A Plethora of Videos

This movie looks right up my alley...

I love Archer!

Looks like my kind of show

I can't wait until this airs!

Ze Frank's back with another True Facts video

Some Doctor Who fun

IMDB #5: The Lion King

Title: The Lion King

Year Released/Rating: 1994 G

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones

Directed By: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff

Written By: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts

Genre: Children's animation

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

One of the bugs that Timon pulls out of a knothole during Hakuna Matata is wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
The line, "What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?" was improvised by Nathan Lane.
This animated movie was Gregory Peck's favorite animated film, he also ranked it in his top five all time favorite movies.
Originally, the hyenas Banzai and Shenzi were supposed to be voiced by Tommy Chongand Cheech Marin. But the directors couldn't get hold of Chong, so they cast Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi instead.
Originally titled "King of the Jungle", it was supposed to be about African lions living in the jungle until the production team realized that lions don't live in the jungle. Interestingly enough, the phrase "King of the Jungle" is still used on certain T-shirts sold at the Disney Store.

Summary: Tricked into thinking he killed his father, a guilt ridden lion cub flees into exile and abandons his identity as the future King.

Review: A Disney classic. I remember going to see this when it arrived in theaters (the first time). I really enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and the music. Everything about this movie is just great. I must see during childhood and after.

Best Bits:

Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. Young Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope? Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connnected in the great Circle of Life.
Pumbaa: Hey, Timon, ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there? Timon: Pumbaa, I don't wonder; I know. Pumbaa: Oh. What are they? Timon: They're fireflies. Fireflies that, uh... got stuck up on that big bluish-black thing. Pumbaa: Oh, gee. I always thought they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away. Timon: Pumbaa, with you, everything's gas.
Zazu: [about Scar] There's one in every family sire. Two in mine, actually. And they always manage to ruin special occasions. Mufasa: What am I going to do with him? Zazu: He'd make a very handsome throw rug. Mufasa: [Surprised] Zazu! Zazu: And just think, Whenever he gets dirty you can take him out and beat him.
Pumbaa: It's times like this my buddy Timon here says: you got to put your behind in your past. Timon: No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It's "You got to put your past behind you."

Quote Wednesday -- Doherty

With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing. -- Catherine de Hueck Doherty

Sometimes all you need to heal is a bit of listening.

IMDB #4: Pirates of the Caribbean

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Year Released/Rating: 2003 PG-13

Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush

Directed By: Gore Verbinski

Written By: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert

Genre: Action Adventure

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

Johnny Depp wore contact lenses which served as sunglasses so he wouldn't be squinting in the sun all the time.
The scene where Orlando Bloom impersonates Johnny Depp's performance was devised by Bloom who asked producer Jerry Bruckheimer if he could put it into the movie.
When returning from a night shoot on one of the Caribbean islands, Keira Knightley's boat struck a reef and went down. The only people aboard were Knightley, her mother Sharman Macdonald and the boat's skipper, all of whom escaped unharmed and were rescued within a few hours. However, the incident ultimately determined that the rest of the island night shoots needed would complete filming in a studio, rather than on location.
The East India Company (the real-life counterpart of the film franchise's East India Trading Company) really did brand pirates with a "P" but it was put on their forehead instead of their arm.
The "Fort" in Port Royal is actually not on St. Vincent's, but at a closed down amusement park (Marineland) in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
The name "Barbossa" might have been derived from the real Turkish pirate "Barbarossa". Barbarossa, also known as "Redbeard", was once a pirate in the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas before he became a fleet admiral of the Ottoman Empire navy.

Summary: Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.

Review: A fun movie, but just don't think about it too much. The best part of the movie is definitely Geoffrey Rush's Captain Barbossa. He is such a hoot. Love him! The rest of the cast is ho-hum in comparison. It's still a fun movie to watch for a night in.

