One of a Kind Show - Chicago 2012

I had the pleasure of attending the One of a Kind Show in Chicago today with my mom and two of her lovely girlfriends. It took us about 6.5 hours to make our way through all of the venders and, though I was the only one in the group who did not make a purchase, I got a lot of lovely ideas. I thought I would just devote a post to sharing some of my favorite items from venders and, if they have one, a link to their websites. 

Look at all those business cards!

Mirabelle Studio is a paper goods shop from Indiana. I loved her woven notebooks. Kind of regret not purchasing one on the spot. Especially since she was so kind and complemented me on my necklace (image to the right) which is now for sale at my own shop).

I loved this arrowhead shirt and similar shirts from Garbella (available at Etsy).

And I really loved this Illinois shirt from Megan Lee Designs, as well as the cute "Midwest is Best" shirt.

Riggo Designs made me really want to move out of my parents house and get my own place, just so I could decorate it with his amazing metalwork. Like this "Tree of Light" lamp. (Ooh shiny).

Earth Cadets had this arrow pillow that I've already lusted over on Pinterest and now got to hold it in my hands. Why didn't I buy it? I really don't know. Probably because my feet were killing me.

I'm not sure I saw this particular print from Laura George, but I really liked everything she had and this is my favorite from her Etsy shop.

Jill K Davis had these amazing rings and necklaces with little houses, but I also really liked these skeleton key stacking rings.

Chomp Textiles produced some awesome bags. There was a green one pictured here that I loved, but I couldn't think of a practical use for it, so I didn't buy it. I will be returning to their shop, however, as soon as they make ordering online available. (I'm not displaying pics here because they've got them set up on their site as unsharable and, even though I could work around it, I won't because they obviously don't want me to.) 

Red Raven Shop had a ton of arrowhead stuff, which I am drawn to, like these lovely earrings.

From Virginie Millefiori, I really loved this lightbulb necklace. At the show, she had one in silver, but only the gold is currently available on Etsy.

This Sri Lankan Lemongrass body oil from Green Envie Organics smells just like Pez. And if you know me at all, you know how much I love my Pez.

And finally, for the gentlemen, these watches by Mistura were particularly appealing.

Post-Dawson's Creek Netflix-Enabled Suicide Reflection

So, I'm not actually sure when this all began, but I think it was two weeks ago. I randomly decided to watch Dawson's Creek on Netflix. I honestly can't say what put this idea into my head. All I remember is that I was housesitting, watching the League on a borrowed Netflix account, and all of a sudden I was wrapped up in the first season of probably the most famous teen melodramas in history (after The Wonder Years?). I remember catching an episode here and there when I was in high school (from the college seasons) but I was 11 when the show started and there was no easy way to catch up on the seasons I'd missed (ah, the age before streaming), so I just didn't get into it.

So I watched all six seasons in the past two weeks, and since I had to stay home sick this week, I managed to cram the last two seasons in three days. Finally, it's over, and it's my last chance to talk about it. This is good news for the tweeps who got tired of my live-tweet ranting throughout my viewing. (Give me a break, most of my tweet-storms took place in the middle of the night when normal people were sleeping).
Now on to the season recaps, followed by my nominations for best episodes. If you don't want spoilers or just don't give a crap about Dawson's Creek, for goodness' sake, don't continue reading. Here's the breakdown:

• Season Recaps: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Finale
• My opinion of the best episodes
• Meaningless facts and figures I somehow felt important enough to add

Season One

from the start

Jen moves into town and Joey gets all jealous that the attention she hogged for the past 15 years is now shifting to the girly blonde. Joey's kind of annoying in this season, but she's 15 so what can you expect? Dawson is, however, the biggest and most oblivious imbecile imaginable. And, of course, Pacey is a messed up kid with a good heart he just wants to share with someone. And there's that biology project where Pacey forgets to tie up the canoe so he and Joey have to wade through the freezing water back to the car and he peeks at her undressing in the side mirror. (Interjecting with "I told you so" point - Pacey was the first to fall for Joey, not Dawson). But then, using the biggest cliche ever, Dawson finally sees Joey in a new light when she puts makeup for a beauty pageant. Her godawful, unCinderella-like singing somehow entrances him. Like an idiot, she decides to forgo Paris for an angsty summer in Capeside.

Season Two
Now that Joey has finally manipulated Dawson into returning her affections, they play the happy couple until Joey realizes she wants to be her own woman. Well, duh. So she dumps him and starts dating Jack, who almost has sex with her after she sketches him naked, but then he writes a love poem about another guy and reveals he's gay. Jen kind of jumps around, not really staying with one friend for too long until finally becoming Jack's hag at the end. Meanwhile, Dawson becomes the poster child catalyst for the Emo movement. Pacey, on the other hand, embarks on a hate-love relationship with Jack's twin sister Andie, who whips him into shape then has herself committed. Now that Jack has eyes for guys, Joey goes back to Dawson, but then he makes her get her dad arrested for cocaine trafficking and she tells him she'll never forgive him. He leaves for the summer.

