Favorite Things: Movies

Well, its been a while since I've felt like I can write anything new. I am always hesitant to post when I don't have photos to go with them, and since I don't have a camera right now, things are complicated. Also, not a LOT happens here. Rest assured that when I get myself some device with which I can photograph things, I will stop the silliness - No I won't - but at least I will go back to posting some things about actual life and not just lists...which is what the game plan is for today.

I'm doing a thing on Facebook that was all the rage 2 years ago called "The 30 Day Photo Challenge" where it gives you a theme every day and you have to find a photo to match it, such as "A photo of you, a year ago". I'm doing it again now because I was looking at my old one and wondering how different it would look today...ANYWAYS, today it asked me  to post a photo from one of my favorite movies. This is tremendously difficult for me because I love movies and can never pick just one. So today I grabbed a list of my favorite movies - off the top of my head - to share, maybe you've seen them all, maybe you haven't seen any. In any case, here they are, just in time for snuggly movie season to be over, and in no particular order (There are trailers linked into the titles, so click em if you want to see.) :

1. 500 Days of Summer: 





Let's start by pointing out the obvious. Zooey Deschanel is adorable, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my future husband. Also he's amazing. One of those irritating, "good at everything" kind of people, probably too good to be true, I bet he's secretly a robot, or a meth cook. Anyways, the dialogue in this movie is perfect. Its like one long conversation, but not in a boring way. I'll be honest, it took me a couple times to get this movie, but thats probably because I wasn't fully paying attention the first time. Each time I watch this, I get something new from it and love it more and more.


2. It Happened One Night:

This is seriously one of my favorite movies of all time. I love Clark Gable and his wicked humor in this. Its unexpected for a movie that looks like this. Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable having a fake marital argument to avoid being found by the police is one of my favorite scenes ever. 


3. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy:

This is obvious. These movies are perfect. The actors, the cinematography, the music, costuming, the whole package. Ask me a trivial pursuit question. Go ahead, do it. I even have one elf ear. Nerd from BIRTH, dawg.


4. The Notebook:

Because sometimes I like to cry my eyes dry. This movie was so good, it probably ruined my life. It was only AFTER this movie came out that I started expecting guys to write me "365 LETTERS! I WROTE YOU EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR!" and be a bird if I'm a bird or whatever. Frolicking in the freaking waves..Thanks Nicholas Sparks. I hate you.


5. Anchorman:

Most of the funny things I say are really just Anchorman quotes. And if they're not, they actually are. Secretly.


6. West Side Story:

Jerome Robbins is THE MAN. He is the choreographer to this movie and he completely inspires me. There is no other movie where you can watch dudes do jazz/ballet and look cool doing it. I would NOT mess with the sharks/jets. Their pirouettes are KILLER.


7. Batman Begins:

Do I really need to explain this? Everything about it is badass. Everything. "Do I look like a COP?"


"I'M BATMAN."


8. Yes Man:

Jim Carrey is awesome in this, and Zooey Deschanel is STILL adorable, but the reason I liked it was for totally different reasons. I don't know WHY but it took me until this movie came out to grasp the concept of saying "yes" more often. This movie inspired me to do that, and I'm not kidding, it totally changed my life. In a good way. It sounds cheesy, but it was a really good thing for me at the time. Also, this movie makes you feel good and laugh. And get "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind stuck in your head for a year. 


..."I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend...."


9. Star Trek (2009): 

I'm a nerd. I love space movies and space ships and some brave guy saying a lot of complicated words which somehow result in a battle plan to kick ass and totally save everyone from dying a horrible space death. This one was fun because it isn't 200 years old so the special effects are awesome and Captain Kirk isn't William Shatner. 


10. Crazy, Stupid, Love:

This is a newish movie that I saw on a bus in Honduras. Steve Carrell, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon. Its a good cast and a funny movie. It made me feel happy and cool. The relationships were really well put together and realistic (ish) and Ryan Gosling is perfect.


11. How To Train Your Dragon:

Ummmm, did anyone else know how AWESOME these cgi movies are??? Because I watched this whole movie with commentary, plus all the "making of" features (I had a lot of time on my hands, and not a lot of options for things to watch) and it turns out, this movie is the product of an incredible amount of work. I mean, these movies are always a lot of work, can you even start to understand the science and hard work behind making a computer animated movie? Its so so beyond me. Anyways, this movie was very complicated to make and all of the animation shows it. Not only that, but the script is fantastic and the storyline is wonderful. Basically, this movie rocks, and dragons are cool, so really there's no downside. 


