There Were No Clear Winners

I watched the Golden Globes on Sunday night. I don't watch necessarily to see who will win best director and best drama because rarely do I actually see the movies that are nominated, but I LOVE fashion! I am eager to see what lovely things the ladies are wearing on the red carpet (and yes dream about what I would wear in their situation).

I can sadly say that I wouldn't want to wear most of the dresses this year. What a disappointment to say the least. To me it looks like all of the designers thought it would be fun to stick various ruffles, Brillo pads and wings onto the gowns. Perhaps they were confused and thought that massive amounts of frills and glitter were in. I say ick!

Let's start with the beautiful Kate Hudson. I hate everything about this ensemble except for the bracelet: The clunky shoes are hideous; the dress - though a great color for her skin - is too structured, like she is wearing a calla lily and tissue is falling out of her bust; and I don't like the tassel earrings.

Drew Barrymore's hair looks nice and her makeup is stunning ... but the sea urchins sticking out off her hip and shoulder are quite unfortunate. This dress would have been so beautiful without those things. They actually sort of remind me of vintage flocked Christmas tree decorations. So sad.

Poor Tina Fey. She didn't win for her role as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock (although she really should have) and she REALLY didn't win best dressed this year at the Globes! I actually gasped when I saw her shoes with the over-sized bows and the busyness of her dress coupled with the tea party skirt was just so wrong. I know you are a funny woman, Tina, but this look gets no laughs from me.

Noooooo! Oh, Nicole ... this is ... this just ... you know in the movie Cinderella when the mice make a dress out of thrown out sashes and beads? Well, it looks like they made one for Ms. Kidman as well. Let's just stick a bunch of random bows all over the place and call it Haute Couture! Sigh. Well, the color is pretty at least.

There are so many looks I disliked that I can't show them all. And I won't show Mariah Carey because I would have to do some serious editing on the "golden globes" she had hanging out of her dress, if you know what I mean! But there were some looks that were alright.

I'm not really a fan of Penelope Cruz but I am a fan of this dress. She's confident, her hair is lovely and she isn't over-styled.

Of course I adore the red. This dress on Cameron Diaz is simple, shows off her height and is nicely symmetrical (which defies this year's trend). The only thing I that I don't like the dark and chunky shoes which I will forgive her for as she didn't offend me with her ensemble.

Though frilly and asymmetrical, I still found this dress quite inspiring. The ruffles are less pronounced and close fitting while the color is a girly shade of pink. The jewelry is just right and she looks radiant. Her hairstyle isn't as elegant as I would prefer, but since it was raining that night I will cut Emily Blunt some slack.

I realize that these gowns cost thousands of dollars each. Many of them are considered to be high art. I respect the amount of planning and design that went into each dress, and I appreciate the colors for the season (black, red, pearly pink and white). However ... most of them were just too weird for me and I truly hope that the Oscars don't disappoint.

Twilight Schmilight

Good grief! It seems that EVERYWHERE I go there are posters, t-shirts, cardboard cutouts and advertisements for the Twilight Saga! Just on Saturday we drove 70 miles to go to the nearest mall, only to be accosted by images of pale faced vampires in every store.

Now to be honest, I have read the first book, part of the second and have seen the movie Twilight, but really ... I didn't think it all was worthy of all of the fuss. The storyline is admittedly interesting, but the writing is quite juvenile in my opinion. And not to mention whiny. No joke, for four and a half pages the main character drones on and on about feeling numb one minute and then feeling an aching around her broken heart. Blah, blah ... nightmares and screaming ... blah, blah ... excruciating memories ... yack, yack ... the cold rain mixing with fresh tears ... yada, yada, yada. Yeah, a bit of a downer to read and it has left me with nothing to like about the sniveling Bella Swan.

So I have to ask myself, is this series of stories just the latest phenomenon to hit pop culture? Or will the fascination with teenaged vampires and werewolves endure?

