Happy Oscar Sunday!

This year was a little difficult for me to see all the nominated films than in previous years. It seemed they were less available than usual after nominations were announced. Many of the films were already out of the theater, yet will not be released on DVD or for streaming until into April. I did, however, get to see the majority of them, so I’ll still fill out my ballot to the best of my availability.

My little family has made it a tradition to watch the Oscars together each year. Sure, the kids are a little young to view most of the movies, but they still have fun making their random guesses and playing along.

I already posted (a few blog posts back) about some of the nominated films…and some that didn’t land the nominations they deserved (Molly’s Game??? Come on!!!). I was very up and down with this year’s collection, and am a little shocked by a few of the choices, to say the least.

BEST PICTURE

Call Me By Your Name held me the entire two hours, but it was Michael Stuhlbarg’s powerful speech at the end that would make me happy to see the film win. The emotion builds as the his words go on… one of the most beautiful moments amongst the nominated films. The actors of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri have my vote, but it may be lacking a little for this category. I really don’t want Get Out to win… good movie, sure, but it just didn’t feel up to par for this nomination. I feel like The Shape of Water will most likely get the big win, with Dunkirk as a possible contender.

DIRECTOR

It would sure be fun to see Greta Gerwig take home the statue for Lady Bird, as I mentioned in my previous post. But Guillermo del Toro probably has this one in the bag.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Sally Hawkins blew my mind- she pulled off her silent role effortlessly (Okay, I’m sure it took some effort). The Shape of Water may take home the most Oscars this year, but I still believe Frances McDormand will get this one. As much as I tend to dislike Margot Robbie, she did an incredible job as Tonya Harding, and I wouldn’t be unhappy to see her called up on stage.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

I’ll start by admitting I didn’t see Mudbound. I never caught it at the theater (never even noticed it as an option) and all of my streaming apps and even Vudu act as if it doesn’t exist. This is a hard category for me- but I am hoping one of the on screen moms get the win. Allison Janney (I, Tonya) and Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird) both gave extraordinary performances I’d watch again and again.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Every one did great. But come on. Gary Oldman deserves this Oscar. He was unrecognizable in his role as Winston Churchhill. (That role deserves the Make-Up award as well.) The others all did so good though too… see! This is hard!

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

I want Sam Rockwell to win this title (Three Billboards), but he might have quite the battle against William Dafoe (The Florida Project). Unfortunately, I was unable to see All the Money in the World, so I can’t comment on Kevin Spacey’s…I mean…um…errr….oops…. Christopher Plummer’s performance. (Too soon?)

SCREENPLAY

I am almost out of time before the evening begins, so I will just quickly say that The Shape of Water and Call Me By Your Name will probably win… But I secretly wish Lady Bird, and The Disaster Artist or Molly’s Game would win… just sayin’.

I’m going to stop at those because it is Red Carpet time! Happy Oscar Sunday!!

I have my Red Carpet Martini and I’m ready to enjoy!

1 shot Coconut Rum

1 shot Peach Schnapps

1 shot Vodka

3 shots Cranberry Juice

Post Secret live show!

Since I was young, I have a ritual I do any time I visit an ocean. I write down my secrets, things I don’t want anyone to know, things I have trouble confessing to myself… secrets big or small. Then I stand at the shore, on the bridge or pier, or in the water… read them out loud to myself, crumble up the paper, and throw it into the sea. This has always been therapeutic for me. It gives me such a good feeling to release those thoughts and to know my secret is out in the world now- without anyone knowing about it or being able to judge me for the things I’ve written.

I still do this ritual every single time I visit an Ocean, and every once in a while at other bodies of water if the need arises.

A few years ago I came across a website by a man who recognized the need for this release on a different level. Frank Warren, wanting to do a small community art project, handed out postcards to strangers asking them to write down their secrets anonymously and send them to his home. He didn’t expect it to blow up like it did!

Since 2004 he has received thousands of postcards from all of the world each year. Some secrets are funny and embarrassing, some are about being raped and wanting to commit suicide.

From confessions that are shocking about love, sex, drugs, God, life… to confessions that make you cringe- like the one that someone sent in saying they like to eat their toenails. (I myself have sent in a couple secrets, but no, that one wasn’t mine). New received secrets are posted to the post secret website every Sunday.

It’s an addiction for me, as it is for millions. The website has had over 798 million visitors to date.

It is entertaining, yes. But it is so much more than that. Good things have come of the secrets that have been sent in. Letters have been sent by people telling Frank how reading a secret that was posted saved their life. Because they saw that they weren’t alone. And that’s the point of this movement that he started. The secrets we have… someone else shares them. We are never alone.

I was waiting and waiting for the live show to come to my area, and finally it did! I was lucky enough to go to the show last night at Wilson theater at Vogel Hall in Milwaukee.

The show was even more amazing than I expected. I laughed and cried. There were three actors and a musician on stage. No overdone sets or costumes. Very down to Earth and personable. They told the Post Secret story and read postcards that have come in. They also read letters that had been received in response to posted secrets. The entire show was very moving.

During intermission I went to the restroom and there were post it notes and a pen…and people had written their secrets down and posted them to the mirror. Some made me cry… We also had an opportunity to write our secrets down and put them in a mailbox and some were read on stage in the second part. There were people right there in the room with me who had been through the same things I am too ashamed to talk out loud about. And we all laughed that someone wrote “Shhh… I’m drunk right now!” Hey… it’s not their fault! The wine was delish- plus there was a full bar. 😉

During intermission we sat back down in our seats to wait for the second act to start. There weren’t very many people sitting in back of us, and I glanced back and noticed the man sitting quietly by himself directly behind me. I instantly turned red and leaned over to Brad and nervously told him “that’s him! Frank is right there!” I wanted to cry with excitement! But instead, I took a deep breath (or two), and turned around to greet him. I love that I got to shake hands and have a conversation with someone that I admire so much! Then the show started with the actors reading the secrets from the audience. I loved that I could hear his emotional responses to the secrets read out loud. I found it extremely touching that this man hasn’t been calloused after all these years of reading secrets, and he was still touched by what people had to say. After the show he did go on stage for a question and answer session.

