Merry Christmas

I don't have any pictures to post (yet), but I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on how amazingly grateful and thankful I am for the life I have and the people I am surrounded by. My family may be far from perfect, but there is a lot of love. I might not always be the perfect friend, but the ones who have stuck with me I am proud to call mine. I will never know what I did to be so lucky to have my husband, but he is the best thing to ever come into my life and I love sharing my life with him and can't wait for what the future holds. And I would be silly not to mention the little person that we are waiting to meet. I know we won't be perfect parents, but I know we are going to try with all our hearts.

I hate sometimes that it takes a holiday to make your mind reflect on how good we actually have it, but I guess it's important that we just take that moment and run with it. So I'm running with a heart full of love and hope, and here's hoping you and your's will do the same.

NOW, back to some last minute baking and waiting for Die Hard to start. Because nothings says "Merry Christmas" like, "YIPPEE-KI-YAAY MOTHERFUCKER".

Bad Blogger, very very bad!

I should be ashamed, like what's the point? But I'll keep on trucking and trying hopefully will get a little better one day at getting stuff up here. To be honest though, this pregnancy is pretty exhausting. I feel like I don't have much attention to put into anything. Reading, watching new movies (you know, the ones where you actually have to pay attention), knitting complicated projects, cleaning the house... you name it, I can't sit down and get engrossed in it. I just start to wander and do something else.

At the moment, I am just sitting in my parents living room, watching 3:10 to Yuma with Dad and Griff trying to get over a bit of jet lag. I am sad to say, that all the food I was looking forward to is having an adverse effect on me :( I feel like the weirdest pregnant lady in the history of the world because I am just NOT in love with food. I have a hard to time figuring out what I want to eat and sometimes, even then, it doesn't turn out to be what I wanted. It's very frustrating. I am hoping things will improve this week tho, and right now it's just the jet lag.

I really wanted to get my craft on this Christmas and blog about it. But no such luck. No point in really blogging about all the things I wish I had blogged about tho, is there? I think I might have to set a New Year's resolution for more blogging, more writing and more reading. Last year I said I was going to knit more this year, and I mean to do it. I have a few pieces I've knitted recenetly I just haven't taken pictures and loaded them yet. MUST DO THAT.

Anyways, I've over n' out....

Friday the 13th (a day late....)

Yesterday, Griff and I would have had our wedding....if we hadn't been especially marriage itchy and jumped on a plane to Vegas and married in our semi-secret little ceremony. It was very weird yesterday thinking about all the friends and family that would have been over, the wedding chaos that would have ensued, and hopefully all the laughter and good times that would have happened.

Even with thinking about the 'what might have been's', I don't regret our Vegas decision for a moment. It was so perfect, intimate and fun and I have so many memories that I'm thankful that I didn't have to share with anyone. It was just for us. Moreover, I can't even stand the thought of all the lost months of wedded bliss that we would have missed out on, and needless to say, I definitely don't think Bumble would be growing right now.

Our 1 year wedding anniversary is right around the corner, and it's been the best year. We have joked that if the first year is supposed to be the hardest, then we expect we're in for smooth sailing.

I posted a picture of the wedding inspirations we had for our Big Day that never was. We talked this week about how much fun it really would have been. I think our friends would have had so much fun, and laughed a lot (for example, I wanted The Muppet's "Somebody's Getting Married" to be played while guests would be seated...might not be everyone else's sense of humor but it's definitely mine...). Some of the elements featured above did make it into our Vegas wedding, and even into our 2 receptions. Unfortunately, we still have yet to sort out a honeymoon. Maybe one day!!!

Secret Keepers

I've been a horrible blogger as of late, mostly because I have been keeping the biggest secret in the world!!! Well, sort of keeping it. The closest of friends knew, and family knew, but general public was kept in the dark while our little Bumble has been growing. Which means, I haven't wanted to blog about anything else because a majority of all thoughts and feelings have centered around how this pregnancy has made me feel and the excitement that's been building as baby has been growing. 

Even my knitting has been affected (effected?....one day I'll learn to differentiate between the two of those....). I was working on a jumper for myself, but I can't find the energy to finish it. Intarsia knitting is difficult and time consuming and requires a lot of concentration. But I only have one more sleeve to go and then I'll have my first finished knitted jumper! I did start on a blanket for Bumble the other evening tho, so hopefully that will help me get my knitting groove back. 

There's lots of nausea, a little sickness and waning tiredness, but my life is so so good. Here's a pic of Bumble from our first scan. I'm afraid I can't rotate it, but if you tilt your head you should be able to make it all out fine and dandy. 