I have read blogs where knitters knit a pair of "Bella mittens" and take them on a Northwest tour of Forks and Port Angeles, photographing said mittens in front of the high school where scenes from the movie were filmed. Cardboard cutouts of the characters from the movies keep getting stolen from Nordstrom stores. I have even seen that there is a CW television show about ... what else, teenaged vampires. When will this madness end?

Well, I guess I must think back to the late 80s when New Kids On The Block saturated the airwaves and decorated bedroom walls all over the country. That lasted a good four or five years, right? Sigh.

(Of course, if I were asked if I plan to see the new movie New Moon, I would have to say yes. But only after it came out on DVD! 'Cause I'm not standing in line for a $15 ticket to see this, uh film, but I confess that my interest is mildly piqued. Mildly.)

5 Essentials For A Good Chick Flick

About a month ago I went to see a movie with a friend, it was The Ugly Truth. I didn't know much about this film, other than that it was a battle of the sexes of sorts and had Katherine Heigl in it. For some reason, I went into the theater with the thought that it was a chick flick.

I was wrong.

At least I should say that it did not embody what I think of as chick flick characteristics. The subject matter was quite adult in nature, the language was vulgar, and there was nothing romantic about it. And this got me thinking - what makes a good chick flick? Here are my conclusions:

1. The Setting

The Father of the Bride house ... yes, I will take one of these please!

If I am going to spend 90 to 120 minutes watching a movie, I feel that my senses should be dazzled. A foreign country, a cozy apartment, or an antique filled old house makes me want to stay in a scene. In fact, I will often buy a movie just to study the surroundings and steal ideas for my own decorating. Some of my favorite environments include Meg Ryan's Upper West Side apartment in You've Got Mail; Kate Winslet's English cottage in The Holiday; Diane Keaton's spacious beach house in the Hamptons in Something's Gotta Give; and then there's my dream house, Steve Martin's home on Maple Drive in The Father of the Bride ... just to name a few.


2. Engaging Love Interest

Mark Darcy likes Bridget Jones ... just as she is.

I personally feel that the point of a good chick flick is a romance of some sort. I enjoy wondering if the heroine and her man will ever get together. Perhaps there is something keeping them apart such as pride, commitment, a job, or missed opportunities. I also love being pulled into the love story by the man of the film. I like my men a little quirky, intellectual, and that possess that "je ne sais quoi" quality that makes me unexpectedly favor them. Colin Firth accomplished this for me three times, in the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice (come on ladies, you know what I'm talking about!), as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary, and yet again as Jamie in Love Actually. Hmm, maybe I just like Colin Firth. I also found myself won over by Jack Black in The Holiday, and as mentioned before, I loved James Stewart in The Shop Around the Corner. And there was just something dreamy about Josh Lucas in Sweet Home Alabama.

Believe me, I could go on ... but I won't.


3. Endearing Main Character

Every woman should have some element of loveliness. Perhaps it is what she does for a living, the way she relates to others, or an idiosyncrasy or character flaw that makes her so darn adorable. I like my heroines to be funny, smart, and to be confident but not arrogant. I found it impossible not to like Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping especially because she carried her passport around in her purse just in case she suddenly needed to leave the country. Eating a morning pastry in an evening gown like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's was brilliant. And Bridget Jones's appallingly bad public speaking made her so endearing. I may not necessarily admire or look up to the women in my favorite flicks, but there is always something that I appreciate about them.


4. Keepin' It Clean

When I watch a chick flick, I don't want to be overwhelmed with the F-word over and over. I want to be pleasantly entertained and don't want to think too hard, have to look away, or listen to potty mouth. Some sexual references are expected, but nothing turns me off more than to hear a lady be vulgar.


