2010 Year in Review ~ Movies

Continuing on with the list from 2010...

Movies

~ In Order of When I Saw Them ~

A good ol' chick flick to kick off the year.

I don't usually watch most of the movies George Clooney has been in but I really enjoyed this one.

I loved this movie. It is one of the few 3-D movies that been out that I wanted to actually see that way and the experience was just awesome.

Caught this one with a friend. I don't watch too many thrillers but this one was quite good and who doesn't mind spending some time looking at Ewan McGregor?

Date Night I saw twice, once with my aunt and cousin. I loved it immediately and when my Mom said she wanted to see it when she visited the mitten I had no qualms of seeing it again.

I know I wrote about this in a earlier post, but since that was way back last summer I will just summarize: Decent movie but could not get passed that it was Miley Cyrus on screen. 

A good decent sequel. I need to watch it again to fully determine if I still like it better than the first (since I seem to be the only one)

I wanted so much for this to be a good movie. My bar wasn't set too high because I'm use to chick flicks falling into the horrible stereotypes they are becoming known for. Sadly even with lowered expectations this still left me disappointed. 

A movie I saw because I wanted to take my dad for a movie around father's day. He liked the tv show so I was hoping he would like this updated movie version. Not a bad movie necessarily, just your basic action film. 

I really enjoyed this movie. The minions are so adorable, I loved them so much. They almost took first place from my beloved three eyed aliens from "Toy Story". Almost.

Comedies are funny things, some are your type and some of them you just want to know how someone found them funny at all once. Now this one had moments of funny but also had moments of crudeness that completely turned me off to it.

Now, see what I mean. The whole basis of this comedic movie relies on the main character doing a very crude act but the way it is done and the rest of the movie is so adorably funny. I really enjoyed this and think next to his part in Juno one of Jason Bateman's best parts.

This is also a good comedy/romantic film, but let me assure you it most definitely earned its R rating so be prepared. I think it is the closest character Drew Barrymore has played to being herself and I enjoyed that.

I just re-watched this with my cousin while I was visiting with her for a few days. I love this film, LOVE it. It is one of the best and most quotable films of the year. 

A very cute family film that I wouldn't mind seeing again.

Speaking of again, this is another one I saw twice and also because it was one of the ones my Mom wanted to see when she visited once more. A good comedic film and just like everyone last year I loved me some Betty White (Rose is my Golden Girl after all).

Best. Action. Film. Ever.

Seriously, if they made every action film like this it would my favorite genre ever. Very well done with both casting and writing. It was another movie I saw with my Mom when she was here and we loved it. We were both rolling in our seats laughing.

I pretty much like whatever Rachael McAdams is in, give or take a few roles, but I really enjoyed this one even though in my head I kept thinking with such a hectic schedule her character has how does she keep her hair and makeup so perfect. (Yes, I know, movie magic but give me this one, okay?)

Love. This. Movie.

This was part of the itinerary for a very short trip to visit my cousin that also included going out and celebrating her newly legal status. Loved all the movies of the series and so far have loved what I have read of the book series. I remember thinking as the credits rolled that it is such a long time until July. Anyone else counting down with me?

A family film I did not like. Yes, I did find a few spots where I chuckled but I wouldn't have seen this film if it weren't for a certain eleven-year-old family member of mine.

So, what have you seen lately? Anything movies from last year that you would suggest? I'm always up for recommendations.

Kristen

2010 Year in Review ~ Books

So this post is only 12 days late

But rather late than never

This is my version of a year in review

Pertaining to two things I love to do, watch movies and read books

Though I'm splitting them up so I don't end up with a gargantuan post for you all.

Books
~ In Order of When I Read Them ~

I don't read much Young Adult fiction anymore but the author(who is a fellow Nerdfighter(long story) and I follow her on twitter) allowed anyone that followed her the link to read this book free for a month. A fast read but a good story.