Hang On, Little Tomato

I am feeling especially musical at the moment, and feeling the need to share any song that's inspiring....

Ramones "Baby, I love you"

I found this today, and it has my heart all a-flutter. I just want to listen to it over and over and over. If you enjoy good music (and I trust that you do), just revel in this wonderful little gem. No lie, one of the regrets of my life is that I will never get to see them perform...

The Polanski "Debate"

I have been somewhat quiet about this issue since it was announced that Polanski had been picked up by Swiss officials. Yeah, we all knew the story and that he had been avoiding the States (and any country that would extradite to the US) for years and years. But now that he has been taken into custody, the film community and fans have had  to wrap their heads around an issue that existed for decades, just no one wanted to talk about. 

Because his films are fantastic. No lie, Polanski is a brilliant director. Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown are 2 of my personal favs, hands down, no arguments. And yes, it is a horrible tragedy that his wife, Sharon Tate and unborn child, were murdered at the hands of the Manson family. But if you washed all that way, what would we be left with?

A man that drugged and raped a 13 year old girl and fled the country when faced with the real possibility of facing jail time. Which is a blatantly a crime. 

It's disturbing to see how many talented and respected actors and directors are coming out in defense of Polanski. There is no statute of limitations when it comes to raping a child. Yes, that child is now a grown woman, but she has scars that undoubtedly haunt her to this day. And while it is understandable why she would want the media circus to disappear, the man who is responsible for raping her still needs to be held accountable by the courts for his actions. 

If we took out the name Polanski, wouldn't the case become immediately black and white?

I read this article today, and it pretty much summarized my own feelings about what is happening, and allowed me to finally weigh into this "debate". I say, "debate", because honestly it shouldn't be. Being a talented, tortured soul does not give you the right to rape and not be held accountable and face consequences.

http://www.bust.com/blog/2009/09/30/free-roman-polanski.html

I'm not going to stop watching his films. I just tend to enjoy them for what they are. Kind of like when I watch Woody Allen movies I have to not think about the fact that he had an affair with his adopted daughter. Or remember how we all used to listen to Michael Jackson in the privacy of our homes and cars because we didn't want anyone to think we supported a supposed child molester? Yeah, he's dead now so it's okay to enjoy his music. It's that kind of mentality used to enjoy Polanski films now. 

I just sincerely wish that the Hollywood community, that is o-so-idolized in our present day would sit and think for a moment about what it is they are wanting forgive and turn a blind eye to his crimes. 

Amanda Palmer- Astronaut

The Halloween Movie List

So every year (almost) since I moved out of my parents house, I try my best to keep the Halloween vibe alive for the whole month by watching a scary movie everyday of the month. Some years go better than others, but this is the list for this year:

1. Fright Night

2. 1408 

3. Shaun of the Dead

4. The Lost Boys

5. Ernest Scared Stupid--- This film TERRIFIED me and my sisters when we were little. We had to sleep in the same bed for months after seeing it. Halloween is definitely for nostalgia as well. 

6. Pet Sematary

7. The Wolf Man (original with Lon Chenney Jr. and Claude Rainnes; although I should mention I cannot WAIT for the new remake with Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins).

8. Lady In White

9. The Exorcist

10. ZOMBIE NIGHT!!!---Triple Feature of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. 

11. Nightmare on Elm Street

12. Dracula (starring Bela Lugosi)

13. The Omen

14. Poltergeist

15. Ghostbusters

16. The House on Haunted Hill (Vincent Price)

17. Hocus Pocus

18. Bram Stoker's Dracula

19. Tod Browning's Freaks

20. The Shining

21. Mad Monster Party---This is a wonderful stop motion film that's an absolute riot. If you have little ones and want to share some Halloween fun, this completely appropriate and cheesy. Boris Karloff even voices the Mad Professor!

22. Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein

23. Friday the 13th

24. Hellraiser

25. Nosferatu (directed by Werner Herzog)

26. Rosemary's Baby

27. Salem's Lot---I absolutely adore this mini-series from the 70's. Will be an act of sheer will power to wait till the end of the month. Has one of the creepiest child vampire scenes ever.

28. The Beast Must Die

29. House of Wax & Tales of Terror (another evening of Vincent Price!)

30. The Worst Witch---childhood classic

31. HALLOWEEN

You might notice some classics missing, such as Carrie or Evil Dead. Well, we watched those earlier this month and are trying to rotate in some stuff we usually don't watch. Also, this year I've added a lot of my childhood favorites (like, The Lady in White). Alternatively though, I have a few that didn't make the final cut, but that we will probably try and find time to watch...possibly by starting now in September. Examples: Phantasm, The Mist, The Hunger, Reeker, The Gift, etc....