5. Inspiring Style

I confess that I have "borrowed" ideas from some of my favorite films. I enjoy seeing what is being worn on the streets of New York in autumn, or on the beaches of Cannes. I find inspiration for hairstyles, home decor and fashion all the time from my favorite movies. Here are some examples:

1. Julia & Julia made me want to cook more, entertain more, and set a lovely table.
2. Marisa Tomei's simple color palette and elegant style from Only You is inspiring; especially her short, dark hair.
3. I actually have a dress that is reminiscent of Meg Ryan's gray dress in You've Got Mail.
4. I have had my hair cut like Reese Witherspoon's in Sweet Home Alabama. I also have a top very similar to this adorable black tank.
5. Under the Tuscan Sun had the most stunning images of the homes in Italy and flower boxes were everywhere to be seen. I now have flower boxes on my house.
6. Kate Hudson's dress in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days made me fall in love with the color yellow.

So, that's my two cents. I don't think I am necessarily a connoisseur of chick flicks, but I have watched many. What are your favorites?

Blog Fodder

Rained Out

Our annual family camping trip was this last (Labor Day) weekend. It almost didn't happen because of the weather report: in the low 60s with rain and showers Saturday AND Sunday. We powered through until about Sunday, then several of us had had enough sogginess and many went home a day early due to the constant rain. You might say it really put a damper on things ... ha! We couldn't sit outside and roast marshmallows or go play in the lake. And when everyone in our party just stayed in their trailers instead of socializing, the purpose of the trip wasn't fulfilled. Still it was great to see everyone and I'm glad we got to use our tent trailer one more time before we have to button it up for the winter.

Our very sad and lonely campfire. (Note the unused boats in the background)

Shopping My Closet

I have been going through my clothes and sorting out things to donate, trying things on to create new ensembles, and making lists of things I would like to acquire. In doing so, I have realized that my Fall/Winter clothes are lacking in a variety of color. I am a "Winter", meaning the colors that look best on me are from the Winter palette such as black, gray, ivory, navy, red, wine and chocolate - which I have plenty of garments in these shades. Fortunately, I look good in jewel tones such as turquoise, azure, raspberry and butter yellow. Which brings me to my coveted color of the season: marigold.

After seeing Sandra Bullock wear a cardigan this cheery and rich shade in The Proposal, I have desired something very similar.

It may be just a temporary want, after all last year I had a brief affair with the color eggplant (that quickly passed), but I just will not be satisfied until I have something this color this season.


OxiClean

Seriously, this stuff is awesome! For example: just last week I bought my daughter a brand new pair of tennis shoes that she needed for school and she wore them camping. Needless to say, they ended up begrimed and unrecognizable. I wasn't going to stand for that! I took a wash bin and filled it with lukewarm water and a little bit of OxiClean. After letting the shoes to soak for a while, I scrubbed at the mud with a brush and popped them into the washing machine. After a run in the machine they were as good as new ... no joke! I also like to use a scoop of it with every load of wash I do.


Foux Du FaFa


With my favorite shows being reruns during the summertime, I have resorted to either watching nothing or exploring my Netflix options. And while at the local library one day, my son picked up a CD by a band called Flight of the Conchords. As it turns out, this "band" (who dubbed themselves as "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo") is actually an award comedy act who have an HBO series, and two seasons are available on DVD. After checking out the CD and listening to their comedic tunes I had to see what the show was all about. I am just now getting through the second season and I am quite impressed with all the wit and clevernesss - not to mention the New Zealand jokes. It's about two naive guys from New Zealand who are trying to make it as musicians in New York and they face many of life's obstacles like eviction, girl troubles, an obsessed fan and a not-so-bright band manager.

I'm hooked! So ... when does season three come out?

Paris, Je T'aime!

When my husband is away, I see that as my opportunity to see as many chick flicks, old movies, or foreign films as I can. In the recent weeks, he got to go on an all boys camping trip while I got to catch up on my choice of entertainment.

Not one for going out to the nearest video store (we don't have one very close to our house anyway) I checked out what "Instant Play" movies Netflix had to offer. One caught my eye immediately! Perhaps it was the French title. Perhaps it was the word Paris. Perhaps it was the silhouette of the Tour d'Eiffel that made me swoon; in any case, I pressed "play" with great anticipation. And so began the film, "Paris, Je T'aime".

