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
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
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:
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:
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.
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:
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:
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)
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
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:
TBR Pile (my pile of choices, not mandatory reads):
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Hope you enjoyed the cards. I definitely enjoyed making them.
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Before I get to this month's goals, let's check in on January's goals and my progress.
January goals:
February goals:
Pages Read Today: 92 (108 Roaring Midnight)
Pages Read Total: 646
Comments: Finished a huge chunk of Roaring Midnight (only 32 pages to go!).