12. The Sting:

PAAAUUULLLL NEWMANNNN is my hero. I wish he didn't die before I was born because we would have been best friends, FOR SURE. He MIGHT be the coolest person to ever live. Having said that, he and Robert Redford make an awesome team AS USUAL and are totally the George Clooney/Brad Pitt combo of their time. I like movies like this. A twist at the end, a bit of humor, and a lot of cool stuff. Huzzah!


13. Once:

I like that the "love story" going on throughout this movie isn't your classic "hey, i love you, lets be meant for each other and get married tomorrow" its more realistic and tense and "wrong time wrong place" kind of thing... This whole movie is centred around their music, which is amazing. Its kind of like watching a music video or a "making of.." feature on a concert dvd, but with a little but more story-line. 


14. He's Just Not That Into You:

Based on a self help book which obviously I'm not going to read, this movie served as the alternative. Much more interesting than a book that won't stop telling you how much he doesn't like you. Good characters, and at least one story which you will be able to relate to. Beautiful women acting crazy, hunky men trying to deal with them.. Something for everyone.


15. Fired Up!:

Bear with me. This is not a cheerleading movie....Well, I mean, it is. But not like "Bring It On". Its more of an "American Pie" or "Wedding Crashers" kind of movie. Two guys go to cheer camp to get girls and everything just happens to be hilarious. The two guys work so well together, that I'm sad they're not real people. I mean they are, but you know, the characters...nevermind. Point is: This is a funny, funny movie.


16. The Karate Kid (2010):

Yeah, whatever, the original, blah blah blah. I know, I know. I REALLY liked this though. Is it weird that I'm totally in love with a 12 year old? I mean I kind of want to adopt him. Will and Jada Smith already have ONE awesome kid, do they really need TWO? Come on. Jayden Smith is possibly the coolest kid on the planet. Seriously. Youtube it. I speak the truth. So we have SuperKid McCutersons and Jackie Chan McFreaking Jackie Chan and a movie which makes me so happy I can hardly contain myself. Its wonderful. The End.


17. Mao's Last Dancer:

Ohhhhhhh Myyyyyy Goodnesssssss, I cannot describe this movie. Its so beautiful and powerful and amazing...Oh hey, I guess I can describe it. Hah. Oh well. It follows the true story of a dancer who was trained in China, selected at random to become this machine of dance. He comes to America and becomes famous because he's incredible...I can't say any more. This was a surprisingly amazing movie.


18. The Avengers:

I just saw this in theaters, and am on my way to see it again. Everything is awesome. I spent a lot of time going "YEAHHH!!!" out loud in the theater. This is why we don't go out very often. I'm THAT person. Its especially awkward in children's movies when the whole room is silent except for me, laughing hysterically, or worse, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??" and then the mothers are angry with me...
ANYWAYS what a crazy cool movie, this is. I love superhero movies. This is like the motherload of superheros ALL TOGETHER as a TEAM which are more of my favorite things! If Scarlett Johansen weren't in it, I would probably try to marry it. That woman is so incredibly irritating...I'm not gonna go there. I will never come back from that.


19. Iron Man:

Might as well mention that Iron Man is also GREAT. Robert Downey Jr. makes it the best thing ever.


20. Blood Diamond:

Holy smokes, is this ever an amazing movie. I cry a lot in this movie and then decide that I will be the cheapest bride ever someday when I insist on a vending machine ring made out of a lollipop or something. The actors are unreal, the story is intense. End of story.


21. Shutter Island:

Again, Leo DiCaprio. Who knew he would turn out so AMAZINGLY? EVERYONE, because it isn't even a little bit of a surprise since he's always been cool...  I love movies that keep you guessing. I have this annoying habit of figuring out the whole movie 10 minutes in and saying out loud "OH, I know whats gonna happen." and then Ryan gets upset because the mystery is gone. Its not like I TELL him what's going to happen, jeeeeeze. So Shutter Island was a refreshing one because I did NOT see the end coming...well, I kind of did, but released the thought from my head because it was TOO far fetched. Not.