I left the theater with a natural high, floating on a cloud, with my autographed book in hand, feeling like my faith in humanity had been restored.

I will continue to watch every Sunday for new secrets to take in, and will occasionally send in some of my own. If you haven’t checked Post Secret out yet… please do so. And remember… you are not alone.

https://postsecret.com/

Three Billboards, Lady Bird, The Post, Molly’s Game

It’s finally Oscar season! As you have seen in previous years’ posts, I get very excited for the Oscars! It’s my Superbowl, if you will. I make it a point to see all the nominated films in each category (minus the foreign films, as they tend to be not as readily available to me). I am usually successful at pulling it off, if not pretty close to it. I tend to disappear from everyone’s lives for a brief moment, and spend a lot of time in the theaters, catching the films before it’s too late and they vanish into the “between theater and Dvd release” realm.

Nominations will be released next Tuesday, January 23rd. So for now, all I can do is speculate which films may be included on the list. This week I have quite a few lined up for viewing, based on those speculations. So far I have enjoyed Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, The Post, and Molly’s Game.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
I try very hard to not read reviews before seeing a movie. But for some reason, I did before seeing Three Billboards. I, of course, disagreed with most of them. The reviews weren’t great. They said that the character of Dixon (Sam Rockwell) was lacking. I actually really enjoyed his character, and have a feeling he will be up for a statue for it… fingers crossed! Without giving too much away… they said that there was no real character development, and that he suddenly, with no explanation, went from bad to good. I didn’t feel that way at all. In fact, I felt he stayed the same, but found a common ground with Frances McDormand’s character. And his sudden effort towards the case in question (the bar scene, for those of you that have seen it)… well all I can say about that is that he still had it in him to be an cop, it’s what he wanted to be for one reason or another, despite being an ass hole. In fact, Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) mentioned him wanted to be a detective. (This is very hard to explain without any spoilers.) The point is, I thought Martin McDonagh did very well with Dixon’s character. Still, some of the writing did feel a little elementary. It felt like something I could have written myself, and I have no writing skills to speak of. The screenplay came across as a great idea that just didn’t get executed at it’s full potential. Something was lacking and too obvious about the other main characters. Still, all in all, a great film that I would definitely watch again. The story is as disturbing as it is moving. FYI: This is not a true story. Although it was inspired by three real life billboards of the same nature that McDonagh came across in a small town he drove through at some point. No, it was not in Ebbing, Missouri, since Ebbing is actually a fictional town.
Lady Bird
The world hopes Lady Bird is up for awards, even if only due to the fact that Greta Gerwig debuted her solo directing career with this one… and come on… what does Hollywood want more right now than nominated films that were headed up by females? To date, only 4 women have been nominated for Best Director, with only one of them taking home the prize. This will of course be a big subject at this year’s award ceremony, I am sure. That being said, I am the type of person that doesn’t feel someone should win the award for that reason alone. She is definitely a contender though with this great piece of work. It helped that her leading lady to work with was Saoirse Ronan- why do we not see more of her? I love her! She did great in this movie, and effortlessly pulled off somewhat of a difficult character. All in all, I enjoyed the film. It was fun seeing Laurie Metcalf on screen, and I loved the static between the two characters. The dialogue was highly enjoyable. I am not sure this is a film that I would watch once a week, as it left some things to be desired. It kind of just felt like real life as an awkward high school aged teen… but then again sometimes those are the best stories to tell. The women on screen and off made this a worthy film, and I hope to at least see it on the list of nominations numerous times, even if it won’t take home the Oscar for Best Picture.
The Post
It wouldn’t be the Academy Awards without Meryl Streep. She, of course, nailed it as Kay Graham. I have to admit, this movie filled in a lot of blanks for me. I generally understood the subject matter, but there were a lot of details I wasn’t aware of. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and they made it exciting. I knew Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks would be fun to watch, but was happy to see so many other actors/actresses I adore as well: Bob Odenkirk deserves recognition for his Supporting Role, Sarah Paulson, Bradley Whitford, David Cross, and that guy that looks like a B version of Matt Damon (Jesse Plemons). And I was so thrilled to see Carrie Coon on screen.  I miss Nora (The Leftovers) and this helped me fill the void a little.  Stephen Spielberg mixed with a cast like this is a win-win situation. I have to mention too that the costumes were impressive, and the detail in the imagery & sets made it feel like we were really in the newsroom and on the print floor. Seems to be the obvious choice for nominations in many categories.
Molly’s Game
Of the 4 films discussed in this post, Molly’s Game was at the top of my list. The story was so well delivered, talk about being at the edge of your seat! I barely had a chance to catch my breath between scenes. It was witty, interesting, and so well written. I would hope to see an Adapted Screenplay nominee (assuming they consider it adapted), directing, and best picture. Jessica Chastain needs to be on the list for Actress in a Leading Role as well. I watched an interview recently that the real Molly Bloom did, and then saw the movie afterward, and was blown away by how good of a job Chastain did at becoming this character. It was easy to somehow relate to this person that I have absolutely nothing in common with….hmmmm…..

That’s it for now! This is only 4 of many films I plan to view in the near future, so I’ll be back. 😊 Thanks for reading- and Happy Oscar season!

 

 

 

High Five for Friday!