Best Bits:

Jack Sparrow: Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.
Norrington: No additional shot nor powder, a compass that doesn't point north, [looks at Jack's sword] and I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of. Jack Sparrow: But you have heard of me.
Will Turner: This is either madness... or brilliance. Jack Sparrow: It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide.
Elizabeth: Captain Barbossa , I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal . Barbossa: There are a lot of long words in there, Miss; we're naught but humble pirates. What is it that you want? Elizabeth: I want you to leave and never come back. Barbossa: I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means "no".
Jack Sparrow: Parleley, parlelellyleloooo, par le nee, partner, par... snip, parsley... Ragetti: Parley? Jack Sparrow: That's the one. Parley. Parley. Pintel: Parley? Damn to the depths whatever man what thought of "Parley". Jack Sparrow: That would be the French.

Tithe by Holly Black

Title: Tithe (Modern Tale of Faerie #1)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 2002

Genre: YA Paranormal (Fey)

Pages: 340

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Women Author; 52 Books - W6; Top 100 YA Novels; Read Your Freebies

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

The entire time I was reading this, I just kept thinking "I've read this before." I haven't read this actual book, bit I've read so many YA stories just like it that the storyline was just incredibly familiar. I was pretty bored. I think I could have liked this book, but I've just read too much of this genre. I was going to include this series in my Seriously Series Reading Challenge. Since i am nixing this series, I will not include it and substitute a different series for the challenge.

Modern Tale of Faerie (DNFed series)

#1 Tithe
#2 Valiant
#3 Ironside

Arthur: 16 Weeks

Another week of fun mom's group activities and exploring the world. I've been seeing a huge amount of development these past few weeks. Can't wait to see what he'll learn to do next.

Likes: All his toys, all the new people he's met (especially people who hold him), walks in the stroller, bath time

Dislikes:Dad (we really need to work on this, but he totally prefers mom), not being paid attention to, not being able to grab a toy correctly (he gets so frustrated sometimes)

Sleeping:We are now getting a consistent 7-8 hour stretch during the night. Unfortunately it's usually 7:30-4ish. I would love for him to wake at 10:30pm and then do his 8 hours, but that's not the case. He's still sleeping until 6:30-7:00am. I can do that wake up time. Before 6 and I am just a zombie for the rest of the day.

Eating: Still really interested in my food, but we're not there yet. For now, he's eating 6 ounce bottles during the day and usually one in the middle of the night. Such a piggy pig!

Playing:All the usual toys, but his new favorite is the mirror. He always wants it positioned so he can see himself. It's extra fun when he can see himself and me in the mirror. A guaranteed way to make him smile and laugh. Best $15 spent in awhile.

Medical Milestones:

More vocal -- Check! He just discovered how to roll his tongue so he's constantly making these random noises.
Doubling birth weight -- Check! We're just about there...
Imitating speech sounds and patterns -- Not quite there yet, but I can tell he's getting close. He loves to "talk" with me about a variety of topics.
Grabbing hair, clothing, jewelry -- Double check! He's always grabbing my hair and pulling hard. I've taken to wearing a ponytail most days just to avoid that.

Schedule: Still with the more or less random napping. Although I try not to let him nap after 5 so he will go to bed at 7:30.

Out and About:

Walk at Shoreline — This week our taskmaster was back and pushed us to walk 3.8 miles. Woo! I was sweaty afterwards, but it was a great workout. Plus, we met two new ladies and their babies.
Olympus Cafe -- One from our mom's group organized an informational meeting to discuss forming a childcare co-op. About 14 ladies showed up. A great turnout! We're having another meeting in two weeks to elect board members and vote on our bylaws.
Target — Arthur loved hanging out in the baby carrier while I shopped. He really likes watching other people.
Michaels -- We had to get some supplies for our upcoming Valentine's Day party with our mom's group.
Walk at Shoreline (again) -- This time it was with a new mom's group. We did another 3.8 mile circuit and chatted a bit afterward. It was a small group (only 4 of us moms), but a real friendly and motivated group. We've already made plans to tackle The Dish in Palo Alto this coming week. A 5 mile circuit with incline... I'm a bit hesitant, but we are going to try.
Card Makers Meet and Greet -- We walked down to Panera (1 mile there, 1 mile back) for my monthly meet and greet. I had fun chatting with my fellow crafters and working on Valentine's cards for our upcoming mom's group Valentine's party (Arthur's first party!).