(I forgot to mention that the character Abby Morgan, a bitchy girl I haven't mentioned yet, gets drunk, hits her head, and falls into the water to her death. Her bloated body is by far one of the creepiest things I've ever seen on television, and I've watched a ton of CSI and Criminal Minds.)

Season Three
Dawson comes back and tries to play the part of the bad boy, embarking on a shaky fling with a girl he meets on the bus, who later turns out to be Jen's long lost half-sister. Joey throws herself at Dawson and he tells her to get lost, then stupidly asks Pacey to look after her. I must say, Dawson, asking someone that far superior than you to babysit your wannabe girlfriend is just asking for trouble. Especially now that Pacey's single because Andie got a little slutty with another crazy during her mental institution vaca. It's only a matter of time before Joey wises up to the amazingness that is Pacey Witter, but not until witnessing him failing to engage in a FWB relationship with Jen, thus beginning the never-ending love triangle (sometimes square) from hell. (That was a very long run-on, for which I do not apologize.) Oh, and after she breaks the news to Dawson that she chooses his best friend over him, she jumps on Pacey's boat and they sail away for the summer. Because that is a completely realistic thing for two sixteen year-olds to do.

Season Four
Joey and Pacey return to the harbor from their summer of debauchery on the open waters (they read to each other from separate hammocks - bow chicka wow wow). Pacey and Dawson are now mortal enemies, and Joey is now forever to play the role of woman-in-the-middle. Jack and Jen have personality transplants and become star football player and cheerleader, respectively. Jen dates a freshman. Jack starts to try to date guys. Andie decides to leave school early and move to Italy. Surprisingly, I start to like Dawson as a character. It only took him four seasons. I've also started to like Jen, hot-mess that she is. The gang gets ready for college, except Pacey who barely graduates. His insecurities cause him to break up with Joey (because a good relationship obviously can't just work out on a teen melodrama). Dawson leaves for LA. Pacey jumps on another sailboat. Joey, Jack, Jen, and Grams ship up to Boston. Sadly, they didn't add this gem of a song into the soundtrack because they suck.

Season Five
starts off with more ridiculous drama between Dawson and Joey. The writers have apparently forgotten that she just broke up with PACEY, who not only took her virginity but shared with her the longest-lasting relationship she's ever had. She's obviously forgotten Pacey as well, because she's back to fighting herself over her feelings for Dawson. So Dawson drops out of USC film school for her, then his dad dies and he blames her for it. Dawson then dates Jen again, and Joey starts sleeping around, because what else are you supposed to do in college? Pacey is conveniently now in Boston, living on a yacht and excelling at chefdom at the swanky restaurant Joey and her gang just happen to frequent. Pacey and Joey "miraculously" slide back into the friend zone and she apparently has no problem whatsoever with him dating her roommate. This makes absolutely no sense, writers. You guys are chumps. Meanwhile, Jack and Jen are on the outs because Jack decided to join a fraternity and become an unmotivated douchebag until he gets himself kicked out/quits for a combination of grades+being gay+misc. douchebaggery.

Season Six
Pacey and Joey's roommate Audrey return from a summer in LA. Pacey has a hideous goatee and a promising new career as a day-trader. A likely story. Joey and Dawson finally get naked together, then she finds out he has a girlfriend (an actress, no less). Joey starts dating a slacker bartender, then he ditches her, then she takes him back, then he ditches her again. Pacey tools around with his day-trader boss, getting him in the doghouse with Audrey. They break up, then Audrey becomes a psycho-alcoholic and has to go to rehab. Pacey and Joey briefly hook back up and things look like they're going to start working out again, and then she dumps him for another short-lived romance with the prodigal slacker bartender. Jen starts dating a guy with even more issues than her (played by the ever-sexy Jensen Ackles from Supernatural). Jack has a nice normal relationship with David, until David becomes insecure about Jack's friendly demeanor toward every other human (particularly those with Y chromosomes). Dawson stupidly invests all his money with Pacey, who stupidly accepts his business then loses everything. Now they hate each other again. Then Joey decides she's not going to be in the middle anymore. Empty words. She then helps Dawson make his movie, and prompts Pacey to get off his ass and help. Pacey finds some investors for the movie and he and Dawson become civil again.

