Archive for December, 2009

Carnival 2009 in Sardinia

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CARNIVAL IN SARDINIA

Lots of villages celebrate the arrival of the Carnival through masked parades, horse races, country dances and singing.

According to sardinian customs, the Carnival starts the 17th of January in correspondance to S.Antonio Abate celebrations and it carries on till the Ash Wednesday. Do not miss the Carnival of Mamoiada, the peculiar Carnival of Bosa, the playful karnival of Santu Lussurgiu and the most popular and expected one in Oristano.

The Carnival of Mamoiada is among the oldest folkloric events in Sardinia. It is a heartfelt happening, a moment of intense popular participation for the whole village whose inhabitants gather in the main square to dance all evening long “su passu torràu”, “su sàrtiu” and “su dillu”.

On the last Sunday and the last Tuesday of the carnival in Oristano it takes place the famous “Sa Sartiglia”, an old equestrian relaxing game of the XVI century. The protagonist of the manifestation is “Su Componidori”, an enigmatic figure, attractive because of the gorgeousness of his androgen mask which guides the other knights. Organized from two Gremi or Corporations, on Sunday from the countrymen and on Tuesday from the carpenters, Sa Sartiglia begins with the dandification of the chief runner by young ladies in traditional costumes, called “is massaieddas”. Proceeded by the “Bettenieri” and by the tambourines behind the masked cavaliers, “Su Componidori” crosses the city blessing the population with “Sa Pippa e Maju”. (Springtime flowers). The event takes place in via del Duomo where a star hangs on a green silk cordon in which the knights must impale their swords running galloping on their horses. Counting the impaled stars they decide the auspices for the next year.

Stefano Loi – Betogo, The travelling Community – Via Mestre 11 – 07026 – Olbia (OT) – Italy Tel. 0789.641074 – fax 0789.66049 – Email: sloi@betogo.com – website: www.betogo.com
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Christmas Gift Basket Ideas 2009

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Aventurine is composed of two gem minerals, one is plagioclase feldspar and the other is quartz. Both have a sparkling reflection from oriented minute inclusions of mica or hematite, which cause a slight metallic iridescence.

Cheap Aventurine is the anniversary gemstone for the 8th year of marriage. Translucent aventurine often fades in the sun; therefore the aventurine jewelry is better kept in the dark place.

Handmade Aventurine is a very charming inexpensive stone. It’s claim to fame is having inclusions that look like sparkles. This is an easy identifying factor often called aventurescence.

There was a custom of assigning various Masculine and Feminine Saints with a particular gem for use in talismans. The name Andrew or Andre is associated with Aventurine.

China Aventurine can be cut into many different shapes and styles; and the color options of this versatile stone make it fun to let your imagination run wild! Aventurine is occasionally mistaken for goldstone (which is a man made stone) but side by side the differences will be apparent.

Fashion Aventurine is a member of the Quartz family. It is most commonly found in a forest green color, but can also be found in orange, brown, yellow, blue, and gray. Aventurine is easily characterized because it often has flecks of mineral inclusions that give it a sparkly look.

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Lakme India Fashion Week-2009

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This season Lakme Fashion Week 2009 (LFW) has got an overwhelming response from the Gen Next and Emerging Fashion Designers group as also from the Accessory Designers group. LFW has received in all 189 applications – 88 for Gen Next and 44 for Emerging Fashion Designers from 20 cities across the country from Nagaland to Jaipur, from Dehradun to Secundrabad. Also, 8 Accessory Designers along with 49 established designers have applied. The Advisory Board members short listed the most talented designers for the Gen Next and the Emerging Designer categories, and also for the Accessories Group show.

