Know Archives - 12thBLOG

Today a lot of people in the world keep an eye on these two charming teens and the way they are growing . Jaden and Willow, are the off-spring of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith and are gaining notoriety and fame in their own right. They sing, act, visit different events, and are really cool about giving numerous interviews. Jaden is 16 years old, he has already managed to impress us with his acting and dancing skills, and, of course, with his awesome rapper talent. Willow is only 14 years old, but she keeps apace with her brother. She also acts, dances and releases skillfully crafted and entertaining singles. We’re sure you remember these two amazing kids going all the way back to when they were born; and we’ve gathered some interesting facts about then you will enjoy reading.

1. Jaden and Willow do not like modern music. They don’t even have a favorite song made by other artists. That’s why they try to write new songs that seem interesting and important to them. Can you believe this?

2. When the siblings have time to spend together they usually make music and create their own songs. The process of music making inspires them both. Willow confesses that they think their “voices sound like chocolate together.” Sounds great, yeah?

3. When making music Willow also likes to freestyle. She sings what she feels at that exact moment. Jaden said in one of their recent interviews: “She gets in the booth and just starts singing.” This only reinforces how talented this girl is.

4. It may sound surprising or even weird, but Willow and Jaden hate school and do not think that school will teach them anything worthwhile. They believe school is an enemy of true knowledge. Do you agree with them?

5. Despite the fact they are not huge fans of school you will be stunned to find out books they read. Willow’s favorite book is “Quantum physics. Osho.” Jaden says that he actually likes reading various ancient texts, his favorite book is “The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life.” Maybe they are on to something about hating school. They learn good stuff but they learn it at their own pace and when they want to. Quantum physics – OMG!

6. We’ve just discovered that this brother-sister duo prefer to read pretty serious literature. No wonder they do not like novels. But the next fact will impress you. Willow started writing her own novels when she was only 6 years old. She considers them to be the best thing that she has ever read.

7. One thing Willow and Jaden really love is shocking people. They think one’s works of art are worth something when people are shocked. Shock is a true art according to them. We wonder what they are going to do the next time to amaze people. We can say we love the “shock value” they bring to our lives. It’s all positive shock!

8. Jaden and Willow do not actually care much about a range of unnecessary things and what other people say. When it comes to fashion they wear only clothes they want. On the red carpet these two teens always look gorgeous and stylish, but in real life they prefer to put on comfortable outfits; clothes they can go “climb trees in.”

The post 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Jaden And Willow Smith appeared first on 12thBLOG.

5 Hairstyles Every Girl Should Know

TheMan — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 01:26:50 +0000

First things first, I’m not a professional hairdresser. More so, I’m not even the type of person who does anything to their hair. Like ever. For me, curling my hair is a makeover challenge that’s reserved for special occasions.
I’m lucky if I remember to brush my hair in the morning. See, I have long straight hair. A dream come true for some, but not for me. It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time. On one hand – I wake up with perfectly straight hair, and occasionally forget to brush it, cause it doesn’t really make much of a difference. It looks pretty much the same. On the other hand – it means that my hair always looks the same, and it can get quite boring. It’s times like those that I go on a grand quest to roam the internet for all kinds of hairstyles I can attempt to recreate to change up my look a bit.
So, here are hairstyles I’ve compiled for those times when you feel bored and want to actually do smth with your hair. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be Edward Scissorhands to make these happen, they’re so easy even I can do them.

Perfect ponytail
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent your life looking at other girls and tons of Pinterest pictures of perfect ponytails and wondering why doesn’t your look the same. It looks so easy and effortless on those pictures, but quite awesome at the same time. There’s always lots of volume and bounce. And yet, when I try to do the same thing it turns out to be lopsided, flat, and lifeless. Well, let me tell you a little secret. Turns out it’s all about products and teasing and texture. So in order to achieve the perfect ponytail you just need to follow these 5 easy steps:
1. While your hair is still damp, put in a volumizing hair mousse. Don’t overdo it, a little goes a long way. Comb it through.
2. Blowdry your hair. For added volume try tipping your head upside down while blow drying.
3. Curl the ends or use some sea salt texturising spray and scrunch your hair up. Ponytails always look better if there’s a little texture to them.
4. Tease at the crown, gather the top layer and pin with bobby pins.
5. Pull your hair back into a ponytail and secure with a hair elastic. (If you want to hide the elastic, wrap a piece of hair around it and pin with a bobby pin, or just put a bow on top of the elastic)
And voila, you’re done.

Twisted ponytail
This is a cool new twist (quite literally) on the regular low ponytail. This hairstyle is perfect for second day hair, when you don’t have the time to wash it but still want it to look nice. It’s simple and quick and doesn’t even require hair elastics. Just a few bobby pins.
Here are the steps:
1. Tease at the roots and divide into 3 sections.
2. Tease the middle sections from roots to ends, twist and pin with bobby pins at the nape of your neck.
3. Take the left section, twist and pin next to the middle one.
4. Take the right section, twist, take across the other two sections and pin in place.

