Glass pieces for absinthe lovers

For any of you absintheurs that live in Spain, or are visiting these days, go take a stroll at the famous department store El Corte Inglés, if you have the time.

I do not know if this will last, but they are stocking in some absinthe accessories for a very low price - the same absinthe glasses available at online absinthe stores.  Here are a few samples:

Lyonnais glass, available here

Versailles carafe, available here

Not very long ago my mother gifted me for my birthday a Versailles carafe with two matching Versailles glasses for merely 20 euros.  I have not been able to find the Versailles glass on the website, but maybe it is still available at the stores.  

Well worth to take a look!

Poe for iPad

If you are a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, chances are that you already have several editions of his work, both narrative and poetry.  But if you are also a fan of comics/illustration books, then you simple have to have this!

Art by David García Forés

There has been an apps release for iPad called The iPoe Collection, and it is beyond words.  My dear husband bought it for me, and it is incredible.

It features four stories: The oval portrait, The tell-tale heart, Annabel Lee and The Masque of the Red Death.  It also has a short biography of Poe and a sketchbook of the art included in the stories.  The best part is that every story has its own music, and it changes when you turn the pages.  The tell-tale heart even has ambience sounds added, the main one being the beating heart of the father.

Each story also is interactive; when you touch the screen... things happen.  I don't want to spoil your surprises, but be sure to touch everything you see, just in case, so you won't miss any of the details.

The illustrator of the stories is Spanish author David García Forés.  I did not know about him, but now I will certainly keep an eye open for his future projects.

There is already a Volume II, that I still not have, but most definitely will.

Also, if you do not have an iPad, you can at least download the soundtrack of the stories and some wallpapers here.  Or go directly to their Zazzle store for a gift for yourself or the Poe fan in your life.  They will sure love you for it!

Long live Steampunk!

Little could I suspect that I would fall for the Steampunk craze... I am not tech-savvy, and machines do not particularly interest me.  But I love the aesthetic, and since it is Victorian-inspired I guess it was just a matter of time.

In any case, my friend Esther is to blame for the ignition spark.  Last month was my birthday, and she said she had "an absolutely useless gift" for me.  Imagine my surprise when she gave me a beautiful pocket compass.  The exterior is aged brass, the compass is hidden under a bronze rib cage lid that can be opened and closed, and it hangs from a matching bronze chain.  Just gorgeous!  She was lying though: a compass is something very, very useful.

Thinking about what could I pair it with, I remembered I had seen a lovely Steampunk corset that had a little pocket to store a pocket watch in the Corsets UK website.  So I decided to purchase my first Steampunk ensemble.

Here are the links to the corset and the skirt I bought.

And here is my pic, wearing the ensemble (my mom took it):

The skirt was a bit wrinkled; this was taken a few minutes after unwrapping the clothes

A review of the corset and the skirt will be up in a few days.