Linking up, for the first time in a long time, with this great blogger here for this week’s High Five for Friday post!  Be sure to check out her amazing blog and the other link ups!
Here are 5 highlights from my week:
1. Mom’s Night!  Last Friday night I was fortunate enough to be included in a really fun get together that was arranged for moms in our school district.  It was so nice to spend time with fellow moms WITHOUT it having to be a school function or volunteer opportunity!  We had dinner, margaritas, saw the new “Bad Moms Christmas” movie at the theater, and then drinks after.  Someone in every district should be arranging this sort of thing.

2. Murder on the Orient Express.  Saturday night I met up with my mom, her husband, and my 12 year old brothers to see this flick.  It was a fun, well scripted murder mystery that we all loved!  Definitely worth checking out.   Felt like a fun version of the board game “Clue”.

3. Deadly Manners. Speaking of whodunit mysteries, I have been listening to the Deadly Manners podcast.  I caught up with all the episodes throughout this week, and am now anxiously awaiting what I believe will be the finale next Tuesday.  This is my first experience with podcasts, and I may be addicted.  It’s nice to have entertainment I can get involved in while relaxing with my eyes closed.  It is a much different experience than tv- and I love using my imagination to picture the scenes as I listen along.  What a fun cast too!  Give it a try if you haven’t already!  Feels like yet another fun version of the board game “Clue”, which I highly enjoy!

4. Conferences!  Both my kiddos had exceptionally good parent/teacher conferences on Monday!  I couldn’t feel more proud!

5.  Hello, my name is Kristina.  And I am a Lipsense addict.  I blame my sister in law completely.  I was never even big on wearing lipstick in the first place, but this stuff is so wonderful I can’t seem to stop ordering more colors!  The quality can’t be beat, and it really does stay on ALL DAY.  I love mixing colors and have managed to even try bold colors that I never thought I’d wear.  Love!

(seen here on the right, Story is wearing Apple Cider x3 with Gold Glitter gloss)

 

That’s all for now folks.  Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

 

The Oscars!!!!

This is one of my favorite times of year- and the best part of Awards Season- OSCAR SUNDAY!  Last year I had fun with my Oscar Predictions post, so I thought I would write one up this year as well. 🙂  My kids, of course, have not seen too many of the nominated films- but they too are still excited to watch the Ceremony with me.  We are going to have tons of food, and beverages, and ballots to fill out…  They have to pick randomly, obviously, but there will be prizes for correct answers and a winner in the end!  I do wish I was at the Oscars, watching it in person.  It’s hard to believe it was only a couple of months ago I stood outside that theater, fantasizing about what it would be like to attend the Academy Awards. But, since that cannot happen, I will be content watching it and celebrating with the loves of my life!

There was far too much upset this year after the nominations were announced.  I don’t understand how people can say there wasn’t enough diversity amongst the nominees- why should people be selected based on race at all?  I thought the Academy was to look at actual performances here???  Will Smith has been nominated in the past (he was beat out in 2001 by Denzel Washington, and in 2006 by Forest Whitaker)- so how could they claim that he wasn’t nominated this year because the Academy primarily chooses white actors?  I am sure he did an amazing job, he is a very talented actor, but is it possible that others simply did better?  That is all I will say about that…

Along with my commentary below, my predictions will be in italics.  I like to choose two for each category on my personal ballot- who I want to win, and who I think will win, as they aren’t always the same.  There were so many good films this year!  Before the Academy Awards, I try and see most, if not all, of the nominated films and performances.

B E S T  S U P P O R T I N G  A C T O R

The Awards Ceremony will be starting out with a tough category this year.  Mark Ruffalo is amazing in every role he plays, and Spotlight is no exception.  I always find him very convincing as his characters.  I didn’t see Creed, so it is hard for me to judge Sylvester Stallone, but I can’t help but feel he was possibly nominated just out of respect.  I do believe he will take home the Oscar though, as everyone seems to love his story and how far he has come since his nomination almost 40 years ago.  I felt Mark Rylance was good in Bridge of Spies, and I know that most experts predict a win for him, but his performance just didn’t stand out to me as much as the others.  Tom Hardy was incredible in the Revenant, but I really wish to see Christian Bale take home the statue.  He seems to be able to take on so many different forms, he reminds me of a Chameleon.  In The Big Short, it didn’t feel like I was watching the same guy that played Batman, that’s for sure.

B E S T  S U P P O R T I N G  A C T R E S S 

I was watching The Danish Girl when I thought to myself; how could Alicia Vikander not get nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role?  She blew me away!  Of course, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized long after the fact that she actually was given a nomination.  I really want to see her win, and I also believe that she will.   If I were to choose a second favorite, I would have to go with Jennifer Jason Leigh for her role in The Hateful Eight.  That came out of nowhere, and I did not expect to care for her in that movie.  A lot of her scenes and delivered lines caused me to actually say “Holy Crap” out loud in the theater (my apologies to the guy in front of me).  Rooney Mara really did nothing for me in Carol- I didn’t find her part believable at all.  I love Rachel McAdams, and she did great in Spotlight, but the role didn’t feel near as challenging as the roles of her contenders, and a lot of times it felt just a little too scripted.  I am a fan of Kate Winslet’s as well, and part of me thinks she will win the award just because of her history with this sort of thing- that being said- I don’t think she should.  There were scenes in Steve Jobs in which she was incredible- and then others not so much.  And I don’t understand why she had a strong accent in one scene, then lost the accent in the next, only to have it again 5 minutes later???