Tuck and Roll Chignon
Don’t be scared by this fancy French word. Chignons are easy. There are many variations and methods of doing them, but this is probably the quickest and the easiest one. So lets get started:
1. Do a low ponytail using a hair tie that’s close to your hair colour, or a clear one.
2. Create a little opening at the base of your ponytail but don’t actually create a hole, more like a little pocket.
3. Stuff all of your hair into it, just tuck and roll until there’s nothing left. Don’t worry if it gets a bit messy.
4. Pin everything in place with bobby pins and hairspray all over so it stays in place.

Braided bun
This is perfect for when you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to do a proper bun. We all know those only look effortless, but really they take up lots of time, half a gallon of hairspray and a few dozens of bobby pins to pin in place all the stubborn hairs. So to save time and energy, why not try this braided (fake) bun.
1. Do a high ponytail.
2. Braid it and pull on your braid to make it look bigger, thicker and voluminous.
3. Pull the braid to the front and pin around the top of the elastic, as if you were trying to hide it.
4. Pull the rest of your braid back and pin to hide the bottom of the elastic.
5. If you’ve got hair left, wrap around the braided bun and pin in place.

Low Rolled Updo
This hairstyle is similar to a chignon I mentioned before, but even easier to do. This will word best for those who have wispy hair.
1. Tease your hair at the roots if you need a bit of volume.
2. Gather your hair into a low ponytail.
3. Create a part at the base of your ponytail and pull your ponytail up and through it.
4. Roll your ponytail up around your fingers and pin in place right above the elastic with several bobby pins. Hairspray for a more secure hold if needed.

The post 5 Hairstyles Every Girl Should Know appeared first on 12thBLOG.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Downton Abbey

TheMan — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 00:16:09 +0000

One thing you didn’t know? The show will never serve the actors fish.

Downton Abbey is come back full force—and we are ready! If you’ve watched the trailer, you already know some of things to expect this season that will turn the Abbey upside down. A fire threatens the abbey along with the people who live in it, an affair may break up a marriage that is essential to the show and in general things are changing since things are progressing more into the ’20s.

With that said, there is still many things we do not know about this beloved show. Some of it has to do with its future story lines, but there are just as many interesting things to learn about the show off screen.

For example, do you know how long it takes to film those fancy dinner scenes we all love? Do you know which locations are filmed in the castle and which are filmed in a studio? Do you know who might have played your favorite characters if everything had gone as planned? Well, it’s time to find out the answer to all of those questions and more.

1. Downton Abbey is really Highclere Castle

The castle known as Downton Abbey is really Highclere Castle, and was the home of the Carnarvon family since 1679.

2. Earl Grantham’s dogs have names that are significant

The Earl of Grantham’s dogs are named Isis and Pharaoh which refers to the George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who was involved with finding Tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.

3. The servants’ quarters and kitchen are filmed in a studio

Yes, part of the show is filmed at the Highclere Castle but the scenes in the servants’ quarters and kitchen have to be filmed in a studio they built 60 miles from the castle because those areas have been modernized in the castle.

4. Gillian Anderson turned down the role of Lady Grantham

According to DailyMail, Gillian Anderson turned down the part of Lady Grantham.

5. The castle was a hospital during World War I

The Abbey became a recovery for troops in the second season, which isn’t far off from the castle’s history. The Countess turned the home into a hospital during World War I.

6. The Turkish diplomat’s death was based on a true story!

Turkish diplomat, Pamuk dying in Lady Mary’s bed is based off of a real life anecdote! Nope it wasn’t a story just stirred up for a soap opera. It actually came from a diary entry found in the castle of an aunt who owned a stately home. In real life a diplomat snuck into a single woman’s room through a passage then died in her room. They then had to sneak him back to his room.

7. Many of the things in the kitchen are authentic!

Production designer, Donal Woods claims that 60 to 70 percent of the things in the kitchen is actually from that time period.

8. A lot of the food has to actually be cooked.

It’s usually done off-site and is later warmed and plated in a field kitchen. The whole process of filming a dining scene takes 10 to 12 hours.

9. A lot of the costumes are real vintage clothes.

Scottish costume designer, Anna Robbins revealed to Daily Record that she goes to vintage shops in Scotland for costumes. She also goes to Paris once a year for more vintage finds.

10. The show will never serve the actors fish.

Fellow production designer Charmian Adams tells Washington Post “I won’t name any names, but a couple of the actors didn’t feel brilliant with the smell of fish and mentioned it.”

The post 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Downton Abbey appeared first on 12thBLOG.