The Lakmé Fashion Week Advisory Board comprises key stakeholders from the fashion fraternity such as educational institutions, buyers, media personalities and designers. The list of members includes prestigious names like Dr Darlie O’Koshy, Director, NID; Shefali Vasudevan, Marie Claire; Sathya Saran, DNA-ME; Priya Tanna, Vogue;Pradip Hirani, Kimaya; Alka Nishar, Aza; Gaurav Mahajan – Trent; Designers Wendell Rodricks, Arjun Khanna and Narendra Kumar; Anil Chopra, Advisor – Lakmé, Richa Puranesh, Marketing Manager – Lakmé, Hindustan Unilever; Ravi Krishnan, Consultant to IMG, and Vikram Raizada, Head of Fashion – IMG. They have chosen 8 talented designers for Gen Next, 14 Emerging Designers and 4 Accessory Designers.

LFW has gone a level up in redefining the future of fashion with its latest initiative of an exclusive ‘Men’s Wear Day’ this season. On this special day at LFW, designers will focus only on men’s collections.

Another new initiative this season at LFW will be the ‘Group Accessory Designer Show’ that will showcase 4 designers’ collections of accessories like costume jewelry, head gears, handbags and shoes.

Expressing his views on the current initiatives, Mr. Anil Chopra, Advisor, Lakmé said, “This season, Lakmé Fashion Week is going to pleasantly surprise the fashion industry with its new and unique initiatives like the Men’s Wear Day, Group Accessory Show and Art Studio. LFW Spring Summer ‘09, to be held at NCPA Mumbai from 20 to 24th October, will not be just another fashion week to showcase designer collections, but it will be a unique platform to reach out to its varied audiences. The overall response for the number of entries is a proof in itself that LFW has created a benchmark for fashion designers.”

Vikram Raizada, Head Fashion – IMG shared his enthusiasm regarding the selected designers. “Lakmé Fashion Week has always witnessed a tremendous response in the number of designer applications. This season broke all records with entries coming in from all corners of the country, making it truly a national event. Season on season, we at LFW strive to innovate and find newer ways of adding value to the fashion industry at large. This season LFW will thus, equally focus on designers who will showcase on the Men’s Wear Day and at the Group Accessory designer show.”

With these set of interesting new initiatives, the board members are confident that Lakmé Fashion Week will continue its path with yet another outstanding season for the Indian Fashion Industry.

 

 

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Friday Night Lights (Widescreen Edition)

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Friday Night Lights (Widescreen Edition)
 
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Based on the perennial nonfiction bestseller by H.G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lights looks at high school football in the harsh light of reality, finding heart and hardness while stirring our emotions. Actor-director Peter Berg (Very Bad Things, The Rundown) is Bissinger's cousin; he knows the material well, and understands how an obsession with winning turns high school kids into somber, over-pressured gladiators--expendable soldiers in a community war against shame and obscurity. The fact-based story focuses on the 1988 football season of Odessa-Permian high school in West Texas, and as a fast-paced sports movie, Berg delivers the goods with a rousing, frenetically styled crowd-pleaser. But there's darkness in this tale of weary underdogs, including an abusive father (well-played by country music star Tim McGraw), threatening townsfolk, an injured star running back (Derek Luke), a tormented quarterback (Lucas Black), and the melancholy coach (Billy Bob Thornton) who takes his team to the finals. Berg's film could use less flashy cutting and more drama to support its gridiron intensity, but Friday Night Lights offers a refreshing alternative to the conventional sports movie, and makes a perfect triple-feature with the equally exciting documentaries Go Tigers! and The Last Game. --Jeff Shannon

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Quite possibly the best sports film ever made...
 
Review Date: January 6, 2010
Reviewer: Andrew Ellington, Mulholland Drive
The idea of the inspirational sports drama is not a new one. It has been ravaging havoc in the cinemas since the dawn of time, and while they are truly a dime a dozen, there is rarely a film that actually captures the very meaning and essence of the sport it is championing. All too often the films are littered with so much saccharine `goodness' that the whole point of the story is bogged down by clichéd Hollywood atmosphere. They all wind up blurring together in a long line of disposable, familiar, sports movies.

There is no oomph!

That is why I absolutely love this movie. `Friday Night Lights' is not your typical sports drama. Stripped down and basically bare to the bone, this film is as rough and tough as they come. With the grit needed to really pack a punch to the gut, and the emotional core to elevate this from the ashes that are every other sports film, `Friday Night Lights' is a shining beacon on the game that has become the lives of so many.