****And by the way my vampire fan friends, if you have not seen The Hunger, you must see it. It's a bit dated by the 80's glam of it, but it's positively wonderful. 

Painted Kitchen

It's amazing what a coat of new paint can do. And I new blind....and a nice light fixture. So yeah, don't have TONS of money to invest into the kitchen. I really hate the cabinets, and whoever designed this kitchen really didn't use the space to the best of their ability. It's a shame really. But we just don't have the money to do what we would like. So we're doing the smaller things. I have picked out a new floor to put down, but I'm sure that will be several months down the road. I know it seems small, but it's actually a spacious little kitchen. 
Of course my knick-knacks have spilled over to the kitchen. I thought this was a pretty cute display idea, without looking very cluttered. I absolutely adore the owl cookie car. Mimi (younger sis) got me that for Xmas and Deb (older sis) gave me the 'Shroom canister. Too cool. 

Inspiration.

The statue was directly opposite the one of Oscar Wilde. I don't know what she is called or who sculpted her, but I thought she was absolutely beautiful. 

It is no lie that I am extremely broody these last few months, and I know that is a lot of the reason why I was so captivated by her. I wanted to rub her belly, but at the risk of looking insane, I didn't. She inspires something in me that I wish I could convey in words. 

Dublin Part II

Statue of Oscar Wilde. Sadly we didn't spend a lot of time at the park. We were tourists with places to see and lists to check and crap to buy!
The most sinfully delicious cheesecake I have ever put in my mouth. If you are in Dublin, there is a chain of cafes called Queen of Tarts and order the Bailey's Cheesecake. Obviously, as the name suggests, there is Bailey's Irish Creme in the cake. BUT THE BASE...o dear God, the base was the gooiest chewiest chocolate chip cookie base. To. Die. For. 
I loved the green post boxes!!! I think Brit thought I was a little kooky for wanting a picture of it, but she understands my quirks. 
While I don't drink the stuff myself, the trip to the Guinness Storehouse was a lot of fun. Outside it smelled of hops, which was very nice (and I only know this because Brit told me that's what I was smelling. I don't drink or brew any beer, so I wouldn't know...). And I have to hand it to Guinness, they really do have some of the best advertising. Looking at their collection of memorabilia and advertising campaigns was probably my favorite bit of the tour. 
"Enjoying" our complimentary pints at the Storehouse. HA! I couldn't get past the foam and I thought I would retch. It is really a shame...but to be fair, my glass looks better for the picture.

Check out our touristy clothes tho! Ha! I gotta real kick out of that. It was so cold tho! I had to buy a hoodie, and if I had to buy one it had to say where I got it from. Good times tho. Next time I have to leave the city and see more! 

Dublin Part I

Unfortunately, I can tell these are going to load backwards. O well, I can't be bothered to delete, reload and then type again. So backwards it is! So a quick re-cap about Dublin. Part 1:

This is a photo of the most miserable Leprechaun in Dublin. He has a very creepy head to put on, but for most of the time while we were around he just sat there smoking looking miserable and scowling. Very funny (and maybe slightly tragic?)

The Street lamps were beautiful! As Wendy pointed out, you can't help but think of Narnia. Very, very pretty. 

Me the 1st morning at our lil B&B getting my full-Irish breakfast and tea time on. I think I had 3 cups before we set out, so I was definitely buzz-buzz-buzzing....

Knitted Baby Jumper Pink n Green

I just got around to finishing this baby jumper. It's actually been knitted for several months, it just took me awhile to get around to sewing it together (which is my least favorite bit). I was initially knitting this for a 'friend' of mine who was having twins. The next jumper was going to be main body green with a pink band. Cute, eh? But said 'friend', decided we weren't friends anymore so now I have this cute jumper without a baby to fill it. SOOOOOOOOO I have just added it to my baby booty of clothes. There are three buttons to be sewn on the right side; where you see it sticking up a bit. I lost the buttons tho, but overall it's a finished project. 

What was I thinking?