Two-part Series Finale:
By far the worst series finale I've ever seen. It's five years later and Joey is living in New York with Jeremy Sisto, who is apparently about to propose. Dawson is a TV producer (for a show that is pretty much the third re-living of tragic love triangle - Give it a rest man!) is back in Capeside to attend his mother's wedding. Pacey has reopened the Icehouse, the restaurant that used to be owned by Joey's family but burnt down in season two. Jack and Jen also reside back in Capeside. Jack is a high school English teacher and is dating Pacey's closeted older brother, Deputy Doug (now Sheriff). Jen is a single mother with an incurable heart condition that no one knows about. On her death bed, Jen asks Joey to make a choice, and Joey admits she's known all along who she's meant to be with. Jen dies. Jack adopts her baby and Sheriff Doug decides he's ready to take on being openly gay and co-parenting all at once. Joey rightly chooses Pacey over Dawson, claiming that Dawson is her soul-mate but their love is wrapped in their childhood innocence; Pacey is her true love. Dawson goes back to LA and finally gets a meeting with Steven Spielberg.

Best Episodes: (*even bester, personal favorites)

1. 1.10 "Double Date" - Jen and Dawson share an awkward double date with their "significant others." Meanwhile, Joey and Pacey start getting to know each other while working together on a biology project. Pacey obviously starts having feelings for Joey, but Dawson later makes him feel extremely guilty about it, even though Dawson doesn't want her.
2. 3.12 "A Weekend in the Country" - Pacey selflessly helps the Potter family generate business to their newly opened bed and breakfast. Friends and family come together on one of the coldest nights of the year to help make a good impression for a visiting travel critic.
3. 4.03 "Two Gentlemen of Capeside"  - While Dawson and Joey are pushed together for a school project, Pacey and Jen get stuck at sea during a hurricane and Dawson is forced to let go of his anger long enough to save his once-best friend.
4. *4.08 "The Unusual Suspects" - a "who-done-it" involving an epic senior prank. This episode, along with Supernatural's "Usual Suspects" episode, are based on the movie with the same name. I once fell asleep watching this movie, but now I think I need to try again because I loved both episodes so much. 
5. *4.14 "A Winter's Tale" - On a senior ski-trip, Joey and Pacey finally take their relationship to the next level. I'm composing a list of the sexiest scenes from TV/movies, and this one will be on there.
6. *5.04 "The Long Goodbye" - Everyone heads back to Capeside to attend Mitch's funeral. Each person has their own special memory in which Mitch cameos. Definitely keep a box kleenex next to you.
7. 5.15 "Downtown Crossing" - Joey has a strange and sad encounter with a mugger who gets hit by a car after stealing her money and coat. She ends up staying with him in the hospital, each helping the other find some closure and hope, before the mugger dies.
8. 6.06 "Living Dead Girl" - During the cast and crew's Halloween bash, Dawson starts seeing the ghost of an actress who died years earlier on the same soundstage. Joey has to babysit her professor's 15 year daughter. Meanwhile the rest of the gang attend a wild party where relationship tensions rise.
9. 6.14 "Clean and Sober" - Jack and Pacey throw a party for their new wide-screen TV. Joey get's hilariously drunk and starts sharing everyone's dirty little secrets, then, to top it all off, they all play game of Spin-the-Bottle. Pacey realizes he's not really over Joey.



Pacey with a vagina on his face.

10. *6.15 "Castaways" - Pacey and Joey get locked in a K-Mart after it closes and are forced to confront their shaky relationship. Joey also finally convinces Pacey to shave the vagina off his face. Hallelujah!

Meaningless facts and figures (and comments):

• Pacey is consistently the most admirable character on the show (until possibly season 6, when he became a tool, but still had a heart). Some examples: he saves Ms. Jacobs from getting fired over their affair; he helps Andie deal with her mother; he helps Andie deal with her own mental illness; he stands up for Jack and fights for what's right against Mr. Peterson, even if it means getting kicked out of school; he helps Joey with the bed and breakfast and campaign to save Mr. Green's job even though Joey is oblivious to his feelings and unappreciative of his help; he patiently waits for Joey to be ready for sex and doesn't succumb to the seductions of other women; he stands up against the new manager at the restaurant when she fires a single mom and he gives all the gourmet food to the needy; even after Dawson writes him off, he continues to help and support him.
• Everyone had at least one fling or relationship with either a teacher or someone significantly older.
• Pacey (2) - relationship with Ms. Jacobs; fling with new restaurant manager, Alex
• Jen (1) - fling with Vincent, the seafarer/fisherman/whatever he was
• Joey (1) - fling with Professor Wilder
• Dawson (1) - fling with Amy Lloyd, the film critic
• Jack (2) - almost fling with Professor Freeman; relationship with Doug Witter
• Pacey was technically the first to become interested romantically in Joey
• A large part of what made Pacey a tool in season 6 was the nasty vagina on his face.
• The shows attempts to be meta were often cheesy and hilarious (i.e. when Joey makes fun of teen melodramas or when Eve claims to be obsessed with watching Felicity).
• Dawson adapts his experiences three times into film (the high school film, "Creek Days"; the film he makes in season 6 called "The Untitled Dawson Leery Script"; and theTV show "The Creek").
• Not to mention Joey's creative writing projects
• In the last episode before the finale, Audrey in costume looks exactly like Ms. Jacobs
• I think a lot of drama could have been avoided if they'd just had cell phones in high school, geez

Gatsby the Great

Happy Wednesday, everyone! You want to know why it's happy? Because the trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby adaptation is finally here! Yay! (Ok, that's enough exclamation points).