My love of Jane Austen runs deep. It first started when I saw Titanic and wanted to find something else Kate Winslet was in, which lead me to "Sense and Sensibility". I absolutely fell in love with this movie and since then I've tried to see other movie versions of her novels. I even enjoyed the movies "Becoming Jane" and "The Jane Austen Book Club". I really enjoyed reading this book and learning so much about this wonderful woman.

Yes, I know, quite an interesting title it has. Not a bad read but I much more enjoy "I Feel Bad About my Neck" and the recently read "I Remember Nothing". 

I have a confession to make. I have never read a Judy Blume book in my life. Yeah, I don't know how it happened either but it did. I still throughly enjoyed this book of essays on the great impact the author's books have had on other women's lives.

A good slice of life novel. Nothing of too much importance happens but it is still a sweet story.

Basically? A Pysch episode in book form. It did take me awhile to get into a good rhythm with this book because for the first twenty pages I could still hear Shawn and Gus's voice, which while entertaining, is very distracting.

It's somewhat amazing what this guy put himself through to make people laugh, but I am so glad that he did.

Another wonderful tale of growing up southern from the lovely lady who wrote one of my favorite's "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". 

This is when I (finally!) started my goal of reading Harry Potter before the final movie comes out. Loved it but how could I not. Instead of a summary (since everyone knows it pretty much) I'll just say my favorite Harry Potter character in this one is Neville Longbottom. A klutz after my own heart.

I loved Wil Wheaton in the movie "Stand By Me". Then he appeared on one of my favorite shows "Big Bang Theory" and I learned about his blog and found out he is now a writer who mostly write non-fiction narrative. I really enjoyed this book, which mostly contains stories on him growing up, and learning more about one of my favorite actors.

Some series last too long (Goosebumps? Babysitter's Club? I'm looking at you) but this series ended after four years(since the first was published) and four books. Even though the movie would never match the loveliness of these books imagined in my head, I really hope it does come out one day so my love these characters can continue.

Favorite character: I'm going to go with Hagrid. He a lovable half-giant with a big heart.

Favorite character: It's a tie between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Lupin because Hogwarts finally receives a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Black because Harry finally gets the sense of family he has never really had.

Even with the best of intentions this girl can still screw things up. I can relate to that, but her stories are way funnier than mine so she wins. A good humorous book of essays.

Favorite Character: Mad Eyed Moody. Yes, I know, I know. I still think his character is quite interesting, even if he's not quite himself in this one.

Fifteen books in all for the year. Not bad when compared to how much I read in 2009, which was a paltry seven if I remember correctly. 

So there's my list from the year, what did you read this past year that you liked?

Kristen

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

          

             ~ Kristen

Anatomy of a Wreck

Well, Hello there!

I know, it has been a long time!

I so cannot believe it's December either!

Small talk over? Okay, good, because have I got a post for you.

Technically, this post should have been up...oh, two weeks ago (but who's counting?) But due to unforeseen barriers you are getting it now. 

It all started in late 2008 when my cousin showed one of the funniest blogs ever.

I think you might have heard of it

CakeWrecks!!!

It is a good daily dose of hilarity

Anyway, last year for her birthday I gave her the CakeWrecks book. 

She loved it.

This year I decided I needed to try to top that.

There was only one way I knew how.

I would make her a wreck of her very own.

Step One:  Acquire the innocent victim

Ah, so new. So blank

But I needed more white space for my dastardly deed.

Step Two: Remove those tiny blue flowers

Perfect

Now it is time for this cake to say something

Step Three: Let the Misspelling begin

Ah, Hapy Berfday. So wrong, yet so right.

Step Four: Even more misspellings

Add in the CakeWreck classic "Under Neat That" and a Your Awesome? and I'm a grammar teacher's worst nightmare. 

But I'm not done yet.

Oh, not even close.

Step Five: Bring in the hamster

I never understood the love for Zhu Zhu pets until that very moment. For those who are curious, I put the little creature on wax paper so it did not actually come in contact with the cake.

But, what's that? Little hamster has something to say?

Step Six: Let the hamster talk, in LOLCat speech

Ah, "Iz Makin Sprinklez On Ur Cak"

You clever little hamster you.

