best of summer

I am probably in the minority here, but no one could be more excited than me that summer is nearing its close. Facebook was deluged with "first day of school" pictures with accompanying sad face posts lamenting the end of summer, and while I am sure it's only a matter of time before everyone starts talking about pumpkin patches and football and pumpkin spice lattes (OF COURSE), most people actually hate to see summer go.  

Even as a kid, I didn't love summer.  I may have enjoyed the blissful lack of responsibility that comes in the first few weeks without school, but after that I was ready to see my friends again.  Growing up on a ranch was more than a little crippling on one's social life.  I was also one of those ridiculously annoying children who loved every second of school, and didn't even hate homework that much.  I missed crisp white notebooks and pencils and schedules.  

Now that I have a kid of my own, I find the reality of summer daunting.  My little guy thrives on a routine.  I genuinely believe he feels better, mentally and physically, when his life is predictable. There are some aspects of summer that are undeniably lovely-long days stretching into the early evening means lots of light for scooter rides at the park, the (PRACTICALLY DESERT-LIKE) heat that makes swimming so refreshing and exhilarating, weekly trips with Daddy to the ice cream shop.  It's been fun, but the combination of frequent traveling, friends and family being away on vacation, and the general interruption to regularly scheduled programming is tough.  

Despite my overly enthusiastic welcoming of a new season, there were definitely some great highlights to the summer.  Fun beach jaunts, fishing in Colorado, train rides and train museums, water parks and swimming pools.  Of course, there was good entertainment and eats to enjoy, too.  Here are some of the things that made summer a little easier to get through:

best reads:

Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals that Brought Me Home, Jessica Fechtor-I have a food memoir/food writing problem.  Cannot get enough of these types of books.  I packed my spare copy (the fact that I HAVE a spare copy should tell you something) of A Homemade Life in my shiny new emergency kit (for earthquakes and the zombie apocalypse, of course).  

Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie-One of our book club's reads for the summer, and I loved it.  I haven't felt so thoughtful during the course of reading a book and after in a long time.  It felt especially relevant to read such a book at this time in our country, too.  

Broken Monsters and The Shining Girls, Lauren Beukes-Terrifying and entirely refreshing. As my dear SIL puts it, "like Stephen King but better."  

In the Unlikely Event, Judy Blume-Oh, Judy Blume!  I loved what Duana, a regular contributing critic at my beloved Lainey Gossip, had to say about it.  "People always say that Judy Blume's books prove she still understands what it was like to be a young person and a teenager.  I agree, of course-that's what got me into her books in the first place-but I feel more as though she's helping me to be an adult." (http://www.laineygossip.com/In-The-Unlikely-Event-by-Judy-Blume-book-review/39743)

The Martian, Andy Weir-Matt Damon and the creative social marketing campaign for the upcoming adaptation of this book intrigued me.  I'm so all over the map with my reading this summer!  Sci fi! Horror! Memoir! Judy Blume! Anyway, it was actually a riveting read, IMHO.  I was genuinely anxious multiple times, and it was especially easy to invest in the main character knowing he'd be played with panache by Matt Damon.  

best tv:

Jane the Virgin-An absolute gem, a DELIGHT.  I adore this show and can't wait for the second season to begin.  Diverse, funny, and heartwarming without being overly sentimental.  Gina Rodriguez (Jane) is wonderful.  

Halt and Catch Fire-A much more serious, but equally strong show about the motivations and machinations of a trio of tech-savvy geeks and entrepreneurs in the "Silicon Prairie"-Dallas in the 1980's.  I haven't seen characters as compelling or been as genuinely invested in a show probably since watching The Wire.  All three of the leads are fantastic (and fairly unknown), but the supporting cast is solid.  Lee Pace, in particular, is infinitely watchable.  It's hard to look away when he's onscreen.  

best treats:

These need no elaboration.  They are all incredibly delicious, and with the exception of mashing crackers up to make a pie crust (in the case of the lemon pie), all quite easy.  Only the exorbitant price of limes could keep me from making the limeade every day, and I have become an utter devotee of the homemade popsicle. 

