for the Star Wars license), but this kid's papa rocks! With only 300 views at this time, I'm certain this clip's going to blow up today.  Our generation can't resist this kind of brand integration -- or at least, I can't!

We've inherited two Darth Vader costumes for Lulu for when she gets a little older (I'm hoping she might fit one by this Halloween) and I hope that she'll someday try to conjure up The Force with as much earnestness as the kid in the video. And I can already hear myself saying, “Do or do not... there is no try.”

Lastly, did anyone notice that the bedroom where little Darth was trying to move the doll was a girl's room?! Is little Vader a girl?!

"Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith

It's not hard to believe nine year old Willow Smith, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith was born a  natural performer. Debuting her music video for catchy tune (but heavy on the auto-tune),"Whip My Hair", Willow shows off age appropriate dance moves and performs with the sassiness of her adult contemporaries.

Signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation music label, I'm interested to see what becomes of this pint-sized show stopper. I only hope the media that's hyping her hard now doesn't try to break her down just as quickly. May she continue to have fun doing what she seems to love.

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody

With close to 16,000,000 million hits, I'm certain you've already seen this awesome Muppets rendition of Queen's classic rock opera, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. It's so fun and makes me so damn smiley, I just had to share with you again. Enjoy!

Look At My Kid!

One of my favorite pastimes is watching Family Guy with my brother Lobo (their number one fan)! Why? Because of clips like the above. We've all met the hyper enthusiastic "look-at-my-kid" parents before! I only wish they were this funny in real life! LOLZ!

LA - Family Flicks (07.11.10)

FAMILY FLICKS

The UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Hammer Museum have teamed up for a matinee screening series of new and classic family-friendly films from around the world.

Admission to this series is free!

Please note early start times.

Funding for this series was provided by the UCLA Arts Initiative.

Sunday July 11 2010, 11:00AM* ( Free Admission )

PETER & THE WOLF

(2006, United Kingdom/Poland/Norway/Mexico) Directed by Suzie Templeton

Director Suzie Templeton's Academy Award-winning stop-motion adaptation brings a dark, dreamy edge to the magic and wonder of Sergei Prokofiev's timeless symphony for children. After playing in the woods with his friends, Duck, Cat and Bird, the young Peter is confronted by a menacing wolf with each animal represented by the sound of a different musical instrument.

Based on a libretto by Sergei Prokofiev. Producer: Alan Dewhurst. Screenplay: Suzie Templeton. Cinematographer: Mikolaj Jaroszewicz. 35mm, 32 min.

Preceded by...

WHAT'S OPERA, DOC?

(1957) Directed by Chuck Jones

Wagner's opera Der Ring des Nibelungen gets the classic Looney Tunes treatment, with Bugs Bunny as Brunhilde and Elmer Fudd playing Siegfried.

Screenplay: Michael Maltese. 35mm, 7 min.

RABBIT OF SEVILLE

(1950) Directed by Chuck Jones

The Hollywood Bowl features prominently in the operatic mayhem that ensues after Elmer Fudd chases Bugs Bunny backstage during a performance of Rossini's opera in which they both, inadvertently, end up with starring roles.

Screenplay: Michael Maltese. 35mm, 7 min.

RHAPSODY RABBIT

(1946) Directed by Friz Freling

Bugs Bunny is in a classical mood, trying to perform Franz Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody were it not for the mouse scampering through his grand piano.

Screenplay: Ted Pierce, Michael Maltese. 35mm, 7 min.

* Please note the early start time.

More Than Just Home Design: 9 By Design

  

Any of you watching the newly launched Bravo reality show, 9 By Design? It's aspirational living on steroids. Being the middle of five children, I've always enjoyed large families -- there's something about the built in chaos that creates such incredible energy. And the energy is super amped in the show's subject, the Novogratz family. The two parents, Cortney and Robert, are owners of design firm Sixx Design and authors of Downtown Chic: Designing Your Dream Home: From Wreck to Ravishing. They have seven spunky children (including two sets of twins) and seem to perpetually be on the go, go, go, go, go! 

I'm totally loving what I've seen so far of the Novogratz hipster-bohemian lifestyle: they mainly only live in downtown Manhattan and they seem adventurous, going where the wind takes them. They also go big on everything, especially with family, work, and fun. On top of it all, the kids actually seem pretty happy and normal!

I know the show is ultimately about Sixx Design's real estate development projects, but it sure is awesome to see two people in 2010, raise seven children. It's hard to imagine "a day in the life" and now I won't have to. I'm looking forward to following the husband and wife design team and their brood in their TV debut. Hey marketers, stop wasting your time on insincere pro-athletes. Here's a non-traditional all American family people will aspire to be like and maybe be inspired by.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Cheryl!

I have never watched "Keeping up with the Kardashians" before and thought I'd check it out. One of the sisters is pregnant and was going through some tough times with her baby daddy, who everyone in her family apparently doesn't really like. The pregnant daughter (they all look the same to me so I don't know her name) was upset that the baby daddy wasn't participating more in the birthing/baby classes with her. After a little family drama and prodding, the dude finally realizes that he should probably go and support his baby mama. The couple is shown in class together and low and behold, there is Cheryl Baker, our former Bradley Class instructor and our amazing doula in the background! I don't know if Cheryl was their doula but if she was, they were lucky to have her. I hope the baby daddy learned something useful while he was in class and that it wasn't all for show, or umm, the show!

Hello!

Welcome to Tiny Iron Fists. My name is Souris. I love my family, food, art, travel, technology, and community. Prior to this little corner of the internet, I was Vice President of Interactive Media for an LA-based strategic consulting agency. I've been blogging about art and culture at Hustler of Culture since 2003. 

Tiny Iron Fists is a journal about life with our first benevolent dictator, Lulu. It's meant to be a resource for pregnant friends and (new) parents. I hope you'll enjoy the tips, interviews, anecdotes, and product reviews I write about. 

My posse nicknamed me "Tiny Iron Fists" because I once ruled our scene. Then I had a kid and now someone tinier than me, rules my world! How about that?! 

Thanks for dropping by, I can also be found on Twitter. Feel free to email me at tinyironfists [at] gmail.com. 

Lastly, I know you are probably wondering, who made my ridiculously cute banner? Why, my good, funny, and single friend, Slabco Steve did! You can find him online here, here, and here.