IMDB #3: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Year Released/Rating: 1981 PG

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Written By: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman

Genre: Action Adventure

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it!

Trivia:

The original name of the lead character in the script was Indiana Smith. His name was changed to Jones on the first day of production.
In the submarine pen, the German who comes upon Indiana says, in German, "Good day" "Tired? Why do you sleep? Wash yourself! And straighten your shirt, so that you don't look like a pig at your court martial..." "Stand up... [straight]" He is cut off by Indiana's punch.
Although the Nazis speak German in many scenes, most of the lines were dubbed for the German versions of the film because the actors spoke very bad German with a very strong American accent. Some lines were simply wrong. On the recent DVD release, no German lines are wrong. The majority of the German lines seems to be spoken by native German speakers with a slight south German accent.
In filming the Well of Souls sequence, the producers scoured every pet shop in London and the South of England for every snake they could lay their hands on. Hence there are snakes that are identifiable from many different geographical areas. However, once all the snakes were on set, it became clear that there were not nearly enough of them, so Steven Spielberg had several hoses cut into lengths, and these were used as well. Looking closely, you can tell which are the real snakes and which are not. A sheet of glass separates Harrison Fordand the arched (and highly dangerous) cobra when he falls in. The snake actually did spray venom onto the glass.
The submarine pen on the island where the Ark is taken and finally opened is not a set, but in fact an actual German U-Boat pen left over from World War II in La Rochelle, France. Producer Robert Watts was amazed at how preserved the submarine pen was (even down to the graffiti on the walls) that he described it as "a actual set in existence".
Body Count: 67 (including the monkey).

Summary: Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

Review:

One of my all time favorite movies. How can you not love Indiana Jones? This is just a fun action adventure movie. We introduce the twins to it last year and they loved it. A must see for everyone.

Best Bits:

Belloq: What a fitting end to your life's pursuits. You're about to become a permanent addition to this archaeological find. Who knows? In a thousand years, even you may be worth something. Indiana: Ha ha ha ha. [under his breath] Indiana: Son of a bitch.
Sallah: Indy, there is something that troubles me. Indiana: What is it? Sallah: The Ark. If it is there, at Tanis, then it is something that man was not meant to disturb. Death has always surrounded it. It is not of this earth.
Indiana: Do we need the monkey? Marion: I'm surprised at you. Talking that way about our baby. He's got your looks, too. Indiana: And your brains.
[Upon opening the Well of the Souls and peering down] Sallah: Indy, why does the floor move? Indiana: Give me your torch. [Indy takes the torch and drops it in] Indiana: Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes? Sallah: Asps... very dangerous. You go first.
Indiana: Meet me at Omar's. Be ready for me. I'm going after that truck. Sallah: How? Indiana: I don't know, I'm making this up as I go!

Music Monday -- New Music Winter

Fitz & The Tantrums “The Walker” -- An awesome Alt Nation find.

Linkin Park and Steve Aoki "A Light that Never Comes" -- Love the combo.

Switchfoot "Who We Are" -- A new song from an old favorite.

A Winter's Respite Readathon -- Finish Line

Pages Read Today: 32 (Roaring Midnight) + 35 (The Nanny Diaries) + 25 (Tithe)

Pages Read Total: 738

Comments: I finished Roaring Midnight and started two new books; one on the iPad and one in physical form. Even though I lowered my expectations for this readathon, I still feel like it was a success. I'm hoping to continue my reading momentum.

Goals:

Read two books √
Review all books read √
Read each day √

TBR Pile (my pile of choices, not mandatory reads):

Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus -- In progress
Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein
Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Added: Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason
Added: Tithe by Holly Black -- In progress

IMDB #2: Groundhog Day

Title: Groundhog Day

Year Released/Rating: 1993 PG

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie McDowell, Chris Elliott

Directed By: Harold Ramis

Written By: Danny Rubin, Harold Ramis

Genre: Comedy

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it!