Ok, so I have to admit, I've been waiting for this trailer in both excitement and dread. Don't get me wrong, I really do love Baz Luhrmann. I love his style and his pace and his vividness. But...when I read Gatsby, I read it as a slow, melancholic ballad that just did NOT seem to mix with anything like "Moulin Rouge" or "Romeo + Juliet."

Look at that Gatsby smile.

There was a film made in 2000 starring Toby Stephens as Gatsby and Paul Rudd as Nick Carraway. Sure, it's not as exciting as a Luhrman film, but it is a darn good faithful adaptation of one of my favorite books. It has the melancholy, the jazz, and almost a film noir experience. Also, Rudd made me not hate Nick. I'm not saying it should be compared to the new Luhrmann film, but I do think, if you liked the book, you should check out this one too.

That being said, now that I've seen the new trailer, I'm as excited as ever. It definitely has a freshness to it that I can't dismiss. Baz has not only adapted but transformed the classic in a way that is going to bring life to the 1920s (something that I haven't really seen before in a film). I'm not going to criticize if it's isn't as faithful an adaptation as the Stephens version, because then what would be the point in adaptations and remakes in the first place? Part of the wonder of transformative works is seeing how different people interpret and express the same initial idea or story. I, for one, am really looking forward to this experience.

So, without further ado, the trailer:



By the way, if anyone is interested...I wrote a lesson plan for teaching Great Gatsby to high school students, and I would be more than happy to share it.

The Wolf's Out of the Bag

I just got back from seeing New Moon. I know, I know, I'm a little late in the game, but I didn't have anyone to see it with me at midnight so I went by myself after work today. I walked in during the middle of the Sherlock Holmes trailer. Good thing I've already seen it about 50 times twice.

I hadn't seen, however, the trailer for Remember Me and I have to say, I think I will like RPattz better in that than in Twilight. Not that I don't like him in the Twilight Saga, its just the whole monotone, emotionless, not-quite-sure-if-I'm-getting-the-American-accent thing. (Although the accent was much improved in New Moon.) His character in Remember Me - at least what I can tell from the trailer - has a lot more emotion and passion.

Okay. So let me start from the beginning. I loved New Moon. I liked Twilight because of its addictive nature and its amazing soundtrack. But I have to say that the production quality, the acting, the music, the action...pretty much everything was stepped up on New Moon. Props to director Chris Weitz.

If you haven't read the book, you really shouldn't be reading this post. It's not as much a review as a list of things I liked about it.

I sat in the packed theater, by myself, with my little notebook, feeling surprisingly giddy at everything going on. Here are some of the things I took note of.

1. Billy Burke is heartbreakingly adorable as Charlie Swan.
2. The soundtrack is phenomenal. P.H.E.N.O.M.E.N.A.L.
3. The low camera angles were brilliant. They made Jacob look even larger than he already is.
4. Jasper's talents finally were made known in the films. Thank you!
5. Every character was much more sympathetic. Personalities actually became apparent. This is important to me.
6. It was funny. Really. I was laughing out loud at some parts. Mike Newton? "Gotta get that protein in there." And Jasper? "It'd be nice not to want to kill you all the time."
7. I love the dynamic between Bella and the Cullens.
8. The break up scene is tragic. I mean, really, I felt it. And the film-Bella is so much stronger than the book-Bella. You expect the book-Bella to collapse because her entire world (which she has stupidly revolved solely on Edward) has just ended, but it's so much harder to see the film-Bella, with her fire and spunk, battle that kind of darkness.
9. The movie scene was totally awkward. It was delicious. And the hand-holding? Awwww.

10. When I saw some set-photos I was a little weary of Rachelle's hair. But it was SOOO pretty.
And finally,
11. The sequence right before the jump was amazing. I want to kiss the editor. But not really.

I have to say, I love Jacob. And a big part of me wishes those two crazy kids could just make it work. But I know that Bella would never be truly happy without her Edward and so I do feel that she belongs with him. But it sure would be great if everyone could JUST GET ALONG. There. I said it. I can go now.

Can't wait for Eclipse!

Vampires Are Sucking The Life Out Of ME!!! No, really...

I've already admitted that I've been swept up in the Twilight Saga phenom. But I've also, thanks to Tia's recommendation, spent a whole weekend watching the entire first season of BBC's Being Human on MegaVideo because I don't get BBC America from my cable provider. Jerks. Following that, I read ALL FOUR Vampire Diaries Books in two days. And I have become addicted to the show on CW.

For the record, I'm pro-Stefan. But Damon can stick around.

