hattie hit the rocks

This past weekend went by really, really fast and it makes me sad.

Friday, after work, Nate and I went with my best friend, Jess to see Lion King 3D. Just a word of warning: THIS MOVIE IS SAD. You don't really realize how sad it is when you were ten when it came out, and then you're twenty-five and sitting in the theatre crying all over your 3D glasses because Mufasa is dead and it's just quite possibly the saddestthinginthewholeworldOMG. But it's probably my favorite Disney movie and thoroughly enjoyable when there are a total of five other people in the theatre.

After the movie, we headed over to 88 Keys. It was a sad night for them, and we tried to make as much noise as we could -- there were eventually seven of us, so we make lots of noise -- but there just wasn't much energy. We ate dinner and had a few drinks, and then Jess, Nate, my co-worker Brian (who joined us at 88 Keys) and I went over to Temple Bar in Pioneer Square to play some pool. Pool is hard when you've been drinking, in case you're curious. I'm normally okay at pool and I was not very good that night. I didn't let the boys make it a total shutout, though, so there's that.

(somewhat relatedly, Foursquare informs me this is my fifth week in a row at bars! Go me...?)

Saturday, Nate and I contemplated getting up to go to breakfast, but wound up falling back asleep several times before dragging ourselves out of bed so he could get his hair cut and we could enjoy some Starbucks.

breakfast of champions!

Afterwards, we wandered around before ending up at Old Navy, because I had seen some peacoats there that weren't terribly expensive. Well...I didn't wind up with a peacoat, but they were having a ridiculous sale, and I got all this for $100:

in both black and khaki -- which they call 'braised tofu' which is slightly disconcerting

the best fleece hoodie EVER. 

it even has thumbholes in those purple stretch parts at the end of the sleeves!

high-impact sports bra 

(which I need to switch out for a larger size,

 because apparently I have boobs.)

a muted, leopard-print cardigan

(this one found here -- similar to this one, but more gray and less brown. 

Old Navy doesn't have it online any more)

and a teal top similar to this one -- also not on the website anymore. 

It's brighter colored, but you get the idea!

I was super happy with this, especially for the pants. I'm still in between sizes at Express, so I needed some new work pants to wear besides my one pair. I got a black maxi skirt recently, so I can switch it up some, but I'm much more of a pants girl than a skirt girl, to be honest. No matter how comfy my maxi skirt is.

In any case, we spent like, three hours in Old Navy, so we were STARVING and went got burgers at Fox Grill before heading home to do something productive. Which actually meant watching TV and not doing laundry like we were supposed to. Because we're lazy like that.

Sunday, we had our first rehearsal(!) with our new a cappella group. It was fabulous, and I'm so excited to be singing again. Everyone seems really laid-back and fun, but we're still a really diverse group of people, which should make it fun. After rehearsal we went out for pizza and talked a lot about kind of everything. I have more pizza for lunch! I think this is like, our fifth week in a row eating pizza at the end of the weekend. That needs to stop.

Back to the gym tonight!

How was your weekend? Lazy or busy?

we are mistake (top five thursdays)

I am linking up with The Perfect Compilation Tape for Top Five Thursdays! I couldn't resist, because this week the topic is...

Top Five Favorite Tearjerkers

(p.s. this is actually kind of hard for me, because every movie makes me cry. i'm a weeper.)

(p.s.s there might be spoilers in here. just sayin'.)

5. Hidalgo 

At the end, when the horse almost dies and then it's a race to the finish between the three horses and then Hidalgo runs the fastest ever and wins and OMG I just cry the whole time cause the little horse did it even when nobody else thought he could and I'm crying thinking about it now. *takes a breath* I love this movie. Nate thinks it's boring.

4. Toy Story 3

I just saw this recently and mostly it's funny and cute and makes me laugh. But then you get to the end, where Andy is giving his toys to Bonnie and telling her all about them and it's just so sweet. It's also makes me strangely emotional to think about how the first one came out when I was younger, and this is (most likely) the last Toy Story movie and how Andy grew up with me. 