-SK's frozen coconut limeade and blackberry yogurt popsicles

-Orangette's raspberry yogurt popsicles

-Bill Smith's Atlantic beach lemon pie, courtesy of Food 52. 

best guilty pleasures:

Taylor Swift's Bad Blood-Delightfully over the top and ridiculous, I have watched this video more times than I should mention.  My little guy too. Yikes.  He loves Taylor Swift and is inexplicably drawn to this song.  Side note: I don't mind your friend collecting, T, but you lose points for including Jessica Alba in your star-studded video. 

Entertainment Weekly subscription-I'm supporting the print industry! 

UnREAL-I haven't finished it yet, so I can't offer any final commentary, but so far I am hooked on this take on reality television.  It's a behind-the-scenes look at a faux Bachelor-style show, and not nearly as funny as you might think based on that description.  It's on Lifetime, if you can believe it, and considered a sleeper hit of the summer. 

choosing sides

Far into the future, in the days when I long to recall what trivial pleasures possessed my mind during my (relative) youth, I feel confident that I will have great pleasure (and a laugh, no doubt) when I look back here on my scrapbook-of-sorts and see my ridiculous obsession with Twilight and its star-crossed leads.  While I won't delve into the absurd lengths my interest led me (hint: I drove thirty miles once to see a poorly-acted indie starring Robert Pattinson), I feel that I simply can't let the latest personal scandal go by without weighing in.  Unless you've been living under a rock for many years, you must know about the crazy fandom surrounding Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and their real-life relationship.  And unless you've been living under a veritable pile of boulders, you probably know about the cheating scandal.  I won't go into further detail there-suffice to say, K-Stew became involved with her married director, was caught flagrantly canoodling with him in public, made an uncharacteristically revealing statement professing her love for Rob post-affair, and he took her back, up until about a month ago.  Just so you know I have a sense of humor and am not a psychotic fan, here is a little recap provided by Will Ferrell that brings me great joy.  

Anyway, after giving it a bit of thought and watching how it's played out so far, I have determined that it's time to choose sides.  

source

That's right.  Team K-Stew.  Now, before you protest with perfectly reasonable questions about why I could defend a cheating, notoriously awkward and camera shy individual with occasionally questionable hygiene habits, allow me to explain.  

1)First-she is 23 years old.  A young twenty-three at that.  More like 18 or 19 considering she is a child star that has never attended public school for an extended period, lived her entire life in a strange Hollywood bubble, and undoubtedly has suffered a little socially because of those factors.  This isn't Lindsay Lohan, or Britney Spears, and definitely not Amanda Bynes.  She is undoubtedly naive, probably slightly immature, and made an egregious error in judgment that many with more stability in their lives have made before her, all in the midst of strife at her otherwise solid home. Her now ex-boyfriend is 27.  

2)Family problems.  Stewart's parents (both in the biz) had been married for over thirty years, and divorced shortly after the cheating scandal.  You should know that for the four years-plus of their relationship, KS and RP went to great lengths to avoid being photographed together in any kind of intimate fashion.  Fans salivated over the tiniest touch of a hand on an arm.  My Lainey affectionately referred to them as "dumpster-divers", literally willing to jump into a dumpster to avoid being photographed together. And yet, Stewart was caught with her director in broad daylight, near a city park, and not even far from her own home.  It's not hard to believe that she wasn't in the best frame of mind given her family drama, and might have been taken advantage of while she was vulnerable by her older, more experienced director. 

3)Talent.  Ok, so this is a superficial point to grant K-Stew, but let's face it.  She is vastly superior to R-Pattz when it comes to acting ability.  Nay-sayers, I point you to Into the Wild and The Cake Eaters.  She's solid, even though she has some tics that definitely need to go.  I wouldn't say that Rob is a terrible actor, but so far he hasn't shown us anything miraculous.  I think he's getting by with a pretty face, British charm, and general affability.  