Anyways, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the books. So far they are not much like the show. In the show, Elena Gilbert is popular but not entitled, stands by her principles, and is confident. She is a brunette, she has a brother, and just the one best friend (Bonnie). In the books she is blonde, arrogant (at more than one point even referring to herself as the "Queen of the School"), and, frankly, kind of annoying. She has two best friends (Meredith and Bonnie), and a baby sister. In both the books and the show, Bonnie has psychic powers. The similarities sort of end there.

Once you get past the annoying personality of Elena in the books, however, they are pretty good. At first they seem to be copying Twilight (even though they preceded Twilight by 14 years). However, the further you get into them the more different they are.

There are four books in the first series from the early 90's: The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury, and Dark Reunion. However, there is a new series in progress called The Return which has one book, Nightfall, which was released in February of this year, and two more that are still being written.

I've just started reading Nightfall, and so far it is very bizarre. I'm tempted to just stop reading, but I know I wont. However, I would recommend stopping after the first series, at least until the rest of this series is released.

Also, if you have NOT watched the show, my favorite episode so far is last week's "162 Candles." I'll bet that if you start with that one it will draw you in. If you are a girl. If you are a guy, well, that's another story.

Vampire's Assistant

So, on Friday night I went to see Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant with my one of my favorite persons EVER, whom I dont get to see much anymore as I have moved half a country away.

The movie was....well....I don't really know what I can say about it. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it. Was it a drama? A comedy? A spoof? It seemed like it was supposed to be a dramedy, but given John C. Reilly's resume, I was afraid it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.

Throwing all confusion aside, however, I found it quite enjoyable. Now, I am far from calling myself a qualified critic, because despite my degree in film, I tend to find it very difficult not to like a movie. It has to be awful. Or boring. I can have issues with certain aspects of some movies, but if I leave the theater mostly happy then I'm good to go.

Anyway, The Vampire's Assistant is a tale of two boys who disobey their parents and go to a freak show where they meet a vampire. They are then enticed by opposite sides of a war going on between the Vampires (mostly good guys) and the Vampanese (the baddies). There's some love, there's some funnies, and there's Salma Hayek with a beard.

It's a great Halloween movie, lots of fun. And I have to note that the opening credit sequence is the best one I've seen since Casino Royale. (You know what I'm talking about.)

Baby, It's Been A Long Time...

Okay. I know I could actually attribute my lack of posting to the fact that I have a month left of college and I am v. busy tying up loose ends.

But lets face it, if I'm honest with myself, its because I'm lazy. (And busy. Because I am. But mostly lazy.)

So really, there's just one thing I feel like talking about.

House, M.D.
I caught myself up on the happenings at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. (If you aren't up to date and don't want any spoilers, by all means stop reading.) I was terribly surprised when one of my favorite characters, Dr. Kutner, was killed off. Just like House, throughout the whole episode I was counting on his being murdered, because suicide just didn't make sense. However, its clear now that it was suicide, and it wasn't supposed to make sense. So I have now spent the past couple days speculating as to why Kutner, the one character who seemed to have it all together, would take his own life in such a violent manner.

Option A- His birth parents' death has been haunting him more than he ever let on. The memory finally became too much to handle. This is slightly feasible, but as House pointed out, he was openly dealing with the pain and had photos of the two sets of parents side by side, showing that he had accepted his life as it was.

Option B- He ran out of money and didn't know what else to do. This would kind of make sense if you remember that little scam he tried to pull a few episodes back where he diagnosed people over the internet using House's name. However, this is a stretch, and Kutner never really seemed like the type to give up when the going got tough.

Option C- He was lonely and just couldn't deal. Last season he had mentioned that he had thought about asking Amber out once. As far as we know, Kutner hasn't dated anyone and he doesn't seem to have any friends outside of the team. He lives alone. Maybe he felt alone. This also seems like a stretch, however, because he seemed to genuinely love his job and care about people. He was the most optimistic on the team and I would find it hard to believe that he would not see the good in his own life.

So that leaves me with...nothing.

Any other ideas please share, because its driving me crazy. I'm sure they will get to it eventually, but I'm impatient. And it's kind of fun trying to solve the mystery.

Freaky Friday, but not the movie.

It was a weird day in the library today.

Some girl was bawling her eyes out in the microfiche section. I first heard the sniffling and thought maybe she had a bad cold. But then the waterworks started, followed by the incoherent blubbering.

It was astounding.

I was torn between wanting to find out what was wrong and wanting to quietly asking her if she might be more comfortable in the bathroom. I was leaning toward the former merely out of curiosity.

I started making up elaborate stories for why she would be crying in the microfiche section. Like maybe she found a spider in one of the drawers (they aren't used much), or maybe the screen gave her a headache,... but nothing fit. And before I had a chance to do anything at all, she left.