3. Ice Princess (judge me, it's ok)

Honestly, this movie was probably pretty stupid, but any movie that deals with a child wanting their parent to be proud of them tugs at my proverbial heartstrings. Being a person who lives for praise from my parents (and friends and...everyone,) when she's skating at the end, and sees her Mom in the stands watching and cheering for her, it makes me all weepy.

2. I Am Sam

Talk about sad. Sad! I pretty much cry this whole movie. It's just so heart wrenching that Sean Penn's character has no idea what's going on, and that his six year old daughter has every idea of what's going on, and she's trying to protect him and Dakota Fanning has the most intense sad little girl eyes ever and WAAAAAAAH.

1. The Notebook (oh come on, I had to!)

I have cried over this movie many times for many different reasons: love found, love lost, wishing, thinking, hoping, knowing, losing. There are some other movies that do this to me, as well (namely: Garden State,) but The Notebook is just so beautifully told. "If you're a bird, I'm a bird."

tears stream down your face

So...last night I went to see HP7:3D (doesn't that just feel like a confirmation number to check-in for a flight or something?) If you haven't seen it, you might not want to keep reading, cause I don't know if I'll spoil anything To be perfectly honest though, if you've read the books, the movie doesn't exactly spoil anything since...you know...it's the same story. But that's ok.

I found it to be...underwhelming. As someone who hasn't read the book, and didn't know how the story ended, I felt kind of jipped by the fact that almost everyone lived (what a horrible thing to say, right?) Except for Fred, Lupin and Tonks -- whose deaths were only on-screen very briefly -- there were no great losses. I'm sorry, but you just battled hundreds of Death Eaters and all you lost was a Weasley twin and some adults? None of the other main kids died. Yeah, they're all good wizards and they know how to fight, cause they've been fighting since they were all 13 years old, but war equals casualties, in my book.

In any case, the film moves along at a brisk pace, which is nice. It felt shorter than it was, especially since certain things weren't explained in the moment of them happening (like the whole Snape-Lily connection with the patronuses, and WHY didn't Harry die, why did Voldemort's wand only kill the part of Voldemort in Harry) so you expected them to be explained later. I was mostly left feeling unsatisfied, even if it was a good movie. Watching this last movie made me want to actually go back and finish the series. So I'll do that. Right after Game of Thrones, if I ever get through it. I also have The Help to read, since it's supposed to be good.

I was also not impressed with the 17 and 18-year olds acting like almost 40-year olds. I didn't think the ladies look nearly old enough. Ron and Harry's makeup jobs were a little better. But I do understand it's hard for a younger person to replicate the stance and air of an older person, since they haven't been that age. But still. I almost wish they'd had actual adults play the final scene.

The 3D part wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't like the idea of wearing glasses for a whole film, but the theatre we were at had a balcony, and we sat in the front row so you could see all the action from one vantage point. I don't think I would have done as well with the motion if I'd had to follow the action with my head. As it was, some of the camera-work made me a little woozy. But all in all it wasn't too bad.

In other news, my Dad just wished my sister a happy birthday...a MONTH early. At least her birthday is actually the 15th!

a fool to do your dirty work

Here in Seattle, we complain when it's sunny and complain when it's raining. And when it's overcast. Basically, the one thing you can count on people to complain about is the weather. I really want to shake these people when they tell me it's too hot and/or humid, and tell them, "YOU WANT HOT AND HUMID? LIVE IN FLORIDA IN AUGUST!" But I don't, because that would be awkward and make me look like a cray-cray. So I just smile and nod. And yell internally.

That being said, I am not a fan of a forecast that says it will be overcast or rainy through Saturday.

Boooo.

To cheer myself up, I listen to bouncy Irish music and pin colossal amounts of things on Pinterest: things I'd do to my house, food that looks awesomely awesome, clothes that I'd love to fill my closet with. You know, the usual.