But where are these sprinkles of which you speak?

Step Seven: The Sprinklez Materialize 

Oh, okay, that's not so bad. 

See, you just add a few other sprinkles that are not brown and everything will be fi--

*Ahem* Fine, hamster that is just fine. You have made your point. 

You are just lucky you are semi-quasi cute.

Well, that and the birthday gal loved it!

Have a great day! Kristen

Halloween Songs on Rotation

Yea! It's finally Friday, are you excited! I know I am : )

Around this time of year I like to listen to a string of Halloween songs to get myself into spooktacular mode. (yes, spooktacular is a word, why do you ask? No wait, what are you doing? Don't look it up in the dictionary! *sigh*) 

1. Monster Mash ~ Leonard Capizzi

This is a Halloween must have. There have been many covers of this but this is the version that I love.

2. The Haunted Mansion ~ The Haunted Mansion Disney Parks CD

This is from one of two Haunted Mansion CDs I picked up when I was at Disney. I follow the site Doombuggies and I knew since the Manse celebrated it 40th anniversary they re-released a remastered CD version of an album they had originally released so I was on the hunt for it while I was there and almost to the last day, at Disney Studios park, I finally found it. That one has the 'Story and Song of the Haunted Mansion' and 'Grin Grinning Ghosts and it happens to have the voice of a teenage Ron Howard as what else, the 'boy teenager'. This song though is on the other CD I found (both are actually called The Haunted Mansion, by the way) and has seven songs on it.

Long story short this song is 13 and some odd change long. It's the entire audio from the Haunted Mansion ride!!!

*sigh* *squee*

Say it with me know....

Welcome, foolish mortals....

3. Thriller ~ Michael Jackson

Umm....do I even need to explain why this made the list. I still need to learn how to completely do this dance.

4. A Swinging Wake ~ The Haunted Mansion Disney Parks CD

This is a very sixties sounding of the little song that plays in the graveyard section of the Mansion. It's groovy.

5. 999 Happy Haunts ~ The Haunted Mansion Disney Parks CD

Has the same music as 'A Swinging Wake' but has the characters actually singing the lyrics while the other one is just the music only.

6. Love Potion #9 ~ The Searchers

It's just a fun little ditty. Yeah, sorry, not much story on this one.

7. Witch Doctor ~ David Seville

I actually love the Chipmunks, so them having a little cameo ( I don't know if it's the actual 'chipmunks' but they have the vocal effect on it). Plus, come on, it is so fun to say "Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang". It's guaranteed to get stuck in your head. 

ummm....sorry in advance if that actually does happen to get stuck in your head.

oops.

8. I'm your Boogie Man ~ K.C. and the Sunshine Band

This is mostly on here because it has the words "boogie man" and because I have a soft spot for K.C. and the Sunshine Band. 

9. Werewolves of London ~ Warren Zevon

I originally heard this on the radio and it wasn't around Halloween time I believe. I do remember that the ever catchy "aaaaa--ooooo" part got stuck in my head  for days. So I was never so happy than last year when I came across it on the Halloween CD I picked up last year.

10. Ghostbuster ~ Ray Parker Jr.

I don't care if he ripped the music to this track from Huey Lewis and the News (okay, actually I do mind, copying without permission isn't cool kids, no matter who you are and I also love Huey Lewis and The News {I am an eighties child after all}) but I'm not letting that stop me from enjoying this delightful song.

So, who you gonna call?

11. Grim Grinning Ghosts ~ The Original Haunted Mansion CD

Basically a mash up of all three of the previous Haunted Mansion songs listed. 

12. The Time Warp ~ The Rocky Horror Picture Show

It's astounding....time is...fleeting...and I really...love this song. 