Then, in the computer lab, there was a guy who was sitting in the back just yakking away on his cell about baseball tickets and some class he was taking. It was extremely disruptive, and everyone in the room took turns to glare at him, but he was oblivious.

I was about to stand up and tell him that cell phone use is prohibited in the library, but then he left too. Oh well.

I'm beyond tired because I was up til 2am finishing "Remember Me" by Sophie Kinsella.

I really liked it. The initial plot (girl wakes up in the hospital with amnesia to find that she has turned into a bitch, for lack of a better word) has been done before (can you say, Samantha Who?). But the way it is presented is completely original and funny.

It's the minor details and events that really bring it to life (i.e. killing a $600 fish then hiding it in a handbag), not to mention the bizarre but very believable supporting characters (a teenaged con-artist sister and a whippet obsessed mother).

The book was delightful and I finished it in two days.

Then, after I was done reading, I randomly decided I felt like taking a shower. So I didn't end up going to bed until around 3am, only to wake up at 6 for work.

It's cool, though. I had a short shift at work. Now I just have one class, one lunch meeting, then I can go home and stick a movie in.

I still don't know what my next book should be for my reading list. I'm having a hard time finding any chick-lit mysteries that don't center around shoes and shopping.

Ron was looking a little sad last night. He wasn't swimming around much, but just sitting there staring at my roommate's flower arrangement. He seemed better this morning when I left, though. I think I'm just a little paranoid after the loss of Harry. I swear, that's the first time something unlucky has ever happened to me on Friday the 13th. I thought that whole thing was a sham.

My niece (have I mentioned my sister changed the name from Enid to Vivienne?) is due one week from today. I'm excited. And sad that I'm going to miss it.

I received "Tommy Sullivan is a Freak" in the mail yesterday from Meg Cabot for entering her Valentine's Day Haiku contest. It is the British edition of "Pants on Fire."

I also got my new rain boots in the mail today. Of course, it was bright and sunny today. Go figure.

These are them. Cute, huh? My mom picked them out. Go mom.

My Twilight Follow Up

After finishing the rest of the series, I feel I should say a few more things.

I know, I know. Just grin in bear it.

Overall, I felt the series was, at the very least, entertaining. It's really hard to clarify my opinion because I'm not always sure of it myself. There were parts I liked and parts I really, really didn't like.

Getting through the final book felt absurdly close to reading fan fiction, and that irritated me. The characters changed so much, and not the way a character is supposed to change. What I mean by this is that the characters didn't make any natural changes, they just became inconsistent to their former selves in order for convenience.

I also felt that as the series got longer, the imaginary world created became more and more ridiculous.

I concluded by dismissing the series as YA. However, that doesn't make me feel any better about it, because I've read really good YA that didn't leave me feeling like this. I was frustrated with the author because I could see that she had some talent, but I felt like she tried to hard to draw out what didn't need to be drawn out.

For example, the twists were predictable. I accurately guessed all of them at least a chapter ahead (sometimes two) and then had to suffer the agony of waiting for the words to slowly catch up to me.

Also, as much as I loved some of her descriptions, especially the passage of time (when it was done fairly quickly) and many of the action sequences, I felt that the character interactions were unnatural.

After the first few chapters of the first book I was never again able to imagine Edward as a "17 year old," and nothing like he was portrayed in the movie. Rather he looked, in my mind, as more of a contemporary of Carlisle. More of a leader than a son. And Bella also stopped feeling like a snappy, headstrong 17-year old, and instead she starting feeling like a whiny, self conscious preteen.

Like I said, the book was entertaining, and if I had just picked it up off the shelf by myself without having any expectations due to the mass hysteria, then I might have just enjoyed it, flaws and all, and then put it out of my mind without a second thought.

But instead it nags at me because of the hysteria, which I feel is undeserved.

Other fantastical stories, such as Harry Potter (I compare because I know it well), are successful and worthy of their recognition because of the sheer talent of the writer. Instead of the writer making up the story and then telling it, it is obvious that the story revealed itself to the writer, who then expertly retold it. I caught minor glimpses of this in Twilight, but not enough for me to think it warrented the praise it received.

All and all, I do not regard it as a literary classic. I don't think it's worthy of the mania that has erupted from it, and I don't think it will impact the world much after that mania dies down. I'm not saying its going to die down now, but after the last movie comes out...maybe. It was entertaining. But it makes me sad, because it could have been a lot better.

I think I'm going to go read Harry Potter again.

I'm no fangirl...but I read Twilight

If you loved everything about Twilight, you may not want to read this review. If you want an honest, un-sugar coated opinion, read on.

I started reading Twilight on Wednesday. I finished yesterday. Then I watched the movie.

Since the book came first, it gets priority in my discussion. Before I say anything further, I want to point out that I didn't hate the book, or even dislike it. I don't really understand what kept me turning the page (possibly the fact that I had seen the movie trailer), but I was intrigued enough to finish it, and also to order the next books from my library. Which is something to be said.