22. Pirates Of The Caribbean, the whole series:

Who doesn't love these? Aside from EVERYTHING ABOUT KEIRA KNIGHTLEY (mostly her weird mouth and scary smile, though.) these are super fun. Obviously Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are the best idea since sliced bread, but even aside from that....actually, who am I kidding, it all rides on Jack Sparrow and the whole world knows it. Whatever its awesome.


23. Love Actually:

You know, if I don't look at her mouth, even Keira Knightley doesn't suck in this. You know why? Because the whole movie is so awesome, they could have given her part to a squirrel and it would have been just as good. Maybe even better. Every story is great, every conversation is heart wrenching, and once again, this movie probably ruined my life. Because now, if a guy DOESN'T show up at my door with signs telling me how perfect I am and their wasted heart will love me until I look like a mummified skeleton...then he isn't trying hard enough. Even the tiny kid knew to run full speed through the airport after his woman. Men can blame this movie for all the rejection and fits of "crazy" they get from women. Although they won't be able to stay mad because of how great this movie is. 


24. Slumdog Millionaire:

Any movie that can send you on a trip through EVERY EMOTION YOU HAVE, is a good one. This is one of those.


25. Rize:

The only documentary I could watch repeatedly. It shows the meaning of "krumping" beyond just shaking your body around in a 50 Cent video. This shows the REAL thing, and what it means to people. There is so much emotion and power in this movie, it sheds a whole new light on this style of dance. You will never look at it the same way again. I highly recommend this movie if you haven't seen it.


26. Say Anything:

I wish I could quote this movie, but I can't because I would probably just need to read the script start to finish. So much genius in the writing of this movie. John Cusack has never been more appealing. I wish I was more like Lloyd. Maybe minus the trench coat...Maybe not. I haven't decided yet.


27. Indiana Jones Trilogy:

I say trilogy because I am refusing to acknowledge the existence of the fourth installment. Because it was ridiculous. And its a disgrace to Indiana Jones. I'm ignoring it until it goes away. Stop talking about it, its upsetting me. 
The REAL movies, the first 3, I could watch over and over again. Everything about them is fun...except for having your heart ripped out...sucks to be that guy. They also bring back good memories of pre-teen years on Redwood Avenue eating Top Ramen with Josie and Maggie and watching these. 


28. Waiting..:

If you have ever waited tables, this movie is the best. Its like someone took every thought we've been embarrassed to have. You know, the ones you don't want to admit you had. The ones where you daydream about lighting someone on fire or throwing their sandwich in their face...is that just me? You you said "yes" you're lying, and lying is bad. Its ok, though, I forgive you. Anyways this movie is the ultimate movie for anyone in the service industry.


29. Little Miss Sunshine:

One of those movies where you fall in love with all the characters and are sad when the movie ends and you remember that its not real life and they don't actually exist. This movie is so quirky and adorable I just want to squish it. With love. All of the relationships are perfect and sad and real and twisted and loving..ADJECTIVES! AAH! Must stop, before I go off on a tangent of adjectives. PURPLE! Oh dear.


30. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof:

You heard me. Maggie the cat (Elizabeth Taylor) and Paul Newman (sigh). Its very likely that I have never seen a movie with more intense emotions than this one. Something about the old movies with the filming and acting style just makes everything more....better in every way? This is one of those movies that wouldn't be as good today because everything about it was perfect for what it was. The fight scenes, the tension, and the final scene with the pillow tossed onto the bed. Its like, a series of tornados mixed in with a really really soft breeze and the result is unreal. This is definitely another one of my alllll time favorite movies.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mama's out there. 

I have my own fabulous Mom who is related to me because she gave birth to me, but I have been extra blessed in my life to also have my circle of friends and family who have all been like family, so I have a few other Mama's in my life as well, and today is the day I feel a little bit extra grateful than usual to have had them all there throughout my life. Now, my friends are becoming Mothers as well, and it blows my mind just how much life sneaks up on you. Last I checked we were all playing tag in the yard and running up and down the street, and while I miss those days, I am so proud of who we have all become, and how strong everyone has been when it hasn't been so easy. Yay us!

As I said, my mind is hard at work today trying to understand when life started happening. Something about Mother's Day and other such family oriented holidays bring those thoughts up.