B E S T  A C T O R

Predicting winners for the leading roles are even more difficult.  I would say I’ll sleep on it, but I have already been contemplating this for quite sometime, and tomorrow is the big day!  Can I please just pick three favorites, and can those three please have an Oscar of their own to bring to their after parties tomorrow night?  No???  Fine.  Bryan Cranston was sure a different man that Walter White in his leading role in Trumbo, and he pulled it off fantastically!  He was the best thing about the film by far.  Everyone loves Matt Damon no matter what he does.  If he wins, I can’t wait to see what Jimmy Kimmel has to say about it.  Hell- if he loses I can’t wait to see what Jimmy Kimmel has to say about it.  Michael Fassbender- oh my good lord his dialogue as Steve Jobs was smart and his delivery was unbeatable!  Give him the Oscar!  Wait… hold on a second.  Truth be told Eddie Redmayne deserves the Oscar.  He was absolutely flawless in The Danish Girl.  I predicted a win for him last year, and he won… I want to see him win again.  What are the chances that he could deliver such unbelievably moving performances two years in a row?  Okay this is hard- because Leonardo DiCaprio also deserves to win in this category.  And not just because he has lost so many times and it is somehow “owed” to him.  His misery and suffering in The Revenant  had me feeling actual physical pain.  Argh.  Let them all win!  Since I HAVE to pick someone – I will predict that Leonardo will finally get his win.  Or Eddie will.  No- Leo.  I think it will be Leo. 

B E S T  A C T R E S S

I love you Cate Blanchett, I really do, but I simply felt that there was a thing or two lacking in Carol- possibly not in your performance as much as how you were being directed- I don’t know.  But I just can’t offer this win up to you personally.  Charlotte Rampling I cannot judge, as I did not see 45 years.  Strangely it never came to a theater near me, nor was it released on DVD prior to the Oscars.  So not my fault.  Jennifer Lawrence did outstanding in Joy, and she may be privy to the award simply because she is always a favorite amongst the people that matter.  Saoirse Ronan is young, she will have plenty of time to win this award.  She was great in Brooklyn, no doubt, but I think it will just be too hard to beat out Brie Larson’s performance in The Room!  I felt for her character through the entire story.  She did an amazing job causing my heart to be ripped out from my chest.  Thanks for that.  She deserves the Oscar, and I think she will get it!  (okay she was cute as Amy Schumer’s sister in Trainwreck too- but that’s on a whole different level than this performance.)

C I N E M A T O G R A P H Y 

My jaw was dropped during 98.2% of The Revenant, purely due to the Cinematography.  It is up against Carol, The Hateful Eight, Mad Max, and Sicario.  Sicario is getting a lot of votes in magazine articles, and Mad Max is definitely a contender as well, but if The Revenant doesn’t win I may slap someone.  I have never seen such beautifully unique filming!  I can’t even put it into words- you must see it to understand.  Plus if he wins, Emmanuel Lubezki will be the first to get a three-peat.  I believe that to be true anyhow- I am too tired and it’s too late for me to fact check that.  But if I remember correctly- he would be the first?  Either way that would be awesome.  He won for Gravity, then the following year (last year) for Birdman.   He takes the art a step further each time, and far beyond what others have done.  And the Award goes to….

B E S T  P I C T U R E

And now the big one.  Personally, the Actor/Actress categories are more exciting to me, but this is the one everyone waits all evening for I suppose.  So many great films this year, and I was lucky enough to have been able to see all of the nominated pictures.  The Martian was cute, and funny, yet emotional at times as well.  Mad Max was exciting, and different, and fun to watch.  I loved how fast paced it was.  Brooklyn was a feel good story, with great acting- and would be a great book to read.  It offered great insight into the life of an Irish Immigrant that I otherwise would not have known the first thing about.  The love story within was very sweet and hard not to fall for.  Bridge of Spies was an interesting subject as well, although it didn’t grab me as the others did, it was still a good History lesson.  The Big Short made me angry and frightened at the same time- I cannot believe how much I learned that I now wish I didn’t understand.  The acting was right on throughout, and there really were a LOT of great performances within.  The script was smooth and quick witted (although not near as good as Steve Jobs-yet no nomination there for Best Picture).  Spotlight shed light on yet another hard to handle subject.  This one hurt in the pit of my stomach, knowing the things that happened and how they were covered up.  Everyone did a great job in this film.  I believe The Big Short will win, with Spotlight being it’s greatest contender.  But what film I would like to win is a different story.  I wish either The Room or The Revenant would win.  The Room was my favorite of all the nominated films, and The Hateful Eight, but again- no nomination there either).  The Room is emotional, and really tears at your heart.  It tells the story of a mom and her son that were held captive, and I love that it focuses so much on how things are seen from the young boy’s eyes- after never having seen the outside world before their escape.  There were scenes in this movie in which I was literally gripping the armrest and saying things out loud, such as “GO! GO!!!”  I became very emotionally involved.  The Revenant was brutal, and heartbreaking.  A lot of dialogue wasn’t even necessary to cause you to become fully invested in the story line.  The battle scenes are like nothing I have ever seen before.  Prepare yourself for violence and gore…   but it was all necessary in this case.

I believe Alejandro G. Inarritu, after winning last year for Best Director (Birdman) will win again this year (The Revenant).  That would be a big deal to take home consecutive Oscars in the Directing category, as no one has done that for over 50 years!  Costume Design either needs to go to The Revenant or The Danish Girl, the latter being my vote.  I hope to see Inside Out win for Animated Feature Film, just because I loved it so much.  Let’s talk about Screenplays!  I feel adamant that The Big Short should win for Best Adapted, and that either Spotlight or Inside Out should win for Best Original.  I cannot believe that Steve Jobs was not nominated for Best Screenplay, with its incredible, witty, fast dialogue.  

No matter who wins in what category… I will be happy as a clam tomorrow.  I love watching the Awards Ceremony!  I love the fashion, the jokes, the excitement, the moments, the speeches, the tears, the emotion….  Have fun at your Oscar Parties everyone!  Good luck to all of the amazing people nominated!

If you are like a large percentage of Americans, and you do not wish to see all of the Oscar Nominated Films- I still suggest you at least see The Room, The Hateful Eight, and Steve Jobs.  Oh, and The Revenant.  But really, you should probably just see them all.  

High Five on Friday!

