Have you SEEN this magical commercial from Disney??? It's exactly what every child thinks the perfect holiday adventure would be like... AMAZING.
©Disney
[This post was in no way sponsored by Disney. (I wish!) Saw this commercial first via the September Disney HELLO email from Disney Destinations, LLC. It was just too cool not to share!]
Me too.
I'm sure I thought about calling you to exchange thoughts too, but then again... what if you weren't up? So I just made hot cocoa and went back to the telly...
Paul Ellis / AFP - Getty Images
LOVED the dress. And the Pageantry. And the Music. And the whole wedding service. Was it just me, or did you also find it quite lovely that it was in fact a religious service? The hymn that the Bride walked down the aisle to, "O Jerusalem", was simply gorgeous and such a lovely departure from the traditional "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn. The Westminster Abbey Choir... the Trumpets... the beautiful maple trees in the Abbey... It was stunning and lovely and a feast for the senses.
Loved watching the crowds outside Buckingham Palace. If you'd been in England (Oooo... perhaps you're there!), would you have been there, or home watching on the telly? Tough decision! And don't you now wish that you had a fabulous tea towel or tea set as a souvenir?
Me too.
Have you heard about this great new personal blog? Written by a grandfather with plenty of life experience, an avid curiousity to learn, and sage advice to share...
A whole year of good eating advice, healthy recipes, weekly challenges, and a seriously good dose of common sense. Sounds pretty smart to me!
The Healthy Recipe #1: Breakfast Compote (pictured above) had me at "hello".
[Saw it first at Black Eiffel. All images from the Word of Wisdom living blog. Looks sort of Martha Stewart-esque, don't you think? I'm guessing that's due to his daughter Brooke, a former Art Director at MSLiving. For good eats and good sense, you should definitely check it out!]
Do you ever begin singing a song and then, using the right words to your song, begin inserting different tunes… holding a note here, maybe changing a few keys there. Basically it becomes your own song – a ‘riff’ of a familiar song or hymn, but in a whole new way that's entirely your own. Your simple song becomes a 10 minute oratorio of amazing melodies. Maybe it becomes the majestic chorus of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Or an ode to the silvery tunes of Irving Berlin, or perhaps a stylistic tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein. Hmmm… anyone? Not just me?
Now, imagine you had the vocal skills and styling of Annie Lennox. THE Annie Lennox.
And you’re singing a Christmas song.
Yep, that’s what this album feels like.
A lovely, personal ode to Christmas. It's like we’re eavesdropping on Annie Lennox as she tinkers at the piano – changing a key here, holding a note there… inserting her own inimitable style. And she just happens to have an African children’s chorus and instrumental accompaniment in her living room too. Of course. Because she’s Annie Lennox and they just happened to stop by. LOL
Like so much of Annie’s work, “A Christmas Cornucopia” is simply. beautiful. Well worth adding to your collection of Christmas favorites. Trust me – the cd will end up on repeat for hours.
Mine already has.
Trying to decide if there's anything worth seeing this weekend at the local cinema? Well, do allow me to make a few recommendations, my friends...
"Life As We Know It"
The advertising campaign sets this film up as a Romantic Comedy. Well, ignore that. And, truthfully, ignore the dumb movie poster too. This film has so much more to offer than that! It's a character study of two successful people, with very different lives and personalities, who suddenly face unexpected loss and grief and responsibility. Together. How do they cope? How do they compromise? How do they recover?
Yes, there's definitely very funny moments (the Comedy). And, duh!, there's going to be a little romance worked in there somewhere too (the Romantic). But this movie is alot more than the sum of those two pieces. It's a lovely story and well done. We liked it a lot more than we expected to... chances are you probably will too.
"Secretariat"
If you know the basic story, then you already know that Secretariat was an amazing race horse who won the Triple Crown and inspired a nation. But you may be wondering to yourself... is there really a movie-worthy story here? Um, YES! Both an amazing story and a breathtaking movie, in fact. Diane Lane, John Malkovich, and the entire supporting cast are simply splendid. Though of course, there's only one character with his name in the title -- and that would be The Horse. And Wow - what a horse! And what an inspiring tale! Even though you know where it's going... yes, you do sit on the edge of your seat when he races, wondering will he win??
One critic I read said that the script missed out on the opportunity to get into more of the conflict between Penny and her husband, or to delve into the impact on her children. It's a valid point. However, the name of the movie isn't "Ms. Chenery Has A Horse" - LOL. Nope, it's "Secretariat", and that's where the script focuses: on that fabulous, amazing Horse.
A lovely film. Well worth your time. Definitely one you can take the whole family to too. And, if you don't actually know anything about Secretariat's last race to win the Triple Crown? Prepare to be Blown. Away. WOW.