I also play It Girl on FB. It's like shopping without actually spending any money! Then again, you don't get the clothes, either. They should work on that.

Also, I'm awesome and going to see a pre-screening of Harry Potter (in 3D!) on Thursday evening, before everyone else. It starts at 7pm, so everyone includes people on the East Coast who have midnight showing tickets. HAH. I'm never the cool kid. I can thank the boy's work for the opportunity. Thank you, ADP/Cobalt. I appreciate it.

Oh, and we get free popcorn. Yea, boyeeeeee!

(p.s. If you play It Girl, friend me on FB. You know you need a bigger clique.)



it's all uncharted (ten on tuesday)

Yay for another Ten on Tuesday! Link up over at Chelsea's blog. Fun times =)

1. If you could watch only one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Transformers or the new Star Trek. I'm also a huge fan of Love Actually and The Notebook. Ugh, can't I just pick one movie to watch from each genre? I'll go with Transformers.

2. Let’s say someone wrote a screenplay about you; what actor/actress would you choose to play you and why?
This is hard, because as an actress, I'd like to play myself in a movie. But, I probably wouldn't be very good as myself and that's not the question. I love Natalie Portman, but I don't know that she's the right choice, either. I would say either Alicia Witt (Urban Legend -- what a horribly wonderful movie. Did you know Jared Leto was in that movie?! Me neither, til just now,) or Laura Prepon (That 70's Show.)

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3. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in theaters?
My mom says the first movie she took me to was The Little Mermaid, but the first one I really remember seeing was As Good as it Gets. We had to leave because my sister got motion sick part of the way through.

4. Did you ever make out at the back of a movie theater in middle school/high school?
Not really. We weren't rich kids. If we were paying for a movie, we were gonna watch the movie! Plus, who goes to see a movie you don't really want to see?

5. Are you a Netflix-er, Blockbuster-er or a Redbox-er? (Or none of the above?)
Not really any of them. While we were staying with my Dad in Tallahassee on the road trip, we did Redbox with my sister. I tend to just...uhm..."borrow" movies. Yeah, that's it. Borrow them. Or we see them in theatres, if we're really that into it.

6. Name one actor/actress who you would give anything to have a dinner date with.
I would love to sit down with Anthony Hopkins, for the sake of the art of acting. But I'm also partial to James McAvoy, from a purely shallow standpoint ;)

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7. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
Uhm, Drag Me to Hell? I hate horror comedy. I've seen lots of bad horror movies, though. That's what happens when you watch lots and lots of horror movies. It's Alive (the remake) was one of the worst movies ever. EVER.

8. Do you sneak snacks into the theater when you go?
Sometimes. Movie theatres are expensive.

9. Movie theater popcorn: love or hate it?
Don't care either way. I love the movie theatre butter, but it's horribe and greasy. I'm not hugely into popcorn, in general, but it's nice sometimes.

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Mmm, butter-flavored syrup topping. Delish.

10. What is the all-time best Disney movie in your opinion?
The Lion King. I used to have the whole movie memorized. Not just the songs, the movie. But the songs are awesome, too.



64 and Sunny

Today it looked like this:

 

It never really got above 65, but it was pretty warm in the sun. All I had on was jeans and a t-shirt, but sitting in direct sunlight I got hot after a while. Not hot enough to move (because I'm actually a lizard and I get my energy from direct sunlight,) but hot. I dropped Nate off at work, went to the drug store to get him some cough drops and Zicam, dropped those back off to him at work and went to wander around. I hit up Bed, Beth and Beyond, Nordstrom Rack and H&M quickly before wandering down to the water. Everyone was out and about, plus it's the SakuraCon this weekend, so the streets were kind of congested, but I managed to find a small open area next to Anthony's at Pier 66 to sit and stare out at the water. Since I brought my Kindle, I read for a while, too.