Trivia:

Bill Murray was bitten by the groundhog twice during shooting. Murray had to have anti rabies injections because the bites were so severe.
There are exactly 38 days depicted in this film either partially or in full.
On the DVD, Harold Ramis states that the original idea was for him to live February 2nd for about 10,000 years. Later he says that Phil probably lived the same day for about 10 years.
All the clocks in the diner are stopped, mirroring Phil's predicament.
The groundhog ceremony is depicted as occurring in the center of town. Gobbler's Knob, where the ceremony takes place in real life, is a rural, wooded area, about two miles outside of Punxsutawney.
A family of groundhogs was actually raised for the production.
In order to get the scenes to look alike many different takes were filmed in different weather conditions. Eventually Harold Ramis chose the bleak Wisconsin look for the film.

Summary: A weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again.

Review: It's Groundhog Day so of course we had to watch Groundhog Day. It is a tradition after all. Apparently, J and I really have a thing for Bill Murray comedies. This was is very interesting will al the twists and turns. And I can't even imagine how hard it was to shoot and reshoot some of these scenes multiple times. Overall, I really enjoy rewatching this movie every year.

Best Bits:

Phil: This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.
Phil: You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.
[Phil Connors is stopped by the police after some crazy driving] Phil: Yeah, three cheeseburgers, two large fries, two chocolate shakes and one large coke. Ralph: [to Phil] And some flapjacks. Phil: [to Cop] Too early for flapjacks?
Phil: Ned, I would love to stay here and talk with you... but I'm not going to.
[Driving down the railroad tracks toward an approaching train] Phil: I'm betting he's going to swerve first.
Buster Green: If you gotta shoot, aim high. I don't wanna hit the groundhog.
Phil: It's the same thing your whole life: "Clean up your room. Stand up straight. Pick up your feet. Take it like a man. Be nice to your sister. Don't mix beer and wine, ever." Oh yeah: "Don't drive on the railroad track." Gus: Well, Phil, that's one I happen to agree with.
Phil: [Holding Phil the Groundhog behind the wheel] Don't drive angry. Don't drive angry!
[after Phil has driven the truck he has stolen off a cliff to kill both himself and Punxsutawney Phil] Larry: He... might be okay. [the truck explodes in a fireball] Larry: Well, no. Probably not now.

Crafting Time

I spent some time Sunday afternoon making some cards. I had a few leftover kits from crop night, so I thought I would focus on those. I took a few ideas from Pinterest and put my own spin on them.

For my versions, i used a ton of random paper from my stacks and a few Stampin' Up products. I left off the ribbon in favor of a more streamlined one-layer (but not really) look. My only complaint is that I don't own a circle punch between 1 1/4" and 2". I really need to add that to my Stamp Club order for February.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up Wacky Wishes
Inks: SU Primrose Petals, SU Garden Green
Cardstock: SU Primrose Petals, various scraps
Tools: Cuttlebug Swiss Dot Embossing Folder; 2" Circle Punch; 1 1/4" Circle Punch; 1" Circle Punch; SNAIL; Big Shot

I found an interestingly designed card on Pinterest, but couldn't find the original source. Of course, this was after I had already made my own version of the card. Oh well! At least I can showcase my cards. I played around with layering and shades of pink.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up Morning Meadow; Su Flower Shop
Inks: SU Primrose Petals; SU Regal Rose; SU Garden Green; SU Certainly Celery
Cardstock: SU Primrose Petals, various scraps
Accessories: Rhinestone jewels
Tools: SU Pansy Punch; SNAIL; Dimensionals

I love the graduated colors of the original design and wanted to make my own interpretation. I made a near copy of the original and then decided to play up with the placement of the butterflies for the second card. I also used a ton of scraps for these. The dimensions of the strips are 3/4" by 3 3/4", 3 1/2", and 3 1/4".