This is one of the only sports films to actually make the sport the leading character.

The film is based on the true story of a high school football team in West Texas. The team consists of your `typical' members, from the star player (who happens to be black) to the quarterback struggling to leave his home-life off the field, to the careless rebel suffering at the hands of an abusive father. INSTEAD of playing to each cliché like it was the saving grace of the film, and exploiting each storyline for each tear it can muster, this film allows the players lives to further embellish the power of the game itself, breathing life onto the field, where it belongs. Instead of focusing our attention on how these young men are going to patch up their lives off the field, we are brought to the sobering realization that if they don't patch their lives up ON the field, their lives are basically worthless.

This game is EVERYTHING to them, and you feel that in your soul.

With an onslaught of powerful performances from Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund and Derek Luke, as well as an amazingly moving turn by country superstar Tim McGraw, `Friday Night Lights' has not a single wrong note. As the film draws to its dramatic and heartbreaking climax there is a moment where everything seems lost and broken only to have it all come together in the most meaningful and appropriate of ways. It isn't forced, it isn't out of place and it isn't sappy; it is just right.

Yes, I cried.
Friday Night Lights
 
Review Date: October 9, 2009
Reviewer: Donald L. Bailey,
Loved it! My grandson was a lineman in this picture!

REALLY!
Word.
 
Review Date: August 29, 2009
Reviewer: Sean Davis,
Good movie. Missed some key points from the book like the academic scandal which only adds to the drama in the title game. Overall good movie though
Awsome Football Flick!!!
 
Review Date: June 2, 2009
Reviewer: S. Schwartz,
It certainly started out as just another football film (though over-directed with a hyper-active camera)...the parties, the sexual shenanigans, the over-the-top characters. I was ready to pan the film.
But then it heated up. Once the season started, and the football action became the centerpiece, this film shined. The characters were compelling and you really felt for them and their individual situations.

I am not a Billy Bob Thorton fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by his controlled performance. Too often the coaches in football movies are completely over the top. Thorton had the strength to get on people - but he never over did it. It was a football coach. And the movie ended on a strong note. The half-time speech Thorton gives during the final game is something that gives a former football player goose bumps. It really encapsulates what its truly like to be a part of a football TEAM...and how powerful that experience can be.

I have seen movies like "All the Right Moves", "The Program", "Varsity Blues" and the laughable "Any Given Sunday". NONE of them can hold a candle to this movie. Any football player or fan needs to watch this film...the best football movie I have ever watched.

Friday Night Lights - Blu-ray Info
 
Review Date: April 9, 2009
Reviewer: LGANS316, Tokyo Japan
Version: U.S.A / Universal / Region Free
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / AACS / High Profile 4.1
Running time: 1:57:39
Movie size: 38,83 GB
Disc size: 45,15 GB
Total bit rate: 44.01 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 35.86 Mbps

DTS-HD Master Audio English 3986 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3986 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround

Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Number of chapters: 32

#Audio Commentary
#Deleted Scenes (SD - 22 minutes)
#Featurettes
--Peter Berg Discusses a Scene in the Movie (SD - 1 minute)
--Player Cam (SD - 4 minutes)
--Tim McGraw: Off the Stage (SD - 6 minutes)
--The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers (SD - 23 minutes)
--Behind the Lights (SD - 26 minutes)
--Gridiron Grads (SD - 14 minutes)
#BD-Live enabled

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Bridal Jewelry stlyle for 2009

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Just as trends change for casual wear, evening wear and sportswear, bridal style and the jewelry that goes with it is constantly evolving and creating fabulous new pieces that are wearable art, to help you look and feel like a princess from head to toe. Here we take a look at some of 2009’s hottest styles:

Vintage – The antique or art deco look is really hot right now. With symmetrical link bracelets, necklaces or jewelry sets, this romantic tribute looks sensational when paired with a lace dress or ivory colored gown. Big and bold pieces are all the rage right now, and it’s easy to find affordable and elegant choices in costume jewelry. Another vintage trend is pearls in scroll settings. This retro take on a bridal classic is sure to look lovely on you and your bridal party.