For dinner, we got some delicious appetizers at Noc Noc, a really cool bar with a crazy gothic atmosphere. Then we came home and watched a HORRIBLE movie, Night of the Demons. It was kind of a remake of a bad 80's movie that Nate had seen when he was younger. It was neither scary nor sexy, despite all the slutty Halloween costumes. It was just...bad.

I didn't drink enough water while I was walking around and sitting in the sun, so I'm feeling a little dehydrated. It's unfortunate because I'm tired but I'm not sleepy, since we didn't get up until almost noon, so I'm watching 16 and Pregnant. Television at its finest. Oh yeah.

-C

'long as the room keeps singing

Alternately Titled: I may have watched the entirety of an awards show for the first time in my life last night.

(But that one doesn't roll off the tongue as easily.)

So I've dicovered two things:

1) I could get used to this Cinnamon Roll oatmeal and peanut butter thing. Who KNEW. Then again, peanut butter can make just about anything better.

2) Awards shows are much more entertaining and inviting when they don't keep you up until MIDNIGHT on a Sunday. The West Coast has got it right -- let's start the Oscars at 5:30PM! They're over by 9PM, and you still have time to finish drying that last load of laundry. It's incredible.

So we watched the entirety of the Oscar last night! I'm not much one for fashion, but I hated Jennifer Hudson's dress (weird boobage issues,) and loved that you saw Anne Hathaway walk in wearing an awesome red dress and immediately thereafter saw her on stage in a black and cream one with creepy crazy feathers all up ins. Maybe there weren't feathers, but the dress did make her look a million miles wide, which is a ridiculous statement in and of itself. So there.

Also, James Franco is constantly high. Did anyone else catch his strangely loopy interview with that woman I've never seen before in my life Robin Roberts before the show? He just laughed, the whole time. What's so funny, creeper? (Ok, the fact that he's a creeper doesn't stop him from being attractive, and I understand that. But...creeper.)

In other news, who knew Zachary Levi could sing? Actually, probably everyone except me, since probably everyone and their mother has seen Tangled. Which I probably will watch at some point, even though Mandy Moore's singing completely turns me off (I don't mind her acting, really.)

And maybe it's just me, but when is the rest of the world going to realize that we're just indulging Gwyneth Paltrow's fantasy of becoming a country singer? Granted, she can kind of sing. But as much as I don't love country, the country songs I know and like feature one of two kinds of voices: sweet and sultry or large and in charge -- and kudos to the singers who can do both. Gwyneth...does really have either. Her voice is just there. And I don't connect with her lyrics or her stage presence. Isn't it strange how someone can be a formidable presence in one artform and not even capture your attention in another? Seriously, that's why we even have "triple threats." True ones are few and far between. Let's demand some real singers up in here, y'all.

Speaking of country songs, I justed discovered this Leann Rimes song, and I kind of like it. And by kind of, I really mean I like it a lot.

(Nate liked the little wrist-flicking dance towards the end.)

Also, watch Peter Hollen's new video! (I find the turn around on this song kind of sickeningly fast.) And if you haven't watch his other a cappella covers, you should do that, too. He's my a cappella friend by six degrees of Kevin Bacon separation. Plus, you may have seen him on that little show called The Sing-Off on NBC. Yeah.

There's a 50% chance of rain or snow all day today, but right now, there's actually blue sky outside. Plus, it's Jeans Week at work, which makes my life. Or at least my week. I'd rather be in jeans than anything else.

What did you think of the Oscars? Did you watch the whole thing?

-C



larger than life

I took a small hiatus from writing things this weekend to actually hang out with people! This a very exciting development in my life here in Seattle.

Friday night, Nate and I went out to buy some things we'd been eyeing at Express, because they are having an extra 40% off clearance sale at the moment, and wound up get 6 items for about $70 (a major steal!) Then, we went to dinner at The Taphouse Grill. It's kind of in a touristy part of town, but they have, like, over 140 beers, plus really good food, so we decided to go back, instead of trying to find someplace new. When we got home, we watch The Grudge 2, which is possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. Ever. No really, it's horrible. We contemplated turning it off halfway through.