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up Banner Greetings
Inks: SU Primrose Petals
Cardstock: Scraps
Accessories: SU 2012-2014 In Color Dahlias
Tools: SU Elegant Butterfly Punch; SNAIL; Glue dots

Hope you enjoyed the cards. I definitely enjoyed making them.

Sunday Sunset #3

Book finished: Lessons in French; Roaring Midnight

Reading: The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin

On the Nightstand: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry; Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn; Bloodlines by Richelle Mead; Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

Making Lists: I'm loving my Daily Planner pages that I bought last week. They are keeping me so organized. I just take a few minutes every evening to fill it out for the next day. If I need to, I can always change or add things, but I find that I get 95% filled out the night before. Now I don't forgot to do things or misplace those little pieces of paper with reminders. Plus, I am more comfortable with paper than an app on the iPhone.

Around the house: I'm slowly implementing my cleaning schedule. So far, so good.

From the kitchen: This week I ended up packing a few freezer meals for the future (Sweet Potato Barley Soup, Santa Fe Chicken, and Chicken Taco Chili). Our freezer is now just about completely full. I love filling it with freezer meals and then slowly emptying it back out.

Crafting: This week has been a slow week crafting-wise but a good week for organization. After taking some time to organize my stash, I blogged a tour of my crafting room. I still have a few organizational projects, overall I'm really happy at how it all came together. One of those projects I tackled last night: organizing my paper scarps. I used quart ziploc bags to sort scraps by color. Those bags then went into the 8.5" x 11" magazine files. This eliminated the need for one cracked plastic bin. Now I'm left with easier access to scraps and a bin with my small paper pads. On the organization travels, I was stumped as to figuring out which Stampin' Up color coordinated with my retired paper pads (Festival of Prints and Print Poetry). Some amazing person on the internet created a spreadsheet with every DSP from at least the last 7 years and the coordinating colors. I'm definitely bookmarking that page for future reference.

As to the actual crafting, i attended meet and greet on Saturday and worked on the Valentines for our mom's group party. I finished them after I came home. I forgot to take any pictures before I sealed the envelopes, but I will say that they are all very adorable and used a ton of scraps. This coming week I need to complete my stamp club homework for Feb. 13th and I want to make at least two cards inspired by a pin from Pinterest.

Watching: J and I have been binge watching Workaholics. Way too funny! We're also catching up on our currently airing shows. And I finished Dracula this week. Holy crap! I thought it was supposed to me a self-contained one season show, but they left it completely open for season two. Not quite sure how I feel about that...

From Nature: It's been a bit chilly and overcast around these parts. Definitely great weather for walking with a light jacket and nice blanket for Arthur. Although I could do without the gray days. They remind me a bit too much of the Midwest.

Shopping Scores: Another big shopping week. I picked up some white onesies, car window shades, and a toy mirror for Arthur. He adores the mirror! I grabbed some Valentine's supplies to make cards for our baby Valentine's Day party. For myself, I picked up some new workout gear. I walk every Monday at Shoreline, but didn't have any good clothes to help keep me comfy and dry. Target was having a good sale so I snapped up some pants, a sports bra, and a tee. Love them!

Project: I have begun to plan for our summer vacation. That's right, it's February and I'm planning for summer. Instead of a big structured road trip with an 8 month old in tow, I thought we could do a slow road trip up the northern coast to the Redwoods National Forest and back down again. Currently, I am just pulling together ideas and possible stops. I checked out some travel books from the library and have pilled some ideas from Pinterest. It will come together nicely at some point this spring.

Picture: Check out my little reader! So much like his momma.

IMDB #1: Singin' in the Rain

For one of my February life goals, I aim to watch a movie off our IMDB list everyday. We're starting with a classic...