Today on the island, the sun is shining, its ACTUALLY WARM. Like, warm enough to wear a summer dress and drink iced tea on the porch and listen to Bob Marley. It just feels right. We had a relaxing morning, I bought my mom a lavender plant, a couple magazines, a bar of chocolate, and made her some Muesli with all the right ingredients. After another nice lay-around, we walked in the sunshine to the Harbour House and had brunch. My mom and dad ordered the most amazing candied salmon and prawn crepes with a dill mornay sauce and a bit of hollandaise on top. I had the regular bennie, and now its back to the boring diet. I make exceptions for holidays :)

Tonight I'm making a light dessert, wheat and dairy free! Lemon bars and homemade strawberry raspberry sorbet. Anyone who understands the Weight Watchers points system, the bars are only 3 points per. That's great. Really. For example, I can have about 22 points in a day. Fruits and Veggies are 0, things like cheese and fatty foods are higher points, and healthier foods are less. You can have whatever you want as long as you stay in the 22 points range. Lemon bar for 3 points? I think, yes.

So this Muesli I speak of. It is another of my favorite things which is dairy free, sugar free, no white flour, and its easy. It is relatively quick aside from the cooling, but it makes up for time with how easy it is. When I get on a health kick, it is a staple. Its a great way to get all the seeds and nuts and fruits

Here is the recipe for my Scandinavian Muesli, which I love.

The amounts are up to you, depending on how much you want to make. This is what I use, but the beauty of Muesli is that you can make it however you like it.

• Oats, quick or no, its up to you.
• Bran - I use any bran cereal like Heritage Flakes
• Chopped Walnuts
• Sliced Almonds
• Coconut shavings
• Honey
• Vanilla Extract
• Cinnamon
• Raisins
• Flax Seeds

I'm going to break the instructions up into 3 sections because I find it easier to read them that way.

_________________________________________________________________

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Pour the oats and bran onto a baking sheet (first spray it with cooking oil, or otherwise grease it lightly)

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes

_________________________________________________________________

Add the walnuts, almonds, and coconut shavings and bake for another 8 minutes, or until it smells super awesome.

_________________________________________________________________

Turn off the oven. You heard me. Turn it off.

Now is the part that some people will be all like, "warming up honey is bad" or whatever they say about that, but YOU try drizzling cold honey over something and then come back and we'll talk.

Honey - About 3 tablespoons per 2 cups of oats, but you can also eye this one to however you like it. - Microwave/Heat it just until it is soft and liquid, add a little splash of vanilla (like a teaspoon) and a shake of cinnamon (again. However you like it.) Mix it all up into a divine liquid of awesomeness, and drizzle it all over everything.

Add your raisins and mix everything up with a big spoon or spatula, or whatever tickles your fancy. I do not recommend hands since, lets be honest, its HONEY. You do not want to go there.

Put it back in the oven (Which is off.) for a couple hours.

When it comes out, add your flax seeds, give it a mix, and stick it in a jar or bag or just eat it right then and there. 

I love this with yogurt and berries like I did this morning.

So now I've accidentally written another post about food. Obviously my mind has been on one thing only since I've started trying to be healthier. That thing is food, by the way. Cheese in particular. Well, ok, I guess here's some other stuff to balance out the food content that I got from various news headlines on the internet:

OH, ok, so two private planes collided in Saskatoon. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Isn't the sky like, the biggest area of space we have? And there aren't like things in the sky blocking the other plane from view, its not like it can just come around a blind corner and hit the other plane. I have not read this article because I was having too much of a brainstorm about how that is possible to actually go and find out. I'm sure it was terrible and sad, but two tiny planes hit each other in THE SKY. 

Some guy surgically attached his iPod to his body. That has to be a whole new level of radiation he's getting. Also, its gross. Things are going to get really awkward with his warranty when he takes a shower and it breaks.

Also in the news, some kid fell asleep in his ice cream, Gary Busey still won't stop saying weird stuff in public, Kristen Stewart wore something trashy again, and a lady hit a moose and didn't remember doing it for 40 kilometers. 

I can explain all of these things. In order: 

- Kids sometimes fall asleep in their food, its just how it is. 

-Drugs. 

-Drugs - and, I mean, its Kristen Stewart, are we surprised? 

-Drunk driving. Also, I'm pretty sure if you live in Canada, you're going to hit a moose eventually. Its just, usually you remember it.