Crystals – Though CZ rhinestones have long been a bridal favorite, Swarovksi crystal jewelry is a less expensive and equally stunning alternative. These pieces are available in classic or contemporary styles and in clear or colored stones to go with just about any dress that you have selected. Crystal jewelry is lightweight and a perfect alternative this season.

Colored stones – It might have something to do with celebs rocking colored engagement rings in pink, yellow, and even black, but colored bridal party jewelry has really taken off this year. Stones that coordinate with the bridesmaid dresses are popular, while brides are throwing in a bit of color to match the bridesmaids and bouquets. Popular jewelry colors include hot pink, red and lilac stones. Even throwing in a splash of blue or green is acceptable. It’s about showing a look that is pulled together and pretty, for all the photos that will be taken.

As you can see, long gone are the days when bridal jewelry consisted of a single strand pearl necklace. Now, it’s about bringing the style and glamour to the wedding party with bold colorful pieces that will make an impact.

Article source: Bridal Jewelry stlyle for 2009

Posted by Cherry Bruce, you can find more articles about bridal necklaces, jewelry sets, bracelets: bridal bracelets and sterling silver jewelry on my profile page.
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On Each grand awards ceremony, we not only focus on the music, art, film, but also the dressing and jewelry wearing by the superstars.

The 81st Academy Award Ceremony in Los Angeles was the usual parade of beautiful gowns, dresses and accessories worn on the red carpet. And let’s be honest, there are many of us who watch the Oscars just to see the jewellery and fashions on display.

So what do this year’s Oscars tell us about what’s hot in jewellery? Here are some key jewellery trends for 2009 that emerge from the Oscars red carpet.

 

1. Using striking color to liven up outfits is one of the great jewellery trends of the season, as it’s an affordable way of reviving an old outfit. For example, famous actress Angelina Jolie chose striking green dangling earrings to go with her elegant black gown. In fact, one commentator described her earrings as the most interesting part of her outfit.

 

2. Big, bold, “Statement jewellery” is still one of the most important jewellery trends for this season. Just check out the number of celebrities wearing Fred Leighton statement pieces. Big flower bracelets, chunky beads and big base metal are all great new statement ideas for 2009. This is a new trend, and is especially suitable in times of make public individual character.

 

3. Drop or dangling earrings remain a big hit. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actress Freida Pinto wore pretty drop earrings, as did Angeline Jolie (see above).

 

4. Charm bracelets were worn by quite a few on the red carpet. The stack of charms, watches and chains shows a revival of that famous eighties Madonna look, which is set to be big again in 2009.

 

Celebrity looks can inspire whole new jewellery trends, and breathe new life into old ones. We can get some inspiration from celebrities, and design new products on this basis, maybe there will be a new fashion arised.

 

To gain more knowledge of jewelry and the trend of fashion jewelry in this autumn ,Please visit aypearl.com.

   

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Paris Hilton's Black Plated Cubic Zirconia Sterling Silver Tennis Necklace
 
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The Ultimate In Superiority And Clarity These High Grade C.Z. Diamonds Are Truly The Right Choice. Graduating C.Z. Diamonds Form A Tennis Style Necklace. The Symmetry Of The Big And Small Diamonds Gives This Breathtaking Necklace A Sophisticated Air Making It The Perfect Piece For Your Jewelry Collection.

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Let’s just start by saying this: Nine is one of the best of 2009. Not to be confused with District 9 and 9, Rob Marshall does a splendid job bringing the Broadway musical of the same title to the screen. The whole main cast is great at acting as well as singing. The movie is also an adaptation of Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 and it’s a nice homage to that as well.My only criticism of Nine is that it has a very loose plot. The small plot that is present is still quite good. It follows Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis), an aging director who has reached a breaking point in his life when he realizes everything is spiraling out of control. His movies have turned bad over the last few years and he is hopelessly in love with nine women who very important to him. The female cast includes his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his costume designer (Judi Dench), a prostitute from his childhood (Fergie), an American fashion designer (Kate Hudson), his muse (Nicole Kidman), and his mother (Sophia Loren). The film also marks one of Anthony Minghella’s last screenplays.Though the cast is mostly responsible for why the movie is so great, it’s also Rob Marshall’s direction. Anyone who has seen Chicago will know that his type of movie involves sexy women writhing and twisting as the dance (and not in a bad way). Nine is quite similar, but Nine made me feel as though I was actually sitting in a Broadway theater watching a Broadway musical. Anthony Minghella’s snappy script, the art direction, and the cinematography are just some of the things that make Nine such a sensory overload. Marshall also even brings the cast out at the end for bows.The most important thing in movie musicals is the singing and dancing. Nobody needs to be worried about these things in Nine. Every cast member sings and dances beautifully with the exception of Kate Hudson whose voice is unfortunately changed for the trailer. Daniel Day-Lewis is a surprisingly good singer and dances pretty nicely too. The two great numbers are “Be Italian” and “A Call to the Vatican”. Fergie totally rocks her number in which she plays an overweight prostitute and Penelope Cruz blew me away with her sexy number involving a striptease. Yet it really is Marion Cotillard who “takes it all” (no pun intended). I’ve been watching Marion Cotillard since she first starred in La Vie En Rose and it’s fortunate that she’s finally begun to star in big movies. Hopefully she’ll get more recognition now.The bottom line is Nine is great. Though the film does get a bit tiresome midway through, the songs are energetic and make you remember why you love it. Rob Marshall does a great job directing his stars and the art direction and cinematography are sure to win some awards. Every actor who is part of the main cast sings well and the choreography is very nice. Rob Marshall has done it again with Nine and I totally look forward to seeing it take home awards on Oscar night.