4)Post-split behavior.  This is what really made up my mind.  Obviously, no one knows the real details surrounding the break-up, but the pair truly are in the public eye, whether they like it or not, and neither opted to stay at home after the split.  They've each been seen a few times, out with friends.  RP kept company with Katy Perry, a mark against him not so much because of the previously-established friendship but because of the obvious attention it draws towards him.  Also, Katy is still dealing with John Mayer.  So by association I'm already grossed out.  But, sadly, this isn't the worst part.  Rob decided to move out of the home he shared with Kristen in the middle of the day, driving a truck the opposite of nondescript and loading the back with luggage and belongings stuffed in trash bags.  It's very difficult to think this was anything but a calculated move.  He could have hired any number of professionals to do the moving for him, and even if he did want to do it himself, certainly knew that he's a primary target for the paparazzi that are undoubtedly stalking the neighborhood.  No, he telegraphed that move out for the "world" to see.  Stone cold.  

So there you have it.  My thoughts regarding the Twilight saga's true life saga.  Yes, I wrote an entire post about it.  I should be ashamed.  

Tomorrow I'll post about something useful, like a delicious dish for dinner or list of practical items for entertaining a rambunctious toddler.  

song sampling

A few years ago, I got into the habit of drafting a playlist for my fave songs of the season.  I had to go by season, because I'm so rarely in the car long enough to listen to new stuff, and thus terribly out of the loop when it comes to anything new and interesting.  Now that we listen almost exclusively to The Frances Collection audiobook while in the car, I can only imagine that I'll hear fewer and fewer new tunes.  These aren't all new, but I've really enjoyed snatching bits of them on quick trips to the grocery story or occasionally while I'm cooking dinner.  If I ever pull the trigger with Spotify, making these lists for the ol' blog will be a lot quicker.  For now, feast your eyes on my meandering thoughts and occasional video clips.

Vampire Diaries gems:
Kiss Me, Ed Sheeran. Probably my favorite song on the whole list, and one that I listen to the most.  I LOVE it.  Ed Sheeran has been collaborating quite a bit with Taylor Swift lately, and I have a feeling he'll get bigger and bigger. P.S.He's British. How is it possible that the nation has created so much great music?  It doesn't seem fair.

A Drop in the Ocean, Ron Pope.  That's right-I included a clip of my most beloved guilty pleasure, showcasing the song that I've listened to literally hundreds of times in the last year.  This is what happens when you have your own blog.

Soundtracks are my favorite:
Love is Blindness, Jack White, Great Gatsby Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. I've loved this song from the moment it was featured in the first trailer.  Random trivia: it's a U2 cover, arguably made even better.

Young and Beautiful, Lana del Ray, Great Gatsby Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Isn't Lana del Ray kind of a big deal?  Whether she is or not, this song is perfectly fitting for Gatsby and a great addition to a soundtrack already riddled with solid songs.

Cover Your Tracks, A Boy and his Kite, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Let's not bring up the memory of the scene for which this song sets the stage.  The wound of the infamous breakup still smarts.

Where I Come From, Passion Pit, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Even SH can't deny the appeal of this super relaxing, yet upbeat tune.

Tomorrow Will Be Kinder, The Secret Sisters, The Hunger Games Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. A beautiful, lilting song. I think my mom would have loved it. 

just because:
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), Sleep at Last. I love the original song, but this slowed down cover is equally wonderful.

New Theory, Life of Leisure. The perfectly delicious gem of a song from my BFF Rose.  It hurts my heart to think I haven't written of her in so very long.  She continues to be a beacon of wisdom and brilliance, and she can still identify the very best in music.

Zou Bisou, Bisou, Jessica Pare. The worse possible gift for Don Draper becomes a wonderful present for the rest of us. And for the record, Jessica Pare IS singing.

Demons, Imagine Dragons. Since I'm not so much for radio or Spotify these days, I find songs in more unconventional spots, like movie trailers.  The one was featured in the trailer for The Words, which I've not seen.  I can't speak for the quality of the movie, but the song is totally one of those that sweeps you away into romantic daydreams.

Honeypot, Bob Schneider. Schneider is an Austin-based, Texas country musician and he's been immensely popular in those circles for a long time.  Pop culture reference: He also happened to date Sandra Bullock, long before the days of Jesse James, Ryan Gosling, and now little Louis.  Anyway, my dad introduced me to this song, which made me want to listen to everything he's ever sung.

Mirrors, Justin Timberlake. I don't hate myself even a little for LOVING this song.  Second favorite.

yes, just like everyone else, I love the Lumineers:
Ho Hey, The Lumineers. No matter how many times I've heard it, the song still warms my heart.