I don't know how any of these things get their own article, it seems pretty obvious to me. 

I see myself easily falling into a tangent about Kristen Stewart, it was a mistake for me to use her name, it just gets me going. The girl is like watching a kid try to tell their parents they DIDN'T draw on the walls, its just awkward for everyone, and not very convincing. See? I'm going again. Subject change.

Mother's Day is nice, isn't it? Love and sunshine and good food. Usually some housework is involved, but we love our Mama's so its ok, we'll do it. I hope everyone had a lovely day with their families and is enjoying the sun if you've got it. I know I am. Well, I was before I started writing this, and will be again when I'm done, so please stop distracting me so I can go outside. 

Happy Mother's Day

Asian Avocado Dip

So here's something to try...

I've recently got back on track with my no-white flour-no-dairy diet, which is hard for anyone with a love of food like me. The hardest part for me is finding something easy and fast to eat that isn't cheese, cheesy, or covered in cheese. Or celery. Celery is in no way satisfying, I don't care what anyone tries to tell you, its just not.

While we were in Mexico, I discovered this dip, which I fell in love with. Its a nice change from the classic guacamole with such simple ingredients. It feels light and tangy and somehow still satisfying. While Avocados might not be the lowest in fat content, we all know they're delicious and good for you and, most importantly, not made of cheese.

Asian Avocado Dip:

(I do not have an actual camera right now,  so this is just
a screen shot, doesn't quite to it justice. Then again,
mashed up avocados always look like mashed up
avocados.)

• 2 Ripe Avocados
• 1/4 Cup Sour Cream (I've been using Yogurt) (Obviously if you can, use the sour cream because literally everything is better with a higher fat content.)
• 1/2 tbs. Soy Sauce
• Juice of 1 lime

The recipe also calls for 1/2 tsp. of Grated Ginger but I'm not a huge ginger person and we didn't have any anyways, so I haven't made it with this yet. 






The directions are as follows: Mash everything up together. 
Eat it with corn chips, rice chips, whatever feels right.


I recently started just chopping up the avo into pieces, squeezing lime on top, drizzing the soy sauce on it, and eating it with seed toast in the morning. 


It's so so good.

Disney "Brainwashing"

Most of us, regardless of age group, grew up with Disney movies. They've been cranking out classics since 1937 like their pop-tarts. It seems like lately, there is a lot of controversy around the Disney brand being any number of derogatory words that end in "ist" and its really starting to bum me out. I've never met one kid or adult who is all messed up because the "subliminal messages" in Disney movies turned them into racist sexist fascist monsters. This isn't Mad Men. Just for kicks, here is a list of all the scenes which personally stuck with me as a kid (and maybe, maybe not, into adulthood.). These are the things which I would forever try to emulate in my life when I washed a dish, saw a dirty window, or a still lake.

Snow White (1937): Her mad sweeping skills, the birds wringing out the shirts that they washed in the pond, when she makes the pie and writes "Grumpy" with crust and birds make footprints around the edges, Snow White wiping the window to look inside in a perfect circle.    

                                  

Cinderella (1950): Slipping on her perfect black flats before dancing around with a teapot tray on her head, tying her hair with a ribbon, the mice stacking corn bits.   

              

Lady and the Tramp (1955): The spaghetti scene.

                                       

Sleeping Beauty (1959): When Flora misunderstands the cake recipe and literally folds the eggs into the batter.                                  

The Jungle Book (1967) : Any scene involving eating bananas    

  

        

The Aristocats (1970): The mouse dunking his cracker in the "Creme de la creme de la Edgar"    

   

   

The Little Mermaid (1989): Ariel brushing her hair with a fork      

       

         

Beauty and The Beast (1991): Beast failing at eating porridge, Belle sitting on the floor and her dress falling in a perfect circle all around her, Belle saving her book from the mud puddle.    

              

The Lion King (1994): Rafiki putting the strange pink mark on the cave drawing of Simba       

         

Pocahontas (1995): When Pocahontas husks the corn "gold" for John Smith, Grandmother Willow dipping her branch in the water to make the ripples   

         

Mulan (1998): Mulan wiping off a perfect half of her makeup in one swipe during her "Reflection" song, Mushu's rice and eggs breakfast.    

                                                     

So what were your moments? Disney or no, leave a comment, let me know!