Title: Singin' in the Rain

Year Released/Rating: 1952

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds

Directed By: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

Written By: Adolph Green, Betty Comden

Genre: Musical

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

Gene Kelly insulted Debbie Reynolds for not being able to dance. Fred Astaire, who was hanging around the studio, found her crying under a piano and helped her with her dancing.
For the "Make Em Laugh" number, Gene Kelly asked Donald O'Connor to revive a trick he had done as a young dancer, running up a wall and completing a somersault. The number was so physically taxing that O'Connor, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day at the time, went to bed (or may have been hospitalized, depending on the source) for a week after its completion, suffering from exhaustion and painful carpet burns. Unfortunately, an accident ruined all of the initial footage, so after a brief rest, O'Connor, ever the professional, agreed to do the difficult number all over again.
Donald O'Connor admitted that he did not enjoy working with Gene Kelly, since Kelly was somewhat of a tyrant. O'Connor said that for the first several weeks he was terrified of making a mistake and being yelled at by Kelly.
Cyd Charisse had to be taught how to smoke for her vampy dance sequence.

Summary: A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

Review: This is definitely one of my absolute favorite musicals. It has such great scenes, not the least of which is the title song. I really love the comedic scenes with Lina Lamont. And Cyd Charisse's vampy dance in Broadway is just to die for. The storyline in this one is actually quite good. It's not like some of the old musicals where characters and story just don't exist in favor of flashy musicals. Of course, this one still has some of those flashy musical numbers. It's a must see...

Best Bits:

Lina Lamont: Gee, this wig weighs a ton! What dope'd wear a thing like this?Rosco: Everybody used to wear them, Lina. Lina Lamont: Well, then everybody was a dope.
Cosmo Brown: Lina. She can't act, she can't sing, she can't dance. A triple threat.
Don Lockwood: Now Lina, you've been reading all those fan magazines again! Now look Lina, you shouldn't believe all that banana oil Dora Bailey and the columnists dish out. Now try to get this straight: there is nothing between us. There has never been anything between us. Just air. Lina: Oh, Donny, you don't mean that.
Cosmo Brown: The new Don Lockwood. He yodels, he jumps around to music. Don Lockwood: The only problem is once they release this movie, no-one's gonna want to see me jump off the Woolworth building into a damp rag.
Don Lockwood: Cosmo, call me a cab. Cosmo Brown: OK, you're a cab.

Project Life 2014 -- Week 4

Family Album: I played around with some embellishments this week. As per usual, I have the weekly highlights inserts and the weekly date insert. I added some alphabet stickers to two of the pictures for added descriptions. I really love the font of "Sophie." To help doctor up the printed inserts, I added some candy dots and stamps. A few weeks ago, I bought some partial kits (Honey and Kraft) from an Etsy seller. I can't justify buying an entire kit as I already have three separate kits. But, I can get a few partials to add some extra fun to the spreads. I really really love the bright colors from the Honey kit. As to this week's photos, it was another Arthur heavy week. I managed to catch a few adorable smiles and some action shots. My favorite picture is my artsy shadow picture. Randomly the light from the windows created some beautiful shadows.

As it is the end of January, I filled out my monthly wrap-up insert. I loved embellishing the monthly title card with fun stickers (glittery stars). I picked my favorite 8 photo a day pictures to include. I added the each day's theme written on washi tape. Love the look!

Supplies:

PL Sunshine kit
PL Honey kit (partial)
PL Day stickers
Embellishments from Studio Calico kits
Random stamps
Random stickers
Washi tape

Arthur's Album: This week's spread is very simple and photo heavy. I made sure to include our weekly highlight inserts and a little journaling about some photos. I really loved the photos from this week.