Happy Friday y’all!  Linking up with this sweet lady here for High Five on Friday!

Here are five great things from my day to day that I’d like to share with you this week:

1.  Bates Motel.  Brad and I started watching this series right when it started, and loved it immediately.  But I am even more happy with it now that we are into season three.  The second season began to have more touches of the Norman Bates that we know and love from Psycho, and now season three has so much more of him!!!

Freddie Highmore plays such a good Norman Bates, especially as the show progresses.

I grew up watching Alfred Hitchcock movies, and Psycho was my favorite.  I remember my Grandma telling me about when the film was first released.  She would have been just a little older than I am now.  She said she saw it at the theater, and when they arrived there they had to sign a confidentiality agreement before they could see it!  Hitchcock wanted the premise of the film to be kept a secret, since shock factor was what he was going for.  She said the movie had been advertised as being about this woman that had stolen money – so when the main character gets slaughtered in the beginning – the audience was shocked beyond belief.  I loved hearing her talk about it, and I loved the movie- still do.  I am really enjoying seeing this story unfold in the Bates Motel series now.  In recent episodes, we see how in Norman’s head- it is his mother committing these crimes.  We see so much more than that too- but I don’t want to give too much away in case my readers haven’t seen it yet.  If that’s true, and you haven’t.. you need to check it out!

2.  Craft Room Organization.  I keep the house for the most part picked up and well organized- yet for some reason my craft room always gets bad.  Like, really bad.  Scary bad.  This bad:

 

Truth is, it gets this way all the time.  It’s just too small in here.  That is my excuse.

Okay, there is no excuse.  So I decided to do something about it.  I spent hours on Sunday going through EVERYTHING, and reorganizing it all.  It felt so good to get it clean, and now it will be so nice to be able to actually work in there effortlessly!

 

I mainly have this new shelf to thank for pushing me into getting the job done.  It’s actually for shoes, and I bought it off of a facebook resale page.  It works perfect for my supplies.  My main problem is that I used to just stack everything right on the table top and underneath the table.  So whenever I needed something, I had to pull everything out and apart… which led to the constant disaster that you saw in the first photo.  This new set up will work wonderfully now!

 

 

 

 

3.  Back to the Gym.  I was working out every day for quite a while, but took the past two weeks off due to the pain it has been causing in all of my joints – ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and hips – unfortunately.  After the time off, I felt ready to go back this week.  I had to take it easy, but I did get some work outs in, and a game of racquetball.  It felt great to be back. 🙂

 

 

4.  Easter!  I love enjoying Easter traditions with the kids. 🙂

     

5.  Spring Outfits!  I hate Spring with a passion- it is by far my least favorite season.  But it is a lot more fun to dress for a Spring day than it is for a Winter day. 🙂  I am loving being able to wear some of my favorite warmer weather outfits!  I can’t wait to be able to dress for Summer!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

High Five for Friday!

For this fun linkup, visit Bright on a Budget.  🙂

It’s been a great week – and here are 5 highlights to share:

1. Revisiting the 80’s.  My good friend Stacy and I met up with some other friends for an 80’s party.  Of course, as can be expected, we went all out with our outfits. Go big, or go home- that’s what I always say!  🙂

Strangely enough, the only thing I had to buy was the earrings and bracelets in order to include the main elements of the perfect 80’s attire.

 

 

A friend of mine asked me while giggling, “where the hell did you ever find that skirt?”.  Well… I didn’t “find” this skirt, I simply purchased it earlier this month at Express for regular wear.  LMAO.  It’s not normally this short (I had to hike it up to make it look more stylish for the decade we were going for), but yes this is a new skirt, just put out on the racks.  Express actually has a lot of clothes that would work well for an 80’s theme- that’s where my shirt is from too!

The 80’s were such an influential time for fashion.  If you are looking for inspiration, just google “Madonna”, “Cyndi Lauper”, or any other big star from then.  People are just not as easily influenced by rock or pop stars now as they were back then.  In 2035 if you are going to a 2010’s party, do not google Lady Gaga and base your outfit you go in off of those photos.  That would just not be very accurate.

2.  Spring Fling Craft & Vendor Fair.  I had a booth at this event on Saturday, and I had such a great time!  Of course, I earned a little money selling items that I had created, and I also made some great contacts for my business.  But the cherry on top was that I got to meet some great new people!  The ladies who had booths around me were so much fun to hang out with all day- and I love to make new friends!  I can’t wait for the event in the Fall!

3.  American Crime.  I am not actually listing american crime as a highlight of my week… I am simply referring to the new ABC drama that I have quickly become addicted to.  The subject is very real, and heavy.  I love the cast, and I love seeing Lynette again (Desperate Housewives), although I have to admit I really dislike her character.  Although it truly is an honest portrayal, and Felicity Huffman is doing such an amazing job (as usual).  Like me, you may be thinking you just do not have the extra time to get hooked on yet ANOTHER tv show- but trust me, this one is worth your hour each week.

And can I get a “hell yeah!” for the amazing TGIT line up?  I already miss How to get away with Murder, but it will be back soon.  American Crime was an excellent way to fill that time gap.

4.  Story’s new outfits.  My 7 year old just moved her wardrobe up a size.  I love all her new clothes- but even more so I love that picking out her outfit for each day is so exciting for her.  At the end of the day we go up and spend quite a bit of time together shopping through her closet full, and trying to decide what is perfect for the following day.  It’s never an easy decision to come to, lol.  But we have so much fun doing it.  I love watching her consider each piece, decide what goes well together, match it all with accessories… she is growing up so fast.  🙂

5.  Coloring with Story.  Another tribute on this week’s list to my beautiful daughter- this week we spent some time sitting and coloring together.  She kept asking me to do it, and of course being the horrible mother I am- it kept being put off.  It’s so hard when you say that you will do something with your child, and then she has homework to do, and then it’s dinner time, and then it’s time to pick up, and then she needs a shower, and then we get everything ready for school the next day- and the next thing you know it’s way past her bedtime. 😦  So early this week I PROMISED her we would do it, and I MADE myself forget the housework for a little bit.  We sat and colored, and she loved it so much.  Truth is- I did too!  I vow to take more time to do these small things with my kids that mean so much to them.

