2009 in Retrospect

I made this collage in remembrance of this crappy year :) Click on it so you can see it full size.
Happy New Year!!

Perfect Twilight Song

I'm in a really Twilight-y mood right now. I was just listening to a song that I've always loved called "When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek. I can't remember whether I posted it a while back or not. But I'm going to post it again anyway because it's so beautiful. I think it's a perfect song for Twilight, no?

Emma Watson as Bella Swann?

Apparently, I'm not the first to come up with this, but I am probably one of the few who considered Emma Watson for the role of Bella Swann. I was thinking a little while ago, who would I choose to play Bella? I think Kristen Stewart has the look down perfectly, but I think Emma Watson is a much better actress. So I went on Picnik(and I don't have premium, so ignore the little ribbon that says "premium")-I really want Photoshop!-and I tried to make her a bit more Bella-ish.
So what do you think?

Twi-heartedness, Soundtracks, Haters, and the Strange Pet Peeves of SunnyD

Hello my darling readers!

Is that video not just amazing?
I just got finished listening to the Twilight audiobook(you can find it on Youtube for free). Can you believe this was only the second time I had read Twilight? I'd forgotten how different it was from the movie. I have renewed my love for Twilight and I am not ashamed. I even found myself saying some of the lines along with the person reading it. Dorky, I know, but satisfying still. Just to make the experience even more fun, I matched the soundtrack to the reading and had it going quitely in the background. I wish I had thought of it when I first started listening to the book, but it didn't occur to me until the baseball scene. So I played "Supermassive Black Hole" three times to make it stretch out throughout the entire baseball scene. I was excited for playing "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" at the dance scene, but I had forgotten that the dance scene in the movie was much differenter(yeah, I did say differenter) from the book version and frankly, I liked the movie version better. Anyway, enough of this uber nerdiness. I want to discuss the haters.

Haters are taking over the world. I hate it. I want to talk specifically about Twilight haters. It seems like everyone's turned into one. WHERE ARE MY TWILIGHT FANS?! It's like they've all went into hibernation or fallen off the face of the earth. Maybe all of the extremist haters locked them all up. THEY WON'T FIND ME! I WON'T LET THEM!!AHHHHH!!!! Sorry, spaz moment. But yeah, I can't stand it when people summarize the story. It always ends up sounding stupid and people base all of their judgements on those stupid little summaries. Grr. I don't really care about guy haters. They mock the fact that Edward sparkles, they call him gay, you know, the whole shebang. Not one of them will admit that they're just jealous. And I understand that I sound stupid saying this, but it's so true! Ever notice how guys tend to hate guys that girls like? How often do you hear a guy say Robert Pattinson is a great actor or that Justin Beiber is a good artist? Gay guys, maybe. Straight, no. Usually they say men that women like are "gay", as in, they like women and women like them, so they must be homosexuals. Yes, that made no sense. Which is my point exactly.

I dont' know why I bothered writing all that...I don't know why you bothered reading it...I think I just wasted both of our times(?) at the same time....that was an awkwardly phrased sentence.

SunnyD is an interesting creature. She feeds on mint chocolate chip ice cream, supreme pizza, and frappachinos. She likes reading, hanging out with her friends, and watching sappy movies. Typical, no? That's how she appears. But she might be one of the weirdest people I've ever met. She despises when people clap at the end of a good movie. I was disappointed that no one clapped at the end of The Princess and the Frog because I love the look she gets :P She also likes to get angry with characters in movies. For instance, yesterday, she yelled at the screen because the firefly was dying and no one was helping it. And I know she hates me right now for this, but I'm okay with that. Now, here's the newest one: We went shopping downtown today and she made it very clear that she hates it when the shopkeepers wish us a "Merry Christmas!" on our way out of the stores. She's Jewish. But not very. And for some reason, she has nothing better to do than complain because someone wished her a merry christmas! It's a nice sentiment. It's not meant to be an insult to her religion. It's the thought that counts, right? I think SunnyD and Nikki have traded places. Nikki used to be the one who found things to complain about like it was her hobby, but now SunnyD seems to be the one who's constantly irked at the world. Le sigh.
So, do you guys think it's offensive when people wish you a merry Christmas instead of happy holidays?

Anyway, I'm sorry I just felt like I needed to write some stuff down. Thanks for bearing with me and my craziness.

Love you guys!
Alanna ^_^

P.S. I love all of those wonderful photoshopped Twilight pics. Don't you?

Movie Review: The Princess and the Frog

I don't know what it was exactly that made me want to see this movie so bad. Maybe it was the animation, maybe it was the desire to reconnect with my childhood. Regardless, I went with my besties to the movies today and sat in a dark room with a bunch of little kids and loved this adorable movie!