The premise of the film is it is a collection of stories of love, from the City of Love. It is actually 18 short films lasting only about 5 minutes each. Every film takes place in a different part of Paris, focusing on a love relationship of some kind, and each film is directed by a different director. I love this idea! Famous directors like Alexander Payne (Sideways), Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting), and the Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men) all contributed, and I recognized more than a handful of the actors.

Some of the stories didn't have much of an impact on me, but others made me laugh or cry. Some made my heart break. Some made my eyes roll. Some left me with a feeling of joy. If you like something different and even a little artsy, I highly recommend this movie.

NOTE: there is some swearing, but for some reason the foul language seems less foul when spoken in French!

The one draw back to this movie is that it only made me desire to visit Paris even more! Not every story was happy or beautiful and I saw many unpleasant sides to the "City of Love", but I am firm my belief that the French capital is a special place. One that I am determined to see before I leave this Earth.

The Oscars According to Me

Ah, the hoopla. The glitz. The glamour! That is pretty much why I love to watch the Oscars every year, because the truth is I have rarely seen any of the films that get nominated for Best Picture. I am not an avid follower of Sean Penn's acting career. I don't see Brad Pitt movies just to see Brad Pitt in a movie, and I think the last movie I actually saw in the theater was U23D back in March of last year.

I made it a point to watch the Oscars this year, not only for the fashion, but for Hugh Jackman! He did a great job hosting and I love how he can sing and dance, and look dreamy in a tuxedo (don't worry, my husband knows all about my little crush on Mr. Jackman, besides he has a few crushes of his own!) I think it is refreshing that someone who plays Wolverine in the X-Men movies, with his sideburns and muscles flying about everywhere, can sing and dance with so much charm and charisma. But, enough about Hugh ... because I'm sure I could write much more on the topic ...

Favorite Moment

I admit it, I misted up when Heath Ledger won the award for Best Supporting Actor. I wouldn't necessary say I have been a "fan" of his, but I think his death was sad. When his family went to accept his award and mentioned his little girl Matilda, I got a little teary eyed. I saw The Dark Knight and I have to say that his performance was incredible. I'm glad that he won.

Tense Moment

Personally, I could care less about "Brangelina" and the break up of Brad and Jen. But, along with everyone else I imagine, I was paying close attention when Jennifer Aniston went up to present the award for Best Animated Film with Jack Black. The camera kept close to Angelina Jolie to see her reaction to Jen's jokes. She pity laughed. Brad pity laughed. How weird, what an incestuous world. I'm glad I am not a part of it. I will say, that I thought Jennifer looked much more beautiful than Angelina, she was like sunshine to Angie's darkness.

Best Win

I was glad to see Kate Winslet win for Best Actress. I haven't seen The Reader, but she has always been an excellent actress in my book. Plus being nominated so many times it was good to see her win. I loved how she mentioned practicing her win in front of the bathroom mirror with a shampoo bottle when she was eight years-old. It made her relatible. I do wish to have a talk with her about her dress though, yuck!

Best Dressed

The fashion is what it's all about for me. Apparently it is for my daughter too, whom after seeing the beautiful gowns being strutted down the red carpet, she went upstairs and put on her favorite (Christmas) dress, and started singing and talking into her microphone as if SHE was at the Oscars. It was priceless! As for me, I would love to get all dressed up and show off a beautiful creation. Here are a few of my favorites from last night (although I am sure some conflict with the fashion expert's assessments):

Anne Hathaway was born to wear an evening gown. This dress with the shimmery paillettes did not disappoint. I love that she didn't wear a necklace, it would have competed with the gown.

The thing I love about this dress is the color. That poppy red is a favorite of mine. I like the cut of the gown and think it is youthful, however I feel that it overwhelmed Amanda Seyfried. Someone more statuesque like Nicole Kidman could handle it a bit better. Her hair and makeup looks beautiful.