Supplies:

PL Baby kit

Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason

Title: Roaring Midnight

Author: Colleen Gleason

Publisher: Avid Press 2013

Genre: Paranormal (Vampires)

Pages: 232

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Women Authors; Well-Rounded Reader -- Paranormal Romance; What's in a Name -- Reference to time

Macey Gardella is a typical young woman of the Roaring Twenties: she works a job, has her own flat, and loves to dance the Charleston. But when a mysterious man named Sebastian Vioget informs her she belongs to a family of vampire hunters, Macey is stunned and disbelieving.
Yet, strange and frightening things begin to happen, and when Macey comes face-to-face with one of the fanged creatures, she has no choice but to believe Sebastian. And when she learns his own soul depends on her willingness to carry forth the family legacy and hunt the undead, Macey capitulates and joins the fight.
As she begins to learn about her new life, Macey meets the handsome newspaper reporter known as Grady--who seems to know more about vampires than he should. When he begins to ask too many questions, she has to juggle her strong attraction to him with the need for secrecy.

I picked this up because of the strength of the first Gardella series. I loved reading about Victoria, Max, and Sebastian's adventures. This volume doesn't quite live up to the first ones, but I did enjoy reading it. I loved the setting: 1920s Chicago. The gangsters, the speakeasies, and the flappers all added a lovely atmosphere for the novel. I loved the Sebastian and Wayren as they were great characters from the first series. However, I an not completely sold on Macey and the other newcomers. Macey is a bit too childish, at least in this first book. I would like her have a bit more sense of the world. I mean she lives in gangster era Chicago. You would think she would know not to wander the streets alone after dark. I am also not a huge fan of Chas and Grady. They just seem to be very flat characters right now. I hope that as the series progresses the character also grow and change. Otherwise, I might just have to give this series up...

Gardella Vampire Chronicles:

Monthly Life Goals February

Before I get to this month's goals, let's check in on January's goals and my progress.

January goals:

30 Day Challenge: Creative writing prompts -- Failed. I just never seemed to make time for this.
Pixar movie marathon -- Failed. Just never got around to it.
Create a cleaning schedule (daily, weekly, monthly) -- Done! I looked at Pinterest for ideas, collected my own ideas, and created my own schedule.
Clean out our health and beauty projects -- Done! I got rid of a ton of travel sized and expired products. Plus, any leftover travel sized containers went onto the counter to use soon.
Take inventory of our food cupboards -- Done! I got rid of a few thing and organized the rest. Now I can easier grab our most used items.
Lose a pants size -- Failed. I'm down about 1/2 a pants size. Hopefully my recent return to consistent exercise will make this a reality soon.
Take a substantial walk (1-2 miles) at least once a week – 50% success on this. While still in Indiana, I didn't walk at all (it was below zero!). Once I got back to California, I restarted our weekly walk at Shoreline with the mom's group. That event gets me at least 2 miles every week (sometimes more). Now I need to commit myself to walked at least another day during the week.

February goals:

30 Day Challenge: Cleaning of the entire house -- I plan on implementing my cleaning schedule that I created in January along with a general deep clean of the apartment. Room by room, area by area, I want this place to be a good starting point for the rest of the year.
30 Day Challenge: IMDB 250 movies -- I do a twice yearly movie month anyway. I though I would make this February's movie month focus on the watching a chunk of those 250 movies I committed us to watching almost two years ago.
30 Day Challenge: An apple a day -- Kind of silly, but I like the challenge. Plus, I love apples.
Pinterest Challenge: Make 5 things from my Pinterest boards -- My boards are being cluttered with all kinds of ideas, but I don't usually do anything besides look at them. I resolve to make at least 5 things (recipes, crafts, etc) from my boards.
Update Netflix queque -- I need to finish transferring my movies over to my profile so J quits bugging me. There's no real easy way to do it.
Update TBR spreadsheets -- Another not fun chore, but these spreadsheets are in sore need of some cleaning out and organizing.
Make Valentines for the mom's group and stamp club ladies -- Arthur and I signed up for a Valentine's day party with one of the mom's groups. My goal is to make my own little Valentine's for all the babies. I have some great card making ideas. Plus, Michael's has all of their Valentine's supplies on sale.

A Winter's Respite Day #5

Pages Read Today: 92 (108 Roaring Midnight)

Pages Read Total: 646

Comments: Finished a huge chunk of Roaring Midnight (only 32 pages to go!).