Above:
Aaron by Cooks Photography
-See More Below-
~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~
Friday, December 15, 2023
Seasonal Sightings:
Although it's not yet 'officially' winter, it's time to change. Time to put away those shorts and sandals and pull out your flannel and long johns from storage. The Autumn colors have peaked and it's time to get cozy with some more wintery visuals for seasonal sightings. If you're not quite ready to say good-bye to Autumn, you can check out some of the fall images I didn't get to post on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
12 Days: Bryan Greenberg in Round and Round
'Rachel's stuck in a time loop, reliving the night of her parents' Hanukkah party. Can Zach, the "nice boy" Grandma's trying to set her up with, help her make it to tomorrow?'
With this year's Round and Round, Hallmark finally started to realized we didn't necessarily need a little Christmas mixed in with their Hannukah holiday films. In the past, it appeared they were worried a Hannukah film wouldn't have enough universal appeal on it's own, and usually had a 'mini' Christmas theme included as well. With Round and Round, that tradition came to a well deserved end.
Now you all know how I love me my Hallmark Christmas films, but when you have a decent concept, it just isn't needed. Round and Round was festive enough all on it's own, not to mention a winning cast and a unique story. The plot was a mix of Groundhog Day, with a dash of 13 Going on 30, with Rachel, (Vic Michaelis) stuck in a time loop on the night of her parents annual Hannukah party.
It helped, that the film's lead was played by the always wonderful, and always hot, Bryan Greenberg. Greenberg has been working steadily on television and in films since the late 1990's. He's one of those actors who always puts in solid performances, raising the quality of every project he's in. Even when the writing and story aren't the best, Greenberg manages to elevate every scene he's in.
I think I first noticed Greenberg when he played Meryl Streep's son in 2005's Prime. For me, Prime is one of Streep's weakest films, but Greenberg stood out in his role. I also loved Greenberg as one of Mindy's many men in seasons 5 and 6 of The Mindy Project. Some readers might also remember the talented actor from his appearances in; One Tree Hill, October Road and How To Make It In America.
Nobel Son (2007)
Favorite Import of the Day: Marko Braić
I've featured many incredible men from around the globe in my 'favorite import' section of the site, but I believe this is the first time I've headed to Croatia. I've featured a few Croatian athletes, but I believe Marko Braić is my first Croatian actor and performer.
Braić graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Pula. After he graduated high school, he then entered and graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. The young actor began to regular roles on television, in films and on stage. Braić really became well known with his roles in the TV comedy Na granici, (On the Border) the telenovelas Dar Mar and the drama San snova. (Dream of Dreams)
In addition to heating up Croatian television screens in telenovelas, Braić is also a singer, making the finals of Zvijezde pjevaju, a sort of Croatian, singing with the stars. Braić is also an athlete, which should be no surprise looking at his sculpted physique. Braić is a CrossFit and motorcycle enthusiastic, and is rated 27th in CrossFit ability in Croatia.
As hot as the images you're now enjoying are, they weren't the shots of Marko Braić that had me start researching the actor, and putting together a post. The first images I saw of Marko were nudes from a theatre production he was in. Check out images, and a video clip on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
Many of the images above come from the Croatian lifestyle magazine Story
A Shadow of OnesELF: Aaron by Cooks Photography
'The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.'
Not every male model, or every male for that matter, is cut out to be a Christmas Elf. We all know how particular Santa Clause is about who works for him, and who represents his unique form of holiday magic. In addition to be willing to sing out loud for all to hear, you also have to be a hard work, have a positive attitude, and believe that everyone is capable of making the nice list.
There are also certainly physical traits that make the perfect holiday helper. You must have an impish grin and that magical twinkle in your eyes that shines even brighter during the month of December. You also have to be fit and flexible with the dexterity and patience to put together an array of delicate and intricate group of toys.
I'd say that Aaron more than meets the requirements of the job. His eyes have that twinkle, and his sweet smile is sexy, mischievous and charmingly contagious. This isn't Aaron's first visit to FH, I've featured his work with photographer Hal Cooks once before. He looked a little different the last time he appeared, equally hot, but a wee less impish.
Hal first met Aaron at the gym in Pal Springs. They discussed to doing a photoshoot, but Aaron didn't follow-up when it came to seeing a date. He was however, obviously interested and wanting to do it. Not long after, when Hal was planning a shoot with another model, the model asked if he could bring a long a buddy with him. When the model showed up, the friend who tagged along, turned out to be Aaron.
When Hal first met Aaron at the guy, Aaron was a body builder, and really pumped up. You can see how Aaron looked then by checking out the previous post HERE: As you can see, by the time this shoot occurred two years later, Aaron had lost a lot of weight and muscle, proving his dedication to getting into character and fitting into his teeny tiny elf sized bikini briefs.
There wasn't really any specific goals for the shoot, Hal and Aaron enjoyed working together, and Hal loves to create and capture Christmas themed images every holiday season. Although Aaron had no issue shooting full frontals, as he did in the previous shoot, for this time, he was committed to the character and to the theme. Aaron didn't want to appear too masculine for this shoot as in addition to being mischievous and magical, elves and fairies are gender inclusive, and often androgynous.
In my previous post featuring Hal's work, (HERE:) Hal shared that this past year, he and his husband packed up their live in California for a move across the ocean to Scotland. I have never been to Scotland, but I do know that their winters and Christmas's are a little different than those in The Golden State. I was curious about what the differences and what Hal was most noticing about the holiday in his his new home.
What are you most looking forward to with your first Christmas in Scotland?
Probably my first white Christmas since I lived in Germany while in the Air Force.
I'm guessing you couldn't bring most of your decorations from the States?
My husband and I just bought a Christmas tree via Amazon and decorated it. We couldn't bring everything, but we did manage to bring few things from the U.S.
Have you lived anywhere that snows before?
Yes, besides Germany I also lived in Wyoming during my time in the U.S. Air Force.
Have you bought a new winter wardrobe yet?
We've purchased a couple jackets. But, we've been to AntArctica, so we already have some cold weather gear.
Curious what the main differences in Christmas culture you've seen so far since your move?
So far, I haven't seen much of a difference. However; we live 3 hours away from the big cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The one thing we do know, is that no matter where you live, in the US, or in Europe, Santa and his elves will find you. According to official NORAD, Santa actually hits Western Europe before heading to the US, so all of of those Christmas treats will reach Hal and his husband earlier than they did before. Although Hal hasn't captured, (with a camera, not a net) any hot Scottish elves yet, if we're lucky, maybe we'll see some next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)