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The movie opens with the evening star shining above New Orleans, taking place around the year of 1913, the time when Woodrow Wilson was elected as the 28th President of the United States, according to the newspapers. Young Tiana (voiced by Elizabeth Dampier) and young Charlotte La Bouff (voiced by Breanna Brooks) are listening to the story of “The Frog Prince” as told by Tiana’s mother Eudora (voiced by Oprah Winfrey), a seamstress often hired by the La Bouffs (led by the bumbling yet kind sugar mill owner, Eli ‘Big Daddy’ La Bouff (voiced by John Goodman) mostly to make dresses for Charlotte. Charlotte is thrilled with the idea of kissing a frog and marrying a prince, while Tiana vows she will never kiss a frog. Instead, she shares a dream with her father James (voiced by Terrence Howard): to open a restaurant of their own, named “Tiana’s Place.”Years pass by, and as well as World War I, and Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) is now working as a waitress, scrimping and saving, and seems to have let go of having fun in favor of her dream, as James has now died during his military service at the final years of World War I. She finally makes the money and shows her plans of turning an old riverside warehouse into a classy restaurant to her mother, who insists that she needs to look at other parts of life and that even though her father never got what he wanted, he had what he needed the most: love.Meanwhile, Prince Naveen (voiced by Bruno Campos) of the legendary country Maldonia, arrives in the city with his butler Lawrence (voiced by Peter Bartlett). The prince has been cut off by his parents (the King and Queen of Maldonia) for his play-boy and jazzy lifestyle and either has to marry or get a job to support himself. Staying true to this word, Naveen plans to wed Charlotte (voiced by Jennifer Cody) to gain her fortune. The two soon meet up with Doctor Facilier (voiced by Keith David), a voodoo magician who intends on taking the La Bouff fortune for himself, who turns Naveen into a frog and gets Lawrence to join him in his plot to rule New Orleans.At the La Bouff grand masquerade ball, Tiana learns that another client (possibly a real estate agent) put down a higher offer on the building she wanted for her restaurant, and is now left with nothing unless she can top him up after Mardi Gras. Having given up hope, she desperately wishes on the evening star, when Naveen appears. Thinking that she is a princess, he convinces her to kiss him in order to break the curse and turn him back into human again, but the spell backfires and Tiana becomes a frog as well. The two are chased out as Lawrence uses a voodoo charm to impersonate the prince and win the heart of Charlotte. It requires Naveen’s blood to work however, so Facilier sends out his voodoo spirits to retrieve the prince, who has escaped to the bayou with Tiana. He plots on using Lawrence to marry Charlotte thus gaining their fortune, then kill Big Daddy and take over New Orleans, feeding the souls of the citizens to his voodoo “friends”.In the bayou, Tiana and Naveen encounter Louis (voiced by Michael-Leon Wooley), an alligator who wants to be a jazz musician, and Ray (voiced by Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly who is in love with a star he has named Evangeline, which he thinks is another firefly. They take them to see Mama Odie, the good but eccentric voodoo priestess of the swamp. Along the way, despite their earlier disputes, Naveen and Tiana fall in love with each other, though the latter chooses to hide her feelings to pursue into having her own restaraunt.They eventually reach Mama Odie (voiced by Jenifer Lewis), who insists they need to dig deeper to get what they need. Naveen realizes this means being with Tiana, but Tiana misinterprets this as having to work even harder for her restaurant. Mama Odie reveals that for the two to become human, Naveen must kiss Charlotte, who is the Mardi Gras Princess, before midnight, when Mardi Gras ends. They proceed to return to New Orleans in time by hitching a ride on one of the riverboats. Along the way, Louis is recruited into a jazz band, who think that Louis is just wearing an alligator costume. Through a misunderstanding, Naveen tells Ray about his feelings for Tiana, and Ray is not suprised. Meanwhile, Naveen plans on proposing to Tiana, but as they pass by the warehouse that she plans to turn into a restaurant, she shows more interest in her dream than in him and he thinks she does not reciprocate his feelings. Knowing that he will never be able to get the money for Tiana’s restaurant unless he marries Charlotte, Naveen decides to marry Charlotte and give Tiana her money so that she can follow her dream.However, Naveen is kidnapped by the voodoo shadow spirits and is taken to Facilier, who locks him away after obtaining a small amount of his blood. Meanwhile, Ray reveals to Tiana that Naveen truly loves her, and that he was meaning to propose. Tiana rushes to the Mardi Gras parade to find Lawrence (disguised as Naveen) marrying Charlotte, having re-fueled the voodoo charm. Thinking that it is the real Naveen, Tiana runs away to the graveyard, broken-hearted, and tells Ray that Evangeline is just a star and he will never actually meet her. Ray does not seem to believe her at all, and apologizes to Evangeline on Tiana’s behalf. He rushes off and manages to free the real Naveen and steal the charm, causing Lawrence to resume his true form and become arrested. He gives it to Tiana, telling her to run and to never let Dr. Facilier get hold of the talisman, just before Facilier fatally crushes him.Feeling trapped, Dr. Facilier offers Tiana everything she could ever want, including her restaurant as well as her human form, but Tiana refuses upon realizing that love and following her heart are more important than taking the easy way, like her father had said. She then shatters Facilier’s talisman, releasing the voodoo spirits from within who proceed to drag a screaming Facilier into their world for failing them, leaving behind a gravestone with his name and horrified face etched.Back at the Mardi Gras parade, Naveen offers Charlotte marriage, but Tiana confesses she’d rather have him as a frog and have him be a part of her dream, because she is in love with him. Charlotte offers to kiss him so he can marry Tiana, but it is too late. Mardi Gras is over and Charlotte is no longer a princess. Louis finds the wounded Ray and rushes him to the others. He sees that Tiana and Naveen are together and expresses his happiness before he dies. At Ray’s funeral, they look up and see that another star has appeared next to Evangeline, presumably Ray.Naveen and Tiana are married in the bayou by Mama Odie. Their kiss turns them back into humans because through their marriage, Tiana is now a princess married to royalty. The two go back home and get back the building by paying the money and having Louis frighten the real estate agents into keeping their word. They work together and open Tiana’s restaurant which is named “Tiana’s Palace”, a successful business where Louis plays trumpet in his band Firefly Five Plus Lou. The movie ends with the two kissing as the evening stars, Ray and Evangeline, twinkle from above.

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