Twilight was a long book. A lot longer than I felt it needed to be. (Nearly 600 pages...yikes!)

It's not that I mind reading a 600 page novel, but the fact that I didn't see the real plot show up until page 375 was what got me. If I hadn't known from the movie trailer that there was going to be some kind of conflict, I would have put the book down.

The beginning doesn't do much to develop the character of Bella Swan other than to tell where she comes from and why she's in a town that she hates. Other than her physical description, a little bit of spunk, and the fact that she loves her truck, there's not much of a personality assigned to her.

Instead, the first two-thirds of the book focus on the developing relationship between Bella and the vampire Edward Cullen. Edward is an intriguing character, a bit of a mystery, and I have to admit that if I were to meet him on the street I would probably fall over myself.

But was he worth 375 pages? Cliff notes please.

I also want to note on the quality of the writing. I will say that Meyer has a way with words. Her descriptions were believable and pleasing. But I think she needs to take a refresher course on the mechanics of dialogue.

Not only was much of it cheesy and not believable - the continuous, "I love you so much it hurts," and the likes - but it also got downright confusing at times over who was speaking. This was due to the fact that she often placed one character's action with a different character's dialogue.

(Ex. "You can't go in there, it's a restricted zone," I warned. John just glared at me, then pushed the door open.

"Watch me," he said.)

In the example above, John's action should not be in the same paragraph as Jane's dialogue. Instead, it should start a new paragraph and go with his dialogue.

Today, I finished the next volume in the series, New Moon. I think I liked this one a lot better. It opened the plot up a lot sooner, and even along the way there were sub-conflicts to keep me interested. So interested, in fact, that I read it in about twelve hours. And that's no less pages.

Bella's character was a lot more round and dynamic in this one, and I really appreciated the first person insight. I had no trouble relating with her or connecting with her emotions (tears, laughter, fear, etc.).

The dialogue was much better, though the words passed between Bella and Edward were still a little overbearing. Improved, yes, but still.

It still had the same formatting flaws as the first, but because I was more captured into the story, I was more prone to overlook them.

After I finished the first volume, I immediately watched the movie. I can't really say I liked it better or less than the book because I'm still undecided about the book.

The film obviously takes a lot of liberties, cutting out a lot of the getting-to-know-you parts, and I didn't really like that. Even though I expressed before that those parts of the novel dragged on a bit in the book, there was still too much there to be rushed through in the film.

The first thing I noticed was the makeup. It was heavy, especially at the very beginning. I mean, I know Edward is supposed to be the undead and whatever, but does he have to look like a girl? I mean, really? It looks a lot better toward the end (i.e. he blends in a lot more) but at the beginning I find it really hard to believe that people can't just tell he's a vampire from looking at him. Pale skin, bright red lips, and circles under the eyes just doesn't scream healthy human male to me.

Another thing that bothered me about the film was the music. There were a few songs on the soundtrack that I liked, and I was very pleased that they kept Clair de Lune in the film. The song Edward plays on the piano (Bella's Lullaby) was beautiful. But much of the rest of the score and a few soundtrack selections seemed very inappropriate.

I'm going to be brutally honest. Outside of Twilight (i.e. tabloid photos, interviews, etc.) I really do not think Kristen Stewart is very attractive. Maybe it's just the way she wears her makeup, or styles her hair, or seems to always be wearing a dead expression - really, is she incapable of smiling? However, I thought she was perfect as Bella, subtly beautiful, spunky, the right voice tonality - she was as close to how I imagined her as possible.

Robert Pattinson, though also beautiful as Edward, kind of made me cringe in real life. The hair...egh.

Suffice it to say, I preferred him as Cedric Diggory.

(Cedric. Sigh.)

By the way, does anyone else seem to think that Daniel looks a little bit like Frodo here?

Hmm, maybe it's just me.

All in all, despite Twilight's many flaws, and the fact that it is clearly written to appeal more to the pre-teen set, I'm going to keep reading. I do, actually, like it. Still not a fangirl, though.

However, people, please stop putting it in league with Harry Potter. There's no contest.

My Favorite Christmas Movies/Specials/TV Episodes...Finally

The Movies.

Die Hard
Why? Because it's awesome. You get to see Bruce Willis running around in a wife beater saying "Yippee ki-yay,..." and "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho."Plus you have Alan Rickman as the German thief, which is just a recipe for greatness. And other funny lines like "Pearl Harbor didn't work out so we got you with tape decks." Love it.


Love Actually
Okay, let me just take a moment to say that I am NOT excluding cheesy, girly movies from this list. Nor am I excluding, as you'll see later, the corny made for TV movies that seem to take over the airwaves every Christmas. Because the truth is, I love them all. I love the cheesiness. I love not having to put a lot of thought into what I'm watching...sometimes.
So my reasons for actually loving Love Actually? Well, Alan Rickman of course, and Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, and Hugh Grant make an all-star cast. Plus seeing Billy Bob Thornton as the United States President...yeah, enough said. Plus, they threw in Claudia Schiffer, Denise Richards, and Shannon Elizabeth. Favorite scene? Obv its the Carol Singers scene.