It's not a sentiment I have to often after shopping, but occasionally I do. I'm human. This bizarre mermaid mirror I apparently thought was a good idea. I found it recently and kinda gave myself the "what the fuck?" talk and asked Griff why we thought this mermaid with Zombie-like eyes was a good idea. I mean, I love my tacky, but this is PRETTY tacky. For some reason tho, I can't bear to part with her yet. So I've stuck her in the guest room to give guests (i.e. Steve) unpleasant and slightly uncomfortable dreams. Hopefully. 

Green Glass

Found a new piece in a dump bin at my local antique emporium. Apparently, someone just had a plastic tub and chucked a load of stuff in. I think this was £2??? Not bad. I was really happy with this one. 

The Catch-Up

So much has been happening lately!!! Life has been moving so quickly, I have no idea where the summer went; the one where I was supposed to get all these 'projects' done. Of all the ones I had outlined, unfortunately, knitting has taken the back seat (but as of this week I am working on correcting that....). SO here's the Run-Down, the Catch-Up, the Updateness-of the Goings-On:

I have been accepted for TWO different MA studies. The first is Film Studies which I would be continuing at Kingston Uni. Then I was also accepted at City University London for a MA in Library Sciences. I was actually really pleased with getting accepted on that course because it was all based on my merit. They actually think I'm worthy (I have absolutely NO ties with this Uni at all). Unfortunately, I have been playing tag with their admissions office to 1)  see if I was eligible for home fees, rather than overseas fees (BIG DIFFERENCE IN PRICE) and 2) after seeing that they were going to charge me overseas fees, how to go about appealing that.  I have lived in this country going on 4 years. They should give me a break. But I should find out today, for sure, what they are going to charge.

If they come back decide Overseas Fees, then I am going to defer and take the course next year. I'm not very happy about this, but I can not afford over £11,000 for one year of school. No way. I was considering doing the Film MA if I can't do the Library, but I don't know if I want to spend the money on it now. I love film, it is something I think about constantly and love. But I know that there is no way I can make a living from it. I would love to teach film at University level, but the reality is that it is very difficult to do so. The schools that teach film theory usually hire from within, and it would be a very frustrating existence. But who knows, I might shoot for it one day anyways? I will have an MA in film one day. I'm just not sure that today is the day....

Now Libraries, I'm going into with cold feet. All I know is that I love reading, I love books, I love research and magazines and newspapers and organization. And I know that I could make a living doing this either from England or the US. Considering that we are on a 2 year plan to move back to America, I feel I would have a real chance using a MA in Library Sciences. 

On the job front I am having no luck. It's actually getting quite depressing. I am only applying for jobs I believe I will get satisfaction from. I am tired of retail and selling and 'personalities'. Griff agrees and is being very patient with me. I am seeking out qualifications to be a bit more appealing to potential employers. Unfortunately, I only have retail experience which is not working in my favor. At. All. But I'm being positive-ish. Hopefully, I will be volunteering at a local Oxfam Bookshop and that will at least give me something to do with my time. Plus, the owner recognized me as a regular customer and told me if I am interested in learning about proper book dealing (learning about recognizing something worth money) he would be happy to teach me. I'm just now waiting on that call back....

A teacher once made me very aware that being a foreigner here, you have to have something above and beyond the other candidates to be considered for jobs. Naturally they are going to hire citizens first. I am trying to keep that in mind and remain patient. It's very difficult though. I have never feel so inadequate in all my life. 

Griff is applying for a Java course! He's excited about this. This will benefit him here or in the States. So kudos for that. Should take about a year and it will be done from home. I will definitely have to stay on his case. He would much rather play chess with Steve in the evening or stroll down to the pub, or, obviously, have a cuddle with me and watch a good movie. I am hoping to maybe set up a small desk in our room where he could work privately. Lately, I am just simply 'talked' out and want to start seeing results and meeting our plans head on. 

On a more pleasant note....

I WON SOME RUBY SLIPPERS!!!!! I never win anything (probably because I never enter anything), but I joined a fan page on Facebook called Ruby Slippers. They had a contest that whoever had 100 people post your name on their wall would win a pair of Ruby Slippers. I with so little time on my hands, pimped myself out heavily to my friends to do this for me and ended up winning a pair. I CAN NOT WAIT for them to get here!!!!! A lot of pictures will ensue when they arrive. 

Also, one of my best friends came over from the States and stayed with us for almost 2 weeks. It was a wonderful visit and I felt like we really got to reconnect and bond. It was very special and warm n fuzzy. We went to Dublin for 2 days and it was absolutely amazing. I would suggest everyone go and visit Dublin. It's a lovely city, full of beautiful things and lovely people. I can not wait to take Griff for a visit (preferably longer than 2 days) and see all the things I missed out on last time. I will hopefully post some photos soon. I've gotten really lazy about uploading photos. 

Around the house, the kitchen is painted. Looks amazing (must upload photos!!!).... I think I have FINALLY picked a color for our bedroom. We have also picked out the flooring we would like to put down in the kitchen and bathroom. Currently we are lacking in funds, but they are at least picked out. As is the carpet for the guest room and bedroom. I also FINALLY found a wallpaper I want to put in the hallway. So I am seeing the bits start to tie together, I just need a fucking job to pay for all the things I want to do. 

But why do all of this if we plan on moving in 2 years? Well because this is still very much our home. And comfort and nesting are a big part of who I am and how we live. So I'm not going to ignore the things I want to do here, because of plans down the line. We are not intending to sell this place when we move, we want to rent it out. So it will always be the first home we owned and I want it to stay someplace I could return to. 

And before I forget! I am going to be having surgery! The Dr. found a huge polyp blocking my left sinus and it needs to be removed. I go in Friday for a pre-surgery assessment, which will be taking my history and probably some blood work. This will be the second surgery on my sinuses, so I'm not terribly worried. I am grateful that it was found and will be removed. God Bless the NHS. 

So, I have a few knitted pieces to post up separately, some new additions of green glass found and hopefully a few Dublin pics. Hopefully I will be blogging back to 'normal' soon.  :D 

I have been listening to this and LOVE it. 

I know I have shown a lot of people this already, and I even posted it up on Facebook. I'm not someone easily shocked, but at 7ish in the morning, I was a bit shocked when I saw this guy in the queue at the airport on the way to the States. I had Griff slip over and take a photo with his camera phone....not that it wasn't completely obvious that that's what he was doing, but it's not like the guy wasn't expected to be stared at. 

Then I started hoping that he would be sitting near or next to me on the flight. That could have been interesting. He wasn't on our flight though, and I can't help but wonder about the people who did share a flight with him. I wonder if they politely ignored his outrageous morning fetish gear, or asked him if it was comfy to fly in. Ah well....it was a nice start to the vacation. 

This is the most boring post ever....

....but it has to be done. I will have some fun and "interesting" photos from our vacation when I get home. But otherwise I don't have much to say. Reading-wise, I am slowly working my way through all of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Very enjoyable.

TV viewing wise has been complicated. X-files, we only got through 2 seasons and then we got a Roomie. I have no idea how the Roomie feels about X-Files, but it seems kinda cruel to be like "HEY you have to watch ALL of these episodes because we're working through a list". Griffers bought me season one of Family Ties, and he didn't really enjoy it, so I think I'm going to be watching that one on my own.

New show to add to the list? ROSEANNE!!!!!!!!!!!!! We went down to Myrtle Beach for a few days, and every night they played TONS of Roseanne, and Griff and I were in hysterics. I just kept looking at him saying, "Why don't we have this on DVD!?!?!?!". So we're going to be starting in on Roseanne.

While here in the States I was wanting to add to our DVD collection, but the recession isn't stretching our pounds/dollars as far as they used to, so we won't be buying as many DVDs this go round. Which I guess could be sad, but I'm sure in reality it isn't. I really wanted to buy season 2 of Family Ties, but Best Buy was wanting to charge $34!!!! That's a lot of money...

O and we started watching Twilight Zone too!!! And I bought the book, The Twilight Zone Companion, so we're going to start working through all 156 episodes and read along about all of them. Who knows how to party? Ashley knows how to party. HA!!

That's about it....Like I said....MOST BORING POST EVER. But it had to be done.

Baby Blanket for Zachary Phoenix (part 2)

Finally finished with the baby for Zachary Phoenix!!! Yay! I am still a bit upset with the finished result, but I think the added borders hides the wonkiness a bit AND makes it bigger. So I really hope he enjoys lounging around on it. I am eager to try this pattern again, and make a HUGE blanket.

Down with the Sickness

I am annoyed beyond belief because 3 weeks after finishing a massive dose of antibiotics and suffering a hellish sinus infection...I am sick again!!! And the weather at the moment is amazing! I would love nothing better than to be sitting down by the river, reading a good book and enjoying a bottle of wine with my husband. BUT NO, my body is just set to make me miserable and wants me to stay in this stuffy stupid house watching crap tv. That's all well and good when you're having a lazy day but not when the weather is amazing!!!! I just wanted to vent that frustration a bit.

I'm going to a ENT specialist on Tuesday, and I'm anxious to hopefully start a course that will lead to less sick days and more playing outside days. Fingers crossed.....

Dee and Sareta's Baby Blanket

O to knit for all these babies this year! The joy it should bring, and the excitement I felt about doing this particular blanket...

I have such a love/hate feeling for this one. And I don't want to feel hate because I don't want my negative ju-ju vibes to seep into something that will be snuggled next to baby. *le sigh* But it was this square in particular (the blue one,  and also the 2nd knit on) that clued me in that this was going to be a wonky project:

Apparently, whoever wrote out this pattern decided to do it in their own special knit language. For example, "knit 56 garter row stitches", was supposed to be 112 rows. Because I have a ton of yarn left over, and a pretty freakin' small baby blanket. It was the blue square the clued me in a bit later, because when adding the stitches on to create the blue square, it asked for a lot more stitches than can possible fit comfortably attached to the cream square. So it's that fucking blue square that made the WHOLE BLANKET wonky. And it's too late to go back and change it. So Dee and Sareta are getting a wonky baby blanket....and I feel very disappointed in myself. 

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Ever since it was announced that Tim Burton was going to do "his" version of Alice, I've been a bit apprehensive. No lie, I do enjoy Tim Burton films. I think Sweeny Todd was massively under-rated and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over-rated. Like any director, he has his hits and misses, but I have found that lately he is dangerously close to his films being self-parody of the magical and enchanting films his career started with. 

....and I LOVE Alice in Wonderland, and would hate to see it butchered. But today I've been excited, as I've so far ignored most of the info coming out about the film.  Yes, we all knew Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter would be in it, but there's a few others I am now really excited about. Like, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen sounds perfect. Alan Rickman as the Catapillar? Sounds fantastic to me. But wait a minute, o what's this I see? Stephen-fucking-Fry as the Cheshire Cat? *Tap dancing excitement* I love this man. AND WAIT....Hold it...wait for it.....o yes....CRISPIN GLOVER as the Knave of Hearts. 

So that's kinda made my morning a little more special, than the previously posted knit cupcakes. 

Totally Lush looking Knit Cupcakes

These look absolutely amazing. I found them through rummaging around Ravelry this morning, they are on the blog, Vegan Yum Yum  They even kindly include the recipe and how to's for the cute lil knit pieces! 

I want to get into cup-caking so badly, but I have no idea when and how I would fit it into my massive task list of things to do and things to learn. But I thought these were too cute not to share!

Coraline Review

Yesterday, we went to see Coraline. I was very excited about seeing this because:

1. I love Neil Gaiman, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book it was based off of.

2. It's stop motion animation, from the same director of Nightmare Before Christmas

3. Looks amazing.

And I would say that, yes, overall it met all my expectations and was stunning to look at. I don't think that it HAS to be seen in 3-D, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it just as much in 2-D. I also loved that Coraline has blue hair. It was a small touch that I found charming.

BUT (there's always a 'but'), a very important element of the story was changed, and left me disgruntled at the end of the film. While the book is based on Neil Gaiman's book, the story was written for the screen by director, Henry Selick. In the film, a character by the name of Wybie is introduced into the narrative, even tho he does not exist at all in the book. I was okay with this, Coraline thinks mostly internally in the book, and this character allows her to interact and bring across her character. Because we all know, internal monologues in films can be VERY boring. So Wybie didn't really bother me....until the last few moment of the film.

I will carefully try not to give too much away, but in the book Coraline "saves the day" by her own careful planning and ingenuity. In the film, Wybie rushes in at the end to save the day. Which to me, only perpetuates to little girls that a boy will always be there to solve the problem, save them from danger, etc. I hate to push that sort of feminist rhetoric on what is otherwise a charming children's film, but I hate that they took away such a wonderful, positive ending; and instead put a "safe", "old-fashioned" ending on it.

Otherwise, I would say, go see it. It's a fantastic film and I was secretly hoping that one day I have a little girl as imaginative and brave as little Coraline.

 

School is almost finished!!!

I am so freakin' excited! I can't wait to have my time and life back! To just enjoy a movie, and not think "o wait, I should probably be watching (fill in the blank) for class". Here are a few things I am looking forward to:

1. READING---I tried, in vain, to make a pile of books I want to jump into immediately. It's no use tho! I have too many books that I can not wait to read! Wendy and I have decided to both start June off by reading Lord of the Flies. Somehow I missed that one in high school and it's supposed to be a good. 