On a side note, coloring is often used as a relaxation technique for adults.  Here is a quote too from an article on Buzzfeed: “The practice generates wellness, quietness and also stimulates brain areas related to motor skills, the senses and creativity. In fact, publishers have lately been launching coloring books specifically for adults. The trend is alive and well in countries in Europe and North America.”

Here is my piece of artwork from my favorite of Story’s coloring books. When you put 3D glasses on, an image pops out at you.

Story didn’t want me to share what she colored on Facebook, so I figure that applies to my blog too.  But she did say I could share this drawing of hers that she did during our coloring time- which made me happy because I find this to be freaking adorable.

Thanks for visiting, and Happy Friday!!!

 

 

Five for Friday!

Happy Friday!  As per usual, I am linking up with this amazing blogger with a High Five for Friday post.  Here are 5 great things from my week:

1.  Mistress.  I finished this thrilling book by James Patterson this week.  It was an exciting read- kept me at the edge of my seat.  It was hard to stop reading each night because I needed to know what was going to happen next!  Its about a reporter in DC that is trying to find out what happened to his “lady-friend” after seeing her fall, jump, or possibly be pushed off of her balcony.  During his investigating though he finds out a lot about her that he didn’t know, and discovers that she was messed up in some very tangled webs.  Thats the best I can do without giving anything away…  I felt like I was watching an extended episode of Scandal- I kept thinking “this dude really needs to call Olivia Pope”.  If you are a reader, this would be a good book to pick up!

2.  Secrets & Lies.  If you aren’t a reader, and prefer to watch your stories- then set your DVR to record Secrets & Lies.  This new show really has caught my attention- and not just because I still have crush on Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe’s character in Cruel Intentions).  A man finds his neighbor’s 5 year old son in the woods on his morning run, and the mystery builds from there.  He seems guilty as sin, but is now determined to find who the real culprit is, get justice, and of course clear his own name.  This show is much like Gracepoint- another mini-series that recently ended.  It seems maybe two groups of writers got the same exact idea for a series at the same time.  But I am still enjoying round two.  Gracepoint is on demand now, and also definitely worth watching.   Anxious to see the outcome of this one too… although Juliette Lewis annoys the hell out of me in this role.  It just doesn’t fit her, in my humble opinion.  I’d much rather see her act as her flighty self (think Natural Born Killers, California, or even The Other Sister).

3.  The Best Sister Ever!  My sister sent up a gift for me from Arkansas!  It’s this cute & awesome stamp set…featuring a sweet little wiener dog!  I can’t wait to create something adorable with it!  

4.  Cinderella.  I took my daughter to see the new Cinderella movie- and we both absolutely LOVED it!!!  They did such a great job at sticking to the original story, and the set design and costumes were to die for!  I love Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother too. 🙂

 

All the dresses that were worn in the movie were incredible. Cate Blanchett’s were my favorite (she played the wicked Stepmother).  I love all the green.    After seeing more of Cinderella’s style throughout the movie, I now more understand the Cinderella line at Kohls.  (see my previous Five for Friday post about that).  It is all very fitting.  We did not dress up in any of the dresses we got from the line to go to the theater, but we did still wear the T-shirts. 🙂  This made Story very happy. (Okay….. it made me happy too….)

5.  Rehung Photos.  This may not be an exciting read for any of you- but this week I had my kids photos reprinted and I rehung them on my wall.  A little while back our house flooded due to an issue with the upstairs toliet- I had blogged about it at that point.  One of the things that was damaged was my set of frames and photos I had on my living room wall.  I planned to reprint them right away, but hesitated.  Everyone that sees them always tells me that I need to update them, because they are from when the kids were 3 and 4.  So, I considered picking out new photos to hang.  But.  I didn’t want to.  So there.  When did it become a rule that the photos we display of our children have to be “up to date”?  I loved them both at these ages- and I love these pictures of them!  So I am super excited to have my living room wall decorated back to the same old way it was before. 🙂

 

Thanks for visiting, and have a great weekend!

Five for Friday!

I have missed the Five for Friday link up for a couple weeks, so this post really covers more than just this week.  Here are 5 great things from my recent life!  (Check out the linkup at this lady’s fantastic blog.)

1.  Our Trip to Fox River.  We took a weekend trip to the resort we have Vacation Ownership at- a well needed break away.  I enjoyed relaxing with friends, playing games… and the kids of course LOVED the indoor water park.

2.  Professional Bull-Riding!  A large group of us ventured out to Rockford’s PBR competition to cheer on the incredible Bull Riders and Barrel Racers.  Half the fun was dressing for the event.  Western can go any which way really… and for this event I chose bling.  🙂  My favorite color to wear lately has been teal (true color shown in the photo on the right).

 

It was a great night with great friends, and I definitely want to go again next year!

 

3.  Kohl’s New Cinderella Clothing Line.  I walked into Kohl’s for some retail therapy, and the first thing I saw was this display:

 

With the release of the new Cinderella movie, she has been popping up all over the place. I love this new clothing line- every single piece of it.  Go to Kohl’s to check it all out- but look everywhere.  There was this display by the front entrance, different pieces by the entrance to the mall, different pieces in the junior section… plus there’s a continuation of the line for little girls too!  I loved it all!  I bought many pieces for myself, and many for my daughter as well.  I couldn’t help it!