The Holiday
Again cheesy, but I love it. Half of it at least. I'm not much for the whole Cameron Diaz/Jude Law storyline (except for his little girls with their adorable accents, I'm a sucker for that). But I love the Kate Winslet/Jack Black storyline. I love Arthur the famous screenwriter and his stories of the glory days of Hollywood. And I love the score. I'm pretty sure Hans Zimmer is a genius. In fact, I know he's a genius.

Miracle on 34th Street
Whether it's the 1847 original or the 1994 remake, it's heart-breakingly sweet. And Kris Kringle is really Santa. I don't care what you say.

Nightmare before Christmas
Because it wouldn't be Christmas without creepy little monsters trying to take over. And you can't been Danny Elfman himself singing the voice of Jack Skellington.

Home Alone
This is one of my all-time favs. I have watched this every year since it came out. In fact, I had such a crush on Macaulay Culkin when I was a little girl.
I was thinking about how unrealistic it is, I mean, if you hit someone with a crowbar you're sure to break a rib or something. But oh well, it's a movie. And I love the pizza delivery scene, "Keep the change ya filthy animal!"

Elf
Well, who wouldn't love Will Ferrel as a giant elf, and Zooey Deschanel singing the best version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" that I've ever heard?

The Grinch
The one with Jim Carrey. I actually could never sit through the cartoon one. I don't know if that makes me a terrible person or what. But I love the Grinch. And the little Cindy-Lou "Who singing Where Are You Christmas?" with her little squeaky voice makes my heart melt.

Jack Frost
Okay, this is a dumb movie. I'll admit it. But I've always had a little thing for Michael Keaton, ever since Batman: The Movie. And it's sweet, a kid being reunited with his dead father (in the form of the snow man)...but whatever.

White Christmas
It's just a classic. That's all I need to say. You haven't had Christmas until you've seen White Christmas.

It's A Wonderful Life
Okay, confession time. I actually didn't see this wonderful, classic, delight of a movie until last Christmas. I know. Where have I been? Probably watching the wrong channel (like Disney or ABC Family). But it is so good and it really has the true meaning of Christmas spirit. If you haven't seen it (like me a year ago) or you just haven't watched it in a long time be sure to turn it on this Christmas. It's a gem.

Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas

It's a must. It just is. Just watch it, okay? Especially if you have kids. But even if you don't. Watch it anyway.

The Made-for-TV Movies/Specials.

ABC Family: Picking Up and Dropping Off
Aw. A single mom and a single dad keep bumping into each other at the airport as the send and receive their children to/from their exes. How could you resist?

Disney Channel: The Ultimate Christmas Present
This has all the makings of a Christmas movie: snow in California, a dad stranded at the airport, a determined kid saving Christmas, and a machine that controls the weather...wait, what?

The TV Episodes.

Bones: Santa in the Slush
This has got to be one of my favorite episodes ever. Misteletoe and a lawyer feeling puckish, a dad in jail wanting to spend time with his kids, another dad in jail not wanting his kids to know, a FBI agent and his son who doesn't want to spend Christmas without him, not to mention a dead Santa. It's the best.

Bones: The Man in the Fallout Shelter
This is the Season One Christmas episode. The team get quarantined because Hodgins drinks Egg Nog when he's supposed to have a mask on. Bad Hodgins. So we get to see Booth's son Parker for the first time, and Angela's dad is none other than ZZ Top. So good.

The Office: Christmas Party
Michael spends too much, and doesn't get back what he gives. So he turns the gift swapping into a white elephant. He also lets the staff drink alcohol at the office party. = uh oh. Funny quote: "Happy birthday, Jesus. Sorry your party's so lame."

Friends: The One With the Holiday Armadillo
Ross tries to get is son interested in Chanukah and Phoebe tries to seperate Joey and Rachel. It's love. (Me and the episode, I mean.)

Veronica Mars: An Echolls Family Christmas
 Awww, it's one big dysfunctional family Christmas. There's nothing better.

Scrubs: My Own Personal Jesus
It's Christmas and nobody has the holiday spirit except Turk, but even that can come crashing down. Who's going to save Christmas this year? The Janitor? Well...maybe.

A Very Supernatural Christmas
My friend has started me watching Supernatural. I can't watch it by myself, so I only get to see it when I'm at her house. So a couple weeks ago we watched this episode and it was great. There was an anti-Santa. And Dean and Sammy are the hottest brothers ever.

That 70's Show: The Best Christmas Ever
The boys decide to cut down a tree off the side of the Interstate and instead keep the money Red gave them for beer. Hilarity ensues.