2. CRAFTS---I bought this amazing book of crafts and I haven't had the time to do anything in it. Tonight I was flipping through and I am really looking forward getting covered in glue, paint, glitter and paper. It will be good times.

3. KNITTING---there's always a need for more time for knitting. I also want to start a knitting night with some friends.

4. THE HOUSE---the house has been so neglected the last few months because of school! I have a plan and I will see it through! By September this place will be on track for beautiful!!!

so it's a short list, but it's what keeps my spirits high while I'm feeling overwhelmed with essays and deadlines. It's all going to be over in 4 weeks time. While I'll be sad, and I can't believe i'm FINALLY going to be receiving a degree....I'm ready to have a bit of a break! I'm ready to have a little quiet life this summer.

Playlist

This is my current favorite playlist. I was in a situation yesterday where there were no buses running between my house and the train station so I made the 45 minute walk listening to this list, and it kept my spirits high, high, high.....

1. Make Your Own Kind of Music by Mama Cass Elliot

2. A Groovy Kind of Love by the Mindbenders

3. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James & The Shondells

4. Season of the Witch by Donovan

5. Bus Stop by The Hollies

6. Here Comes My Baby by the Tremeloes

7. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse

8. Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest

9. Rock Me Gently  by Andy Kim

10. Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) by Looking Glass

11. Angel of the Morning by Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts

12. Do You Wanna Dance? by The Beach Boys

*13. Different Drum by Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Ponies

*I listen to this one twice because I adore this song and usually sing along when I'm home alone....I just think it's AMAZZZZZZING.

Beetlejuice Love Part II

Just in case you weren't sure already...I really do love that Ghost with the Most!!!

Beetlejuice: The Animated Series

Memory lane is a wonderful, but sometimes painful thing. This evening we are reminiscing about Beetlejuice: The Animated Series. Short-lived and brilliant, this gem of a cartoon STILL has not made an appearance on DVD...and I think it's high time that it does. So many horrible, random, crap series get put onto DVD; why not this one? I have an overwhelming urge to pop it into my player and enjoy it on the comfort of my sofa, instead of being hunched over at my computer watching it on a tiny YouTube screen. I'm not going to start a petition myself, because I'm no good at that sort of organization, but I think I might search for one. Because I know 2 people who would buy it. Me and my sister. So DVD gods, if you're listening, I buy so so so many DVDs, could you maybe find it your hearts to make this one for me? please?

OMG SHOES!!!!

These are my new bebe's.....

Another TV Blog and other updates

I have shared with quite a few people the TV list undertaking and instead of horror and disgust and "how can you spend so much time watching TV???"; I've had a LOT of enthusiastic responses and even recommendations to add to the list. So this list is being expanded as follows:

25. Carnival

26. Newsradio

27. Bit of Fry and Laurie

28. Weeds

29. Big Love

30. Family Ties

Newsradio I'm surprised we left off, since it's a favorite of both of ours. As far as Tv sit-com writing is concerned, I honestly don't think it gets much better than that. Bit of Fry and Laurie I bought for Griff at Christmas, it just unfortunately got lost in the pile. Family Ties I ADORED growing up and Griff has never seen. 

We finished The Wire, and I am still telling everyone and their brother that they need to watch it. For everything that is good and holy, it's a gem in television history. Then we moved on to The Prisoner. A little background:

The show was filmed in either the 60's or 70's. I don't actually care enough to research this point. Griff heard of it because the intro to Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" has a sound clip from the show, and a few people from (his) work have gone on and on about it. So I bought it for him for Christmas and he's been a bit peeved that we haven't started it yet.

So we finish the Wire, and I put the Prisoner on the list 2nd just to make him happy. WELL, I have tried to watch the 1st episode TWICE and have fallen asleep both times. It's insanely cheesy and boring and I have no interest in fighting this one out. Griff designated certain series to my own private viewings, and this one is going to be watched by his lonesome. Sorry I tried.

That sorted, we have moved on to The X-Files. While watching I have taken to my other website on Listography.com and started a list of all my favorite X-Files episodes while watching. I genuinely forgot what a treat season 1 actually is. 

Otherwise, life is hectic at the moment. School is kicking my ass and in a way, I don't really care anymore. I'm ready for it to be finished and move on to the masters program. I don't feel challenged this semester, and I'm ready for a challenge. I'm also giving a lot of thought of what I would like to do career-wise. Lately, I've been google-ing information about publishing and editing. (You might not realize this by reading my blog, but I actually edit my work and other peoples quite a bit...thus I'm flirting with the idea). 

Griff, as always, is amazing. 