Stubborn Love, The Lumineers. The whole album is great, but this song is the one I usually have on repeat.

guilty pleasure (aka my Nashville addiction):
I Will Fall, Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen of the Nashville Cast. I do enjoy the mainstream country songs on the show (Hayden Panettiere's Boys in Buses is played around here more frequently than I'd like to admit!) but my favorite performances are inevitably the ones showcasing the partnership between Scarlett and Gunnar.  The characters themselves are at best silly and soapy and at worse mildly annoying, but when they sing together, it's magical.

When the Right One Comes Along, Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen of the Nashville Cast. See above.

Ho Hey, Lennon and Maisy Stella of the Nashville Cast.  This isn't the first time I've written about the Stella sisters, and I hope it won't be the last.  Please, Stella sisters, remain pure and uncorrupted!  No Juliette Barnes-behavior form you!

the end of an era

I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit that after putting my little A to bed on Sunday night, I snuck out alone for an early evening showing of the Twilight finale.  I hope my loyal few won't think me ridiculous when I say it was bittersweet.  Oh, the many hours I have spent reading those delicious, poorly written books, talking with my mom (who was a rather inexplicable, but utterly devoted fan) about Edward's princely qualities, and mocking the altogether satisfying movies.

I'm really going to miss this.

P.S. True love triumphs!

P.P.S. I was thisclose to putting Nikki Reed's duet with Paul McDonald in the post instead of Green Day.  Better clips from the movies in that one.  And ok, I like the song.  Oh, the self-loathing! 

how I'm coping...

Is it wrong that I STILL get excited?

lascivious Robert Pattinson

Can my innocent Twilight heart take it? Perhaps I prefer chaste Edward Cullen.

I would like to note, once more, that this is a film adaptation of a novel written by a respected author.  I will be remembering this as I sneak in the movie in ten to twenty minute increments when Baby A is resting.  It's On Demand, iTunes, etc.  In case you're interested.

the best so far

My first movie outing was a resounding success.  I shan't spend much time dwelling on the lovely appropriate-ness of our movie selection, my most delicious guilty pleasure of all (and we know I have many, MANY of these). It will suffice to say that my beautiful and hilarious sister and I, along with my wonderful sister-in-law, cozied up in a theater that had more than enough available seats (movie anxiety YET AGAIN UNWARRANTED) and giggled and whispered throughout what is undeniably the glossiest, highest quality Twilight film thus far.  Granted, the original movie has quite a bit of charm, so I'm not sure I can call The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 my favorite.  Let it be known that I feel even more ridiculous typing out that long title than I do admitting that I loved watching it and can't wait to see it again.

P.S. Minus the elaborate back, the dress was heinous.  It matches the ring.

P.P.S. I aspire to post more than movie trailers in the month of December.

Oh dear Lord in heaven...

Perhaps those who have mocked me should change their tune.

Did you really think I wouldn't post about this?

Be still my heart!

And so it begins. You can expect this kind of behavior from me until 11/20/09.

World Tour, continued

Tokyo, Japan

Thank you for my fashion.*

Well, the much-anticipated (at least, much-anticipated by me!) Academy Awards were on last evening. I enjoyed all five hours of the show, from the first few minutes of the E! pre-show to the credits displaying all of the upcoming movies of 2009. Yes, I'm one of those people, the drink-up-all-the-celebrity-buzz types. Not that you couldn't already discern this fact from perusing a few pages of my blog.

I must admit that I wasn't completely sold on the gowns of choice. These are the Oscars, people! Time to pull out the big guns! White and red seemed to be common selections, but I'm sure my best friend Pretty Cheap Dress will have plenty to say on the trends of the night, so I'll just stick with my favorites:


Taraji P. Henson, nominee, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I thought the dress was simple, yet glamorous. The perfect complement to the stunning bauble that draped her neck.



Marion Cotillard, attendee, Best Actress Winner 2008. This is the kind of dress I look forward to seeing at awards shows! Daring and original! I'm really loving the blue and black combination, though I must admit that Reese Witherspoon's attempt was not such a success.