The story follows a young woman named Tiana, who has worked hard her entire life and hopes one day to own her own restaurant one day. Meanwhile, Prince Naveen, who has never had to lift a finger his whole life, is cut off by his parents. Without money, he isn't sure what to do with himself. He meets Dr.Facilier, a creepy man who promises to make his dreams come true with voodoo. He ends up turning the prince into a frog. Tiana and the prince meet, he convinces her to kiss him, thinking she's a princess, and they both end up as frogs. The rest of the movie follows their journey to reverse the curse.

This movie had everything I like in an animated film-good music, a good length, an interesting plotline, charming characters, and enchanting animation. The movie took place in New Orleans during the jazz era, so a good bit of the music was reminiscent of that time-upbeat jubilent. The movie lasted only 97 minutes, which was nice. It seems like movies are getting longer and longer these days and I don't like sitting still for that long, so it was nice to finally have a movie that didn't take up my entire day. It also kept my interest, which even New Moon couldn't do. It was genuinly funny! The characters were cute and followed along the typical Disney lines. The animation was my favorite part, though. It was a feast for the eyes, with bright, eye-catching colors, beautiful scenery, and a prince that was actually pretty darn hot, considering he wasn't real. I also loved the combination of modern-day animation and the "old fashioned"version. The characters looked like they were from the Tarzan period, but the scenery was more modern. It was a good mix of both and they blended nicely.

I would definitely recommend this movie. It was definitely worth seeing. It was well done so that it was interesting for both adults and children. And Tiana is the first black princess! I'm surprised it took so long. I'm also surprised it took so long for a black man to be president. And both in the same year! Isn't it ironic?

Why Blog?

"A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list."

Nikki brought up a good point today-what is the purpose of blogging? Is there any? I began thinking about. The reasons I blog may be completely different from those of other bloggers. I'm going investigate these reasons. Feel free to add some in the comments!

1. Money-We all love that nice green stuff. Though it's rare that you would actually make enough money to really make it worth blogging solely for the moolah, for some people, blogging could bring a decent amount of cash. It all depends on popularity.
2. Change-Some people blog in order to change the world in some way, shape, or form. I think it's worth blogging about your opinions even if you can only change one person's mind.
   
3. Connections-You meet so many people while blogging. It's one of the main reasons I love doing it. I think I would have quit a long time ago if I didn't enjoy every time I receive a comment in my email, especially from someone new. You can form so many connections through blogging. You meet people with similar interests, make friends, and sometimes even people who can help you reach your goal, whatever it may be.
4. Journal-Blogging can often serve as a place to spill your guts. Like a public journal. Some people find relief in writing down all their feelings and telling other people about them.
   
5. Moral support-I've found the Blogspot community to be a very friendly one, unlike Youtube and similarly popular sites. People have had nothing but nice things to say to me. You guys are like my cheerleaders! You get a lot of empathy and sympathy when you broaden your audience.
   
6. Entertaining-Me, I like to entertain people. It's one reason I like blogging. If you read this blog more than once, chances are it's because it's entertained you. I like putting smiles on people's faces and I get satisfaction from it.
7. Followers/Commenters/Fans-This is definitely my favorite reason for blogging. This blog started out so small. Only my best friends would read it. I haven't the slightest clue how it became so "big". Even having 18 followers seems like a lot. I love that feeling you get when you realize that people like what you are doing. It's a really good feeling. I love getting comments from you guys-keep 'em coming! The more you comment and follow, the more I write. And the better. Every time more people come, I feel the need to up the quality of the blog.
8. Boredom-Not sure how I forgot this one, considering the URL of my blog, but Maria reminded me(shout out!) Why do I blog? Because sometimes I'm just so darn bored :)
   

If you're a blogger, tell me, why do you blog? If you're not, why don't you?

I love all of my readers so so much! Hugs and kisses to you guys-you make writing fun for me!
XOXO,
Alanna

"The Yellow Handkerchief"

There are some moments that just make you go,"IT BLOG TIMEZ!" This is one of them.
I just watched the trailer for "The Yellow Handkerchief"
The first shocking thing is that Kristen Stewart is playing a totally different role. For like, the first time ever, I think. Second, SHE HAS A FREAKIN' SOUTHERN ACCENT! My jaw might have dropped just a little bit when I heard it.
Holy crapoli.
Check out the craziness for yourself:

Talk to the Moose

This commercial is so annoying, but the song is really catchy. I'm ashamed.
I love my comfy sweater.