It was my best friend's birthday on Friday, so on Saturday, we made plans to go to the Science Center around noon. Well, we are all lazy bums, so I think I left my house to walk to her house around 11:30 (it's like a 40 minute walk,) and then when I got there, she was still cleaning and her roommate was still showering, so we didn't leave until after 12:30. Then, Nate wound up not having to work, so we had to wait for him to meet us at the Space Needle (which didn't take very long, it was pretty much perfect timing.) He also got some pretty cool pictures on the walk over.

 Then, we sat and ate a little snack at the cafe after waiting in line to get in the Science Center complex. So I think we actually started looking at the exhibits around 1:30? Which turned out to be fine, because while the buildings themselves were very nice, the exhibits were kind of...outdated. I mean, they had a sign that said a fossil was 'something you dug up.' (This was then a running joke for the rest of the visit.) And they kept calling all the dinosaurs in the prehistoric section "weird," which kind of irks me, because OF COURSE they're weird, they're dinosaurs, but really, shouldn't you be teaching kids to be interested by "weird" things, and not just teaching them to call them "weird" because they're different?

In any case, some of the kids exhibits, about how things work, were very cool. They had a "shadow wall," where you stand in a dark room against a reflective wall and they have a really bright flash on an audible timer, so that after the flash goes off, you can see your "shadow" left on the wall. It was fun standing in crazy poses and see what the shadow looked like! I also always enjoy the sections where they show you how hard your heart works, how hard you have to pedal a bike to burn so many calories in an hour, etc. They had one test where you had to pitch match, and even in the crazy kid loudness of museum, I matched the tones almost perfectly. Yay for being a trained musician! The middle of the complex, which was all outdoors, was interesting, also. They had several structures that (we think) are just meant to be artistic, along with some water areas, some of which were interactive. We didn't get shoot anything with the water pistols though, because we are nice and don't shove little children out of the way...usually.

After we wore ourselves out walking around for a couple hours, we went back and had a nice dinner, cheesecake and ice cream for dessert, and watched some Mystery Science Theatre 3000. I was so tired from walking and not eating enough (or probably drinking enough water,) that I went to bed at 10:30/11:00 and slept through all the way until 10am the next morning (at which point I not longer felt like I was getting sick, so I really think it was just the no water thing.)

Sunday, the boy and I went grocery shopping (which kind of turned into wandering around Target,) but first we stopped at IHOP for delicious breakfast. Our usual: a spinach and mushroom omelette (the real version, not the simple and fit version) with strawberry banana pancakes, hashbrowns and four strips of bacon. We downed it in about 10 minutes (we may have gotten up at 10, and waited until 1:30 to eat, so we were kind of hungry.) We figured it out, and the whole meal was about 2000 calories. So we figured that was breakfast and lunch, so we didn't feel so bad about demolishing 1000 calories each in such a short amount of time.

After Target, we wound up at Forever21, Express and Payless looking for a new all-purpose purse for me. My red one, from H&M, is starting to finally just fall completely apart, so it's really probably time for a new one. Unfortunately, everything that is out right now is kind of boring, and either black, tan or beige. I found an ok purple one at Payless, but I like to really love my bags, especially since I tend to only carry one all the time. So I may have to wait until Spring lines come out for some brighter colors. While we were at Payless, my trusty sneakers finally bit the dust. I was taking them off to try on a pair of boots, and the shoe completely separated from the sole. Sad day.



Sunday night was full of laundry and me whining because I was so. very. tired (which was apparently just hunger, even though I consumed 1000 calories earlier that day.) This morning, I took some time and participated in TPTP, which I ignored on Friday, because I'm a bum.

This green sweater has rabbit HAIR in it. Not fur, hair.

It kind skeeves me out, but I really like the sweater. And the color. And it was on clearance for $10, so I guess I'll deal.

-C