Dvd Shows TV List----THE PROJECT

Griff and I have decided to undergo a major DVD TV series undertaking. We listed out all the shows we want to watch the entire series of and have decided to go through one series to the next (still watching movies of course, but if we watch a DVD show, we have to go through the series).

Silly goal? Probably, but we have gotten to the point where we are not finishing series and have a few of one here and there. So this will definitely fatten up our collection, but get us through a lot also. 

The only small debate is whether or not we are allowed to change the order. We're both a bit conflicted when it comes to it, as there are some we would rather push further back and scootch others forward. But at the moment, it looks like the list is staying as is. 

1. The Wire- we are actually through season 4 at the moment but we figured we might as well finish and start the "project" with this series...even though it's our 2nd time round. It's such a damn fine show....if you haven't watched it already...DO IT.
2. The Prisoner
3. The X-Files
4. Twin Peaks
5. Tenacious D
6. Alfred Hitchcock Presents
7. Black Books
8. Tales From the Crypt
9. Quantum Leap
10. Deadwood
11. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
12. Six Feet Under
13. Friends
14. The Addams Family
15. American Gothic
16. The Munsters
17. Dark Shadows
18. The Sopranos
19. The Mitchell&Webb Situation
20. South Park
21. The Simpsons
22. The Twilight Zone- I wish I had put this at, like, no. 5.
23. Dinosaurs
24. Batman: The Animated Series
    

There are also 3 series that I am going to have to watch on my own, since Griff has no interest to watch at all:

1. Mad Men
2. Queer As Folk- Both UK and USA series
3. Sex and the City

Griff also has this great idea that he is going to one day sit and tally up how many minutes/hours of watching this is going to be. Which should tell us nothing more than how sad and weird we really really are. 

Home Improvements

It's always amusing to me when I start to think about the projects around the house I am excited about, that I plan and see slowly come about; because it always makes me think about watching my Mom do the same as I was growing up and how painfully boring I thought it was. I was determined that when I was a grown up, such things wouldn't matter to me. O little Ashley, how silly you were.

Out home is coming along VERY SLOWLY, piece by piece, and we rarely EVER finish anything in one go. The current project is to get the guest bedroom finished and gorgeous for company this summer. We painted it (Beeswax) when we first moved in. There was terrible wallpaper on the walls that took ages to remove, and we had a few holes to work out, but painting was about as far as we got. 

Coving, I love. I didn't know I loved coving till I started looking at walls, and if it was missing I felt like something was wrong. Then I saw a wall with coving and realized it felt very very right. So we are going room by room and putting it up. Griff has started the first bit, and this past weekend put up a second bit. It's difficult because the room is VERY small, and there's furniture in there already. I think ideally, we would take everything out, put the coving up, paint it, and have the new carpet put down all in the same weekend. We shall see if we can be that lucky tho. I'm not sure how we would fit the guest bed into the living room for any period of time tho. 

So this a short catch up on our home improvements. The slow and tedious process that I somehow find myself enjoying. I think it does my Mom proud a smidgen. :)  

Baby Jumper

My first baby jumper!!! There's a few errors; especially the neck which I think is probably a little small. But I learned a lot of new things with this project, like mattress stitching and picking up stitches. So I think the next one will look a bit neater. Overall, I am very pleased with the final product tho!

Green Glass

This is our collection of green glass thus far. We (being me and Griff) were talking one day and I mentioned that I would love to have green objects scattered throughout the house. The inspiration coming from the fantastic 1985 film Return to Oz. Dorothy's friends have been turned into ornaments in the Gnome Kings parlor, and unbeknownst to her they are all GREEN ornaments...eventually she does figure it out. Dorothy is a very clever girl. But I loved the idea of walking around the house touching green objects and whispering "OZ" when no one's around. Griff enjoyed the story so much he agreed that a shelf of green objects would be nice. So here's our collection so far. The most expensive piece are the candlesticks which cost us $25 off esty. All the other pieces were found in charity shops and not a one cost more than £3. 

Dr. Manhattan Beanie

Getting ready for the release of Watchmen, I knitted up a little Dr. Manhattan beanie. Let it never be said that I can't take my dork-ness to the limit. I think it's fantastic tho; and at my age, that's about all you can do really. 

Chloe's Scarf

Baby Zane's Hat and Scarf

This set I knitted for Baby Zane. The patterns for both were from Debbie Bliss's simple baby knits. Neither took too long; although again, the scarf was a bit tedious for me. It's a cute set tho and I can't wait to see how they look on him!