Short Film Review: "Dennis"

I was bored last night and felt like watching one of the Youtube Screening Room's short films. The one I chose was "Dennis", a movie that, once I was done watching, I was shocked that I actually enjoyed. I'm going to use the summary from the video's description:

"When Dennis, an introvert bodybuilder, invites a local girl out on a date his mother is hurt and disappointed. Despite the pressure she puts on him to cancel the date, Dennis ventures into a night that he will never forget."

Honestly, this movie should have been extremely boring-it had very little dialogue, the storyline was about as exciting as watching paint dry, but the acting by the man who played Dennis is what I think made the movie. He said so much with his eyes and his timid and shy persona was extremely adorable. He reminded me of Edward Scissorhands, which I know sounds weird because Edward looks nothing like a bodybuilder, but it was the quiet, troubled personality that I'm so attracted to, that kept me going,"Awww", throughout the whole movie.

I don't know if anyone is actually going to watch this, but I'm going to post it anyway. It's really a work of art; it's very deep and has a lot of emotion to it. I'd recommend it, but it's not for everyone. If you need something exciting to watch, this isn't it. But if you want to ogle at a bodybuilder and watch him act like a shy 5 year-old boy, this is it.

I'm so good at selling these movies I write about, aren't I? Haha, NOT.

100 Random Facts

I got tagged by XANABIOTICX, so I'm going to post 100 random facts about me. Brace yourself, this is bound to be a long one.

1. I have an unhealthy obession with Chuck Norris
2. I have straight A's right now
3. I have never seen Star Wars
4. I went to 3 concerts this year
5. I'm a master at origami
6. I'm basically an internet phenomenon
7. I love food with faces
8. I like things that are comically large/small
9. I play the guitar and the piano
10. I am a chocoholic
11. I love photography
12. I want to live in NYC
13. Because I like lights
14. My favorite color is purple
15. Second favorite is green
16. Third is rainbow
17. I have never broken a bone
18. Lady Gaga scares me, but I love her
19. I'm short and I am frequently told that
20. I'm a facebook addict
21. I love old cars
22. I'm Team Bella
23. My mousepad has a Geico caveman on it
24. I want to be an interior designer
25. Or and SNL regular
26. I have several alter egos, or "characters"
27. One is a New Jersey therapist
28. My best friend and I met in 1st grade and we're still BFFs
29. Music is my life
30. I'm not ashamed of liking Twilight
31. Harry Potter was better
32. Napoleon Dynamite is one of my favorite movies
33. Edward Scissorhands is another
34. I love writing parodies of songs
35. I wear the same peace sign ring every day and it's very rare that I leave the house without it
36. I love color. Lots of it
37. I think Taylor Lautner's chest deserves an Oscar
38. But face-wise I prefer RPattz
39. I'm having trouble coming up with more facts
40. I loved "The Host"
41. And I tend to prefer shallow books about romance
42. I hate almost all movies except comedy
43. I don't like thinks that make you sad
44. I loved Christian Bale's rant
45. I love musicals
46. The white tiger is my favorite animal. Wombat is probably second
47. I like to draw
48. I love Post-it notes
49. I don't know why
50. I like REALLY hot showers
51. I like vintage stuff
52. My hair is like, 4 different colors right now because I went through a dyeing mode this year
53. My friends are the weirdest people ever born
54. I'm an atheist
55. I still celebrate christmas because I love it
56. I spent the majority of today listening to the Twilight audiobook on youtube, so my mind is kind of in that mode
57. My favorite game is Scattegories
58. I love racket sports and hate all others-except volleyball and swimming
59. I am not athletically skilled
60. I think palm trees make everything look better
61. I used to add eyeliner to every picture
62. I started this blog because I was bored
63. I only had 2 readers at first
64. I want a 'dislike' button(who doesn't?)
65. I worship Bono like he's God
66. U2 is my most favoritest thing in the world
67. I'm dying to go to another one of their concerts
68. I love going to concerts
69. I get an adrenaline rush from them
70. I like to dance like no one's watching
71. I don't really care what people think of me, so I have more fun
72. I like oddly shaped erasers
73. I'm going to see The Princess and the Frog on Tuesday
    