Jennifer Aniston, presenter. I was rooting for her to be stunning, and she did not disappoint. She was not too adventurous with her look, but she didn't need to be-the hair, the dress, pure loveliness. Take that, Angelina! (You won't find any pictures of HER on my blog, though I do admit her dress, with the accompanying jewelry was quite nice.)



Penelope Cruz, nominee/winner, Vicky Christina Barcelona. It took me a while to warm up to this dress, but the longer that I watched, the more I liked it. Penelope usually makes great choices on awards show evenings, and at first, I thought her dress was a bit too conservative. Closer examination definitely proved me wrong.




Marisa Tomei, nominee, The Wrestler. I loved Marisa's dress, despite the fact that she might be a teensy bit too pale for the silver white shade. This was the one gown that my mom and I disagreed on-sorry, Mom! I just can't help it! I love the satin, the layers...



Whoops! I have NO idea how that got in there! Who is THAT guy?



Tina Fey, presenter. Now, some of you may look at this dress and wonder why I singled it out for special consideration. It’s not that unique, and really not all that flashy. My answer is this: I love seeing Liz Lemon all dressed up! In both of the past awards shows (for which she was nominee and winner), Tina Fey really hasn’t gone out of her way to look glamorous. This was her best effort so far, and I was super-pleased to see it!



Kate Winslet, nominee/winner, The Reader. A wonderful dress for a wonderful actress. I love Kate because she recognizes that, as a nominee, there is an expectation that one will truly “look the part.” It’s not the time to play it safe (I’m NOT talking about you, Bjork! Be daring, within reason!). She chose a beautiful and unusual gown, opted for sleek, stylish hair, and exuded grace and poise. By the way, I highly recommend The Reader. It’s an excellent film.

I had to include these post-Oscars pictures from the Vanity Fair Oscar bash, because I absolutely love both dresses.



Marion Cotillard. She’s on fire tonight!



Rosario Dawson. Love, love, love this dress. Even though it’s white.

*the words of my cousin’s darling daughter-she’s only four, but she obviously appreciates a nice dress!

Did you think I'd forgotten?

Here's a lovely new movie still. Just in case you were wondering, the saga has not yet released its hold on me!

He's looking for more than love.

No, I do NOT have a problem with confessing my absolute attachment to The Bachelor. I KNOW the premise is lame, I KNOW that none of the couples work out, I KNOW it's just an excuse for women to act absolutely ridiculous. Doesn't change that it's quite possibly the most entertaining show out there. I double over in laughter at least ten times per episode, and there is hardly anything more satisfying than predicting the crazy behavior of each woman on the show. If you're not convinced, read this, otherwise known as the BEST BLOG EVER. You'll be a Bachelor viewer for life, I promise.

I should note that I'm having flashes of Brad "I'm Here to Find My Wife" Novak after I watched this preview. Geez, Jason! Have you at least researched the track record for this show?

Top Chef Nuptials

Well ladies, Sam Talbot is officially off the market. I decided that I should include relevant Top Chef news on my blog. Sam will definitely make my Top 5 Top Chefs, whenever I decide to make that a topic for my newly-instituted Top 5 Tuesday. The always sweet, diabetic chef has a place in my heart. And Padma's, by the way. He was never dramatic or ridiculous and he ALWAYS made good food. That's a rarity on my beloved reality show. If I ever need a recipe for sweetbreads, I'm going to turn to Sam.

World Tour

London

Munich

Paris

Forks, WA

Yes, there is more where that came from!

In honor of the announcement of a new director for New Moon, I decided to treat myself to another Twilight post. Or two.

I'm kind of addicted...

...can you blame me?!

In my defense, this is really a perfect Bella/Edward pose. It fits them. It's really not because of the breathtaking beauty that I saved this photo. I'm just being a loyal reader, seeking out faithful depictions of the much-loved characters. Really!

A feast for the eyes!

Okay, so these photos aren't even movie stills. They are, in fact, taken from this month's issue of In Style. Which I do subscribe to, conveniently. What can I say? I'm quite taken with the chemistry that seems to exude out of these two...



And here they are at the premiere. Quite fashionable, as you'll notice.





I fear it is now totally evident why I'm having difficulty getting anything done around here. Back to work!