 

 

The line came at such a great time because I have been on such a Disney kick lately.  I am not normally a “Disney person”, so to speak.. but with our tickets booked for Disneyland I have been feeling nostalgic.  All of a sudden I feel warm and fuzzy anytime I see Cinderella, Ariel, or Snow White (to name just a few).  My daughter was talking about what she wants to wear to the park, and asked me if I am going to wear a Frozen shirt too, or other princesses.  Well- of course I don’t own anything like that.  And I never would have thought I could find something for grown ups… but thank you Kohl’s for having perfect women’s shirts for our trip!  Even before this new Cinderella line came out I purchased tank tops that will work wonderfully for Disney and Universal Studios.  My daughter is very pleased with my new vacation wardrobe. 🙂

 

4.  I Do Not Owe the IRS.  This may seem like a strange thing to include in my Five For Friday post.  But… there is a story behind it.

I was walking through the store when I got a phone call that said Washington DC on the caller ID.  When I answered it was an automated message that said the IRS was trying to contact me regarding an important matter, and to return their call immediately.  I called back, and a gentleman proceeded to tell me that he was calling from the IRS Criminal Debt department, or something along those lines.  He told me that I owed $600 for my 2012 taxes.  I knew this couldn’t be right, but he said there had been a miscalculation, and that I owed the debt.  He said they had sent two notices to me, had my address, had the dates they were sent to me.  And now, because I never responded, this was due to go to court.  Of course, I had the option of settling it outside of court by paying my bill.  I won’t go into much more detail than this, other than to say that it sounded VERY legit.  They knew what they were doing, and they knew so much information about me without my giving them any. Unfortunately for them, I am smarter than that.  But even I had trouble just hanging up- they threaten you just right- make you very nervous and scared about the repercussions of not paying this debt NOW.  If I were to hang up then it would supposedly go to the next step- court.  I finally hung up, and called the IRS directly.  I had them check all my records, just to make sure that there was nothing owed.  The agent told me that this scam has been working, and millions has been paid by frightened Americans.  Very scary.

5.  First Wives Club.  I loved the movie, and now I love the new Broadway Musical!  My sister Misty was up from Arkansas this week, and we went down to Chicago’s Oriental Theater (my favorite in the Broadway in Chicago Theater District) to see this wonderful play!  We both really enjoyed it- it was very funny, the singing was fantastic.  The cast did so good, and they were very entertaining!  If you are thinking about going and seeing this new hit- STOP thinking and buy your tickets now!

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

And the award goes to…

It’s that time of year again- time for the Oscars!!!!  The Oscars are my Superbowl – I get very excited and emotionally involved each year.  I am taking the kids away for the weekend, which means I will not be home on Sunday.  I have NEVER missed the Oscars. NEVER.  TGFDVR!  (thank god for dvr)  I usually have a nice dinner, sip on my wine, watch the red carpet interviews… so I am sad I won’t be home to see it Live.  But I am recording everything… Red Carpet through Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscar Special, and I will stay up all night watching it if that’s what I have to do! (we get home late Sunday night)  This means I have to stay off the internet once they are happening until after I watch- no spoilers!

Choosing my favorites this year was very, very difficult.  So many great films and performances.  I say that a lot of years, but this year it was especially tough.  Here is my little commentary, and then my actual predictions are in italics under each category.

B E S T  P I C T U R E

What an amazing group of films that are up for Best Picture!  Brad and I went and saw American Sniper together.  It was a very moving portrayal of Chris Kyle’s time as a Navy Seal.  He was a legend, and a hero, and what I loved about the film is that it also shone a light on the journey that his wife and children experienced.  Birdman was excited and held my attention throughout- I had sat down to fold laundry when I put the film on, and in the end the laundry was still sitting in it’s pile on the floor because I couldn’t look away from the screen.  It’s about an actor (played by Michael Keaton) that can’t seem to get away from his superhero character he played years before, Batman.. I mean… um… Birdman, and is now trying to make his comeback directing a Broadway play.  The dialogue was quick, witty, and entertaining.  Boyhood is an amazing film.  So much so I wrote this blog post about it, so I won’t go into detail again.  I feel very strongly about this film!  I enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel the same as I have enjoyed many of Wes Anderson’s films – Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Budapest had the same feel and quality as his previous films and I enjoyed it from beginning to end, even just out of pure loyalty to his directing.  I did not expect to fall in love the The Imitation Game, as the subject matter did not excite me.  I was pleasantly surprised! The film tells the fascinating story of mathematician and Nazi-Code Breaker, Alan Turing, who managed to break the unbreakable German Enigma cipher during WWII, only to be later arrested and chemically castrated for being gay.   Selma was another moving story- and what I enjoyed about it was that rather than just focusing on the life of Martin Luther King, JR, it really was more about a Movement.  Another subject that has never really grabbed me in the past, but the film did a good job of making you feel passionate about what they were trying to succeed in when they Marched across the South.  If I had been alive at that time, I would have traveled to Selma and marched right along with them, as so many did.  I am quite upset that I did not get to see Whiplash.  It looks so good- I am going to move along to the last nominated film before I get too upset.  Yesterday I watched The Theory of Everything, which is the telling of the life of Stephen Hawking- the genius physicist who miraculously has lived with ALS since 1963, despite the fact that they initially gave him 2 years to live.  But it’s also the story of the life that his young wife, Jane, lived as the primary caregiver of a man who could no longer move or speak.  The struggles that people experience, yet stay strong through never cease to amaze me- and make me really think about just how precious life is.

On my ballad I use two highlighters- with one color I highlight who I would LIKE to see win the award, and with the other color I highlight who I think WILL win.  They are rarely the same.  In the case of Best Picture, as hard as it is to choose… (I am literally sitting here paused, trying to decide)… I think I would like to see The Imitation Game win.  I feel like overall it was the best among the nominated films.  As far as who I think will win, it’s another toss up.  I believe it will be Boyhood, but I do think The Imitation Game is a very strong contender in the eyes of the Academy.