Gorgeous. Appropriate. Elegant. I would, however, would have liked to see a little pop of color on Jessica Biel. Maybe a red bag or emerald earrings. Other than that I give this look an A!

A few more Best Dressed shout-outs. I guess I am loving the red and the pale dresses this year.

Worst Dressed

I was disappointed this year with a lot of the choices. It seems that there was a lot of tulle and beading and weird shapes. And why can't anyone wear a dress that actually fits their body?

Oh dear. Reese Witherspoon you did disappoint me. This dress is sooooo ugly! All of the beading and draping. The blue and the black together looks weird. I don't care who designed it, I just wonder why you chose it. Not. Good.

Let's have a show of hands ... who is sick and tired of seeing Beyonce in another fishtail gown? It seems to be all she wears and the black with the gold ... bleh!

Why would someone with a high probability of winning the Oscar for Best Actress wear this on the big night? While it isn't offensive, it's just uninspiring and dull. Kate Winslet should have dressed more like a princess the way Penelope Cruz did. Yawn.

These dresses, while not horrible, are considered misses in my opinion. There is just something odd going on in all of these ensembles, whether it be the color, the hairstyle (Sarah Jessica Parker for example) or the details on the gowns.

I think the award season is now officially over for the year. That gives: Hollywood a year to make movies I'll probably never see. Celebrities a year to hook up, break up and mess up with each other several times over. And fashion designers a year to design gowns that I will pick on once again in 2010.

It's Okay to Be Funky, and It's Okay to Love

I am a firm believer that God has a sense of humor. I mean, look at a Shar Pei puppy! They are the goofiest looking things and God created them! If He doesn't take himself too seriously all the time, why should we?

That brings me to a movie that I found to be well worth the 93 minutes of its duration. In fact, I don't think I have laughed this hard in years! Sons of Provo is a film I wholeheartedly recommend. Imagine: Provo, Utah. An LDS boy band called Everclean. Mocumentory style. If you like The Office you will thoroughly enjoy this! This film pokes fun at the Mormon culture and religion, but in a goodnatured way, after all, it is an LDS production. There is no swearing, no violence, no sex ... but a lot of laughs!

Everclean strives to be the 'N Sync of LDS church goers. They work with a ballet teacher to learn how to bust out "wicked moves". They travel around the state of Utah and perform such hits as Dang,Fetch,Oh My Heck, Nourish and Strengthen and my personal favorite, Diddly Wack Mack Mormon Daddy. Sure they live up to the stereotypes, but it's a spoof and they have a sense of humor about it. They remind us that "It's okay to be funky, and it's okay to love".

Here are the lyrics to their song, Everclean:

Everclean
Cleaner than Listerine
Mellower than Dramamine
Not even close to obscene
We sing songs Sweeter than sugar tongs
Hopin’ we can right some wrongs
Bringin’ love to the throngs

I will boogie for my wages
With that rock and roll of ages
We’re a spiritchal sensation and a triple combination
We’ll be lovin’ one another I said word unto your brother
Sons of Provo, this is who we are. Cause we are.

Chorus

Separate the tares from the wheat
Just play that funky Mormon beat
Move my legs inside these pants and watch this crazy Mormon prance
I’ll convert you with precision I’m a Mormon on a mission
Sons of Provo, listen to us roar

Chorus

When upon life’s billows, I can’t figure things out
With my crazy Mormon posse, we’ll sing and we’ll shout! Yeah!
Everclean Baby, you can be my queen
If you’re over seventeen I won’t treat you mean
Don’t be a punk
Put your shoulder to the funk
I’ll be livin’ like a monk
And I’ll be lookin’ like a hunk

Everclean Better than pork and beans
Handsomer than Charlie Sheen
A lean mean singin’ machine
We’ll be here
Climbin’ like a mountaineer
‘Til the end of time that’s clear
And we would never drink a beer



Now come on ... that's funny! Put in on your Netflix queue, and get ready to enjoy the funk!