"RED"
It stands for "Retired, Extremely Dangerous". And while you're watching the film flow by, chances are good that you'll be appreciating that none of these amazing actors are, in fact, retired. Because, seriously, they're Outstanding and they're having a great time! Bruce Willis as the retired ex-Black Ops commander? Brilliant. John Malkovich as the completely off-the-reservation former Agent? You might just fall out of your chair laughing. Helen Mirren as the elegant retired assassin? Beyond delightful. And Morgan Freeman as the 'how did I end up at Shady Acres' former CIA Analyst? Superb.
Prepare to be impressed. Prepare to laugh your head off. Prepare to be surprised even.
Action. Humor. Great actors. Clever script. Definitely an enjoyable movie! In fact, we might just put it on our list to see again next week... Yep, we liked it that much!
In case you were wondering... yes, yes, we know. Summer movie reviews have been a little sparse around here. Which is not to say that A) we haven’t been to them, or B) there aren’t any great flicks to see, but rather that C) there hasn’t been time to write about them. It’s been crazy busy around here, y’know - LOL!
But that’s not the point of today’s discussion. Nope. No sirree. Today, we’re talking about...
"Nanny McPhee Returns"
Should you? Oh Yes, you definitely should! The first film "Nanny McPhee" was utterly charming and this second outing is a very worthy sequel. Of course, it helps if you saw the first one - you sort of know what to expect from Nanny McPhee. But my movie-going companion -- who was not, {ahem}, of young and tender years -- hadn’t seen the original and still enjoyed this film "a LOT more than expected". In fact, we laughed our heads off. (At all the right places and for all the right reasons, but of course.) It was exceptionally entertaining!
Emma Thompson is smashing. And charming. Maggie Gyllenhaal is charming and delightful. (And her colorfully clashing wardrobe? Actually a little swoon-worthy!) Rhys Ifans? a charming scoundrel. And the always charming Dame Maggie Smith? Oh, she got some of the choices bits of the movie! Well played, Dame Maggie, well played! Little surprises abound, and the children -- though admittedly a little stiff at the beginning of the film -- actually carry off their roles with charming aplomb. If laughter is the best medicine, then "Nanny McPhee Returns" is a delightfully potent prescription. Be sure to take your entertaining dose soon!
I'm sure I don't. In fact, I've sort of been daydreaming of creating a Union Jack pillow in a tan linen colourway. But then I researched the Union Jack pattern, realized it's not a mirror image design, determined it would involve a bit of super-creative brainpower to recreate... and shelved the idea for the moment. But I'm still liking it. Maybe I'll pull it out on a rainy day and admire it some more...
But - look. This post isn't about me. No, it's really about this tempting email offer I received from the creative team at The London Cushion Company -- who've obviously solved the dilemma of sewing up the Union Jack design on a small scale. They might just have the answer to my imagined problem...
If only all of life's dilemmas were answered so easily! End world hunger? Solve financial crisis? Find Union Jack Pillow? Well, one out of three isn't too bad. And maybe one out of these three charmers wouldn't be so bad either...
[Heard about it first via email from The London Cushion Company, where they have lots of uber-cool delights, not just Union Jack pillows. And - seriously - ending world hunger is totally more important than a cute pillow. But you already knew that, right?]
The oh-so-imaginative Kristen of Paper Crave has created the most delightful favor box, my friends...
It's enough to make you consider baking homemade cookies to pass out to... uh... small neighborhood children? Oh all right, go ahead and eat them all yourself! I won't tell. Just be sure to put a few in this darling box for me. Promise?
Find this delightfully clever and free download here.
With many thanks to Kristen for creating and sharing such a charming piece!
[Saw it first at Kristen's blog, Paper Crave. Photographs and links used by permission, of course. Thanks, Kristen! And P.S., loved all the spots about the NSS...]
Looking for a fun summer activity? Here in Salt Lake City, our downtown Farmers Market starts this weekend and runs through October. It's a terrific outdoor market party with amazing foods, arts and crafts! I love to pick up fresh locally-grown fruits and veggies, maybe local meats, cheeses and other ingredients for a delicious dinner, plus gorgeous pottery, handmade soaps, a piece of gorgeous jewelry, favorite handcrafted notebooks for journaling, sweet local honey... Like I said, it's a party!
When: Saturdays: June 12 -
October 16, 2010
Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
Where: Historic Pioneer Park
(300 South & 300 West)
"The Downtown Farmers Market is a local growers' market, featuring fresh produce from over 80 Utah farmers. In addition to the produce, the Market also offers a variety of fresh-baked breads and pastries, cheeses, meat and seafood, jams and honeys, house and garden plants, arranged planters. Unique food vendors also are a part of the Market, offering prepared foods and beverages. At the Saturday market, you will also find a juried art and crafts market comprised of local, handmade products."
See you there?
Friday, May 21st is/was the 30th Anniversary of the creation of Pac-Man - the video game that spawned a million obsessions. In typical Google fashion, they rolled out a sweet little logo... that just happens to turn into a game board you can actually play.
Seriously?? SERIOUSLY.
Use the arrow-keys on your keyboard to play.
Coolest. Google logo. EVER!