B E S T  D I R E C T O R

I am going out of order with this one, but the Nominees for Best Director go somewhat hand in hand with the Best Picture Nominees, with a few exceptions.  We have Alejandro G. Inarritu for Birdman, Richard Linklater for Boyhood, Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher, Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game.

With Birdman being the strong contender here, in my humble opinion… I still feel Richard Linklater SHOULD and WILL take home the Oscar for Best Director.  What he did with Boyhood is nothing short of amazing!  To be able to direct the film over the course of 12 years- and have it actually come together as planned- yeah he deserves the gold statue to show for it. 

B E S T  A C T O R

Bradley Cooper did an excellent job, as usual, in American Sniper.   This is the third year in a row that he has held a nomination.  For the role of Chris Kyle, he had to eat something like 6,000 calories a day to bulk up!  That’s commitment!  Benedict Cumberbatch played Alan Turing so convincingly- the man was a little strange to say the least and had a very distinct personality.  Plainly put- he was kind of an ass hole yet at the same time endearing and sweet.  Michael Keaton was smooth and quick as Riggan Thomson- by a quarter of the way through the film I felt convinced this character WAS him and there was no acting involved- although that’s obviously not the case. 🙂  My mind had trouble at times keeping up with him.  Now to my top two favorites…

I have a feeling Michael Keaton may grab this one… but I am really rooting for Eddie Redmayne.  In The Theory of Everything he had to play Stephen Hawking from stage one (healthy, although a little clumsy at times) up to the point where he was in a wheel chair unable to walk, or even talk.  This was not directly from one point to the next though… he demonstrated each symptom as it came on one by one.  He did such an amazing job- my jaw dropped at many scenes and of course tears were falling for him throughout.  This was a very difficult vote for me to cast though, because Steve Carell’s performance in Foxcatcher was hard to beat!  It is uncanny how much he looked and acted like the real John Du Point – a little eerie at times even.  I had read an article once about how on set he isolated himself to get into character, which was hard for him since it’s so outside of his norm.  What a fantastic film, and an amazing performance!

B E S T  A C T R E S S 

I am sad to say I did not see Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night – although she is one of my favorite actresses.  Felicity Jones did a great job in The Theory of Everything, playing quite an emotional, yet strong part.  Reese Witherspoon was great in Wild – such a good movie- and she had to be alone on screen for the majority of the film, which I can’t imagine is the easiest thing to pull off.  Rosamund Pike reached so many dramatic levels of boldness (and craziness) in Gone Girl, causing you to feel bad for her as well as want to strangle her with your own two hands all without skipping a beat.

But my vote, hands down, goes to Julianne Moore in Still Alice.  Much like Eddie Redmayne, she played a character that is suffering from a disease, and took that role from stage one with minor symptoms and confusion, all the way through to the point of extreme deterioration.  She doesn’t even have to have a line in a scene- making you feel hard to handle emotions just with her expressions!  She has always been a great actress, but this is definitely my personal favorite role for her.  Again, the movie really makes you step back and think about how precious our time and our memories we create are.  I think she both SHOULD win, and WILL win.  Her top contender, I would guess, being Reese Witherspoon. 

B E S T  S U P P O R T I N G  A C T O R

Robert Duvall always gives a great performance, as he did in the Judge.  As I mentioned, I didn’t get to see Whiplash, but J.K. Simmons is another one of my favorites and I heard that his performance was unbeatable – so I am guessing that he will take home the Oscar.  Mark Ruffalo is one of the cutest actors… I mean… um… best actors out there.  (Did I accidently say that out loud?)    He did a fantastic job in Foxcatcher.  If you haven’t seen that film yet- you need to!  I explained in my link above why I feel Ethan Hawke really deserves this nomination.  But my vote goes to Edward Norton.  I LOVED his performance in Birdman.  LOVED!  He will always be one of the most talented men in Hollywood in my eyes – and although I don’t think he WILL take home the Oscar this time around, I am still casting my vote in his favor.

B E S T  S U P P O R T I N G  A C T R E S S 

I predict that Patricia Arquette is going to grab this one for her role in Boyhood.  Again, I went into detail on this in my Boyhood Blog post from before.   But what I would really like to see is Laura Dern take it home for her fabulous work in Wild.  I fell in love with her character instantly!  That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game, although I kind of felt it was much like most characters she portrays.  Emma Stone did a good job pretending to be the uncaring young adult daughter who actually does care a whole lot in Birdman.  And Meryl Streep of course shined in Into the Woods – I was in awe of her acting and of her singing!  Loved that entire movie!  This woman has been nominated 19 times now… I almost want her to win just for that.

O T H E R  C A T E G O R I E S

I will leave you with those predictions in detail.  I do hope Best Screenplay awards go to Wes Anderson for original (although I predict it will go to Alejandro G. Inarriutu) and Graham Moore for adapted, although Paul Thomas rocked the screenplay for Inherent Vice as well.  Film Editing needs to go to American Sniper, and Cinematography to The Grand Budapest Hotel.  That doesn’t mean they will… I just would like to see it happen.   My favorite Animated Feature on the list was Big Hero 6.  I cried and laughed throughout.  And strangely I feel adament about Best Animated Short Film– I really want Feast to win.  So sweet!!!  An Animated short has never brought me to tears before that one!  I know there are more faces that had to be made up for Guardians of the Galaxy, but I am so impressed by the Make Up work done on Foxcatcher – Steve Carell seriously BECAME John Du Point.  It’d be nice if they got the Oscar for their work there.  I have all of my other votes cast on my personal ballot- and I can’t wait to see who wins what this Sunday on ABC!  Not to mention Neil Patrick Harris is going to make a very cute and entertaining host!  Happy Oscars 2015 everyone!!!