My first introduction to this movie was probably around the time when I was eight or nine years old (though I can't be sure, those years tend to blend together in childhood nostalgia). I went with my mom to a birthday party for the brother of one of my mom's bowling league teams members that she also knew. Anyway, kids were invited as well (many that I knew previously from hanging out with at the bowling alley on our respective moms' league night) 

......anyway, at some point in the course of this evening the kids were instructed to go upstairs and just hang out amongst ourselves in one of the kid's rooms while the adults watched a movie. We, being curious young things, were a bit baffled at what the adults could be viewing that would not be good for our young eyes to see.

So like any decent good kids will do, we decided to sneak down the stairs to catch a glimpse.

Fortunately the staircase when coming down and to the left was where the television the adults were watching the movie was located. We crept down the stairs close to the ground so as not to give away our prescience. Luckily the movie had already started and all adult eyes were purely focused upon the screen. 

I don't know exactly how much of the movie I saw but fixed within the memory my mind contains, we did catch the scene where Tim Curry struts down to his thrown on the stage and sings his 'Transylvania' song. I, at the time, didn't know that it was actually a guy singing. My young mind just assumed it was an awfully strange woman. I don't believe it was long after that we decided that this movie seemed quite weird and we lurked our way upstairs.

It wasn't until I was a freshman in high school, after bringing up said story that my mom told what the actual name of the movie was. So my first viewing was around Halloween ten years ago.

I still thought ( and think) it's weird. However, it's the kind of weird I find myself coming back to yearly around this time of year.

Though I'll never look at Tim Curry the same way again.

13. Defying Gravity ~ Wicked: Original Broadway Cast

I was introduced to this musical by a friend and after reading the book on which this musical is based and watching a *cough* copy of it on YouTube *cough* I bought this CD. 

I mean come on, it's the Wicked Witch of the West (known as Elphaba in the book and musical) singing about how she won't be held down by the conventions of the times in which she currently exists. Plus Idina Menzel's voice? AMAZING. Enough said.

Hope you have enjoyed the list (and some, quite lengthy, back story) of some of my favorite Halloween ditties.

Have a great weekend everyone! Kristen

The Lovely Colors of Fall ~ An Experiment in Manual

This post is mostly going to consist of mostly pictures.

Which isn't all that different than every. other. single. post. I've. written.

Oh, well

Thanks to other bloggers I read, I am now addicted to Pioneer Woman (beware the addiction is quick and it is strong!)

Anyway, PW takes awesome photos. They are beautiful in composition, clarity and any other possible adjective that is lacking in my own photo taking.

But I am trying to change that.

I have a pretty basic point and shoot Samsung camera that I bought two years ago (my first digital camera actually, if you ignore the photo taking capabilities of my camcorder....and if you saw the quality of those photos...that is truly the best idea) but I am trying to at least learn all I can on this model. I figure if I can't figure anything out on this one I'll be clueless whenever it comes the time to upgrade.

This of course means shooting in manual.

Manual has never been my best friend.

I like automatic, it's so comforting, so reassuring. It makes all the decisions for me.

Heck, there is a reason why I drive an automatic car and never want to even think of learning a manual transmission.

However, if I was truly being honest with myself, automatic did an okay job. It took a pretty good picture, but I wanted a better picture. I wanted more input.

I was going to have to learn manual.

EEeeeek!

Thankfully the awesome (did I say that already, becuase, you know, she is) PW has tutorials on taking better pictures and the basic functions of your camera to know to capture quality images.

So I learned what aperture is, about depths of field and shutter speed.

I'm still working on the ISO though.

So, here are my experiments in manual. For better or for worse.

What I love most about this is not only am I learning about something new but I am having so much fun as well!

Random Facts of the Day

~ Brain Age is both challenging and depressing. Apparently my brain age is 54 *facepalm*

~ I went grocery shopping for the first time in two weeks. It was desperately needed. Now my shelves are happy. Well...if they actually had feelings....

~ Current Song on Ipod: Apparently I need to charge the little dude, but while it was still on it was playing 'Simon' by Lifehouse. 

~ I can't seem to locate a copy of the original 1978 'Halloween'. I know I have seen it in past years around this time. However this year? When I am actively searching it out? No go : (

Hope you are having a great week! Kristen