74. Jack Sparrow's my hero
75. So is Johnny Depp
76. I love love love Tim Burton
77. I'm dying to see the new Alice in Wonderland in 3-D
78. I also want to see Avatar
79. I want to travel the world
80. My ipod is my sidekick and I can't function without it
81. I don't text
82. I use my phone maybe once a month
83. I love food
84. I think everyone looks 10X sexier with aviator sunglasses
85. Mine broke :(
86. I have a somewhat photographic memory
87. In my dreamworld, I'm a pilot and I'm married to Tom Cruise(before he got crazy, old, and ugly)
88. I think if every guy in the world was like Hugh Jackman, we wouldn't need laws.
89. My birthday is in March
90. I'm running out of facts
91. My favorite TV show is Wings
92. I also love Flight of the Conchords
93. If I threaten to slap you, there's a 90% chance I will
94. I love staring at the sky
95. I find clouds beautiful and I don't like completely clear skies
96. I'm obsessed with the 80's
97. I prefer animals to humans
98. I talk to my dog
99. I'm a ninja
100. I'm done with this list

If you endured reading that whole thing, I love you.
I don't have that many blog friends, so I'm just going to tag Shela.

Movie Review: The Hot Chick(2002)

Because I was sick, I also watched this movie yesterday. And I loved it!

The movie starts off with a legend of a princess who used magical earrings(I know, it sounds lame, but stick with me) to switch bodies with another woman. It then switches to modern day, where Jessica, a popular high school cheerleader(not unlike the girl from Sugar and Spice), lives the life of a regular high school higher-up. She ends up stealing the magical pair of earrings and, after a strange mishap with a man attempting to rob a gas station(Rob Schneider), wakes up the next morning with the man's body.

This movie was absolutely hilarious. Rob Schneider is a hilarious man and he played the role of a girl trapped in a man's body flawlessly. The majority of the movie was centered around him. I think if it wasn't, the movie itself wouldn't have been as good. Rob Schneider kind of makes it.

Anyway, not much else to say about this movie. I would definitely recommend it. It's kind of got a chick-flick feel, but I think both sexes would enjoy it!

Here's the trailer:


Thanks for reading guys!
Alanna

Movie Review: Sugar and Spice(2001)

I was sick yesterday and incredibly bored, so I decided to watch "Sugar and Spice", a movie I hadn't even heard of.

The plot line follows the life of a popular high school cheerleader named Diane Weston(Marley Shelton), who falls in love with the equally popular and extremely sexy football player, Jack Bartlett(James Marsden). Diane becomes pregnant with Jack's baby. When they become low on money, taking odd jobs to pay for the baby, Diane comes up with a big plan to rob a bank with the help of her fellow cheerleaders.

While this movie did have some pretty funny parts (and James Marsden was incredibly hot), I couldn't figure out, for the life of me, what the point of the entire movie was. I've come to the conclusion that there is absolutely no point. Even the stupidest of all movies seem to have even the tiniest lesson to prove. This had nothing. The ending was just plain stupid.

I did enjoy parts of it-it was pretty funny. I don't regret watching it, I just wish it had had a more clever ending.

Check out the trailer here:


Thanks for reading!
Alanna

2009's Resolutions-How'd I Do?

So I posted my resolutions for this year on the first of January(Right here). We're going to see how I do. I'm prepared to be very disappointed in myself. Ready? Here goes nothing

1. Lose a decent amount of weight-I'd say I did a pretty good job. I didn't have that much that I needed to lose and, on a good day, I'd say I've lost about 15 pounds this year. #1? Check.
2. Help bring Synfan back-Ouch. This one is kinda tough. We had a fight and stopped being friends early in the year. Too bad.
   
3. Finish Grin and Bear It-This one wasn't entirely my fault. Nikki, SunnyD, and I all had a mutual agreement that we would stop writing because all passion for writing it was gone. I think it may be possible that we start a new one this year. Will it happen? Will it be finished? Stay tuned.
4. Stay BFFs with my peeps-Check +. This year has been an awesome one for friendship. I've met so many wonderful people this year that I can't imagine living my life without while staying close with my best friends.
   
5. Continue Blogging-Well, duh.
6. Watch more movies-I think I did a pretty good job of this one, but I've still had a million people tell me,"YOU HAVEN'T SEEN (INSERT MOVIE NAME HERE)?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"
7. Read more books-Fail.
8. Re-read Twilight series-Didn't do it. I saw New Moon. That counts, right? I know, I know, another one that I failed.
9. Rekindle my love for U2-Done. Big time. The concert was the best thing that happened to me all year.
10. Find at least 30 new bands-I don't know if I can name them all, but I definitely did this. Probably three fold.
11. Try as much as I can-Eh. Didn't do too many new things.
12. Get back to playing music-Not really. I mean, here and there I've sat down at the piano or picked up my guitar, but not as much as I used to.
13. Learn ukulele-Nope.
14. Hang more pictures in my room-I don't have that many more, but it was a stupid resolution anyway.
15. Try to see old peeps-Mostly failed.
16. Spend more time with Maggie and Laura-Nope.
17. I'm skipping this one.
18. Try to be nicer-I think I did a pretty good job....most of the time....
19. Francois Problem-100% fixed :)
20. Stay in touch-With the help of Facebook, yep :)
21. Stay off of Facebook-Heh..heh..um...well....yeah....
22. Be happy-The first half of the year was rough, but I'm happy as a clam now!

Not horrible? Not good either...Well, I'm going to make better resolutions for '10.
By the way, how are we saying 2010? We can't say "o' ten"...or can we? Confused.

Quirky's the Shizz

I'm not sure if I like this center alignment, but I'm going to try it. Just for funsies ;)

So I wanted to take some time to discuss my love for quirky things and acknowledge the fact that the nerdy look is now "in" It makes me happy to see people proudly wearing nerdy glasses. In fact, I think I'm going to get a pair of my own ($2.90 + S&H Amazon)
So where did this new wave of quirkiness come from? Let's dig a little bit deeper to find out.

1. Juno(2007)-I didn't actually watch this movie because I find it a little bit too quirky. Between the strange and incredibly horrid indie music, ugly outfits in 70's colors, and a hamburger phone, that movie is just about as quirky as the world can stand. I got a funny message from my friend, Twitch(how quirky is that name?), that kind of made my day. "If Juno Was 10 Times Shorter and 100 Times More Honest" is a screenplay who's title is pretty self-explanatory. It's pretty darn funny, so check it out: If Juno Was 10 Times Shorter and 100 Times More Honest
2. Scene kids-We've all seen them. Their choppy hairstyles, the giant bows on their heads, the way they turn their feet towards each other when they stand(which is just plain weird). Although I think they look just plain weird, I find their quirkiness somewhat charming, if only it were in moderation.
3. iCarly, Flight of the Conchords, and Other Shows With Uber-Quirk-iCarly and Flight of the Conchords are two shows that I absolutely adore(and no, I am not ashamed to say I enjoy iCarly). It's about as quirky as it can get without being annoying. Between the weird t-shirts and "Random Dancing" in iCarly and the strange and hilarious folk songs of the Flight duo, these shows definitely contributed to the wave of weirdness.

So how much is too much? We've all seen those people who pride themselves in being insanely weird. We know how annoying it can get. The status' that say,"Making dinosaurs out of Play-doh. My life is so cool," "Rainbows are the shiznit," or something along those lines. I know, it's tempting to make everything you do sound like that, but sometimes we need to step back and assess the sitatuion. Ask yourself,"Am I being annoyingly quirky?"

I just realized after writing this whole thing that it's kind of pointless and annoying. I think if it were an SNL skit it would've been much funnier. I apologize for wasting your time once again.
So what do you guys think about this abundance of quirkiness? How much is too much? Post your replies in the comments and thanks for reading!

Movie Review: New Moon

I finally saw New Moon on Saturday! This review might be a little bit difficult because I'm not 100% sure how I felt about the movie. But I will try to explain it.

As some of you may know, I used to be a huge Twilight fan(I still have Edward on my bedroom wall), but since it's become this whole big thing, it's not quite as fun anymore. So I went into this movie with my expectations set kind of low. I wasn't planning on enjoying it, but I wasn't rigid in my views. I was hoping to be pleaseantly surprised. Honestly, I wasn't. But that doesn't necessarily mean I thought it was a bad movie. There were parts I loved and parts I absolutely hated. I'm not sure if I can sum up how I feel about the movie as a whole. Let's break it up.

What Alanna Liked About New Moon

• The cast, of course
• How Twilight was filled with Rob and New Moon was filled with Taylor. A nice switch off. It's always good to get the best of both worlds :)
• That they didn't elaborate too much on the humans being eaten by the Volturi. I almost kind of laughed...but then I felt kind of guilty. Which is really stupid.
• Jackson Rathbone. Every single thing that boy did was freaking hilarious, even the things that weren't meant to be. I've watched lots of Twilight parodies and, usually, they are very exaggerated with the characters' personalities-however, in the movie, Jasper seemed like a joke! His hair was about a half a foot off his head and he looked like a rapist throughout the whole movie. LOVED it.
• The scenery. The opening scene was beautiful.
• Taylor Lautner's chest-because you knew I had to say it.
  
• The CGI. It was soooooooooooo much better than the first movie. The wolves looked somewhat real and didn't stand out extremely from the real-life objects.
• The ending
• The voting scene. Nikki Reed did a good job.
  
• Alice's stolen car. That thing was bad.

What Alanna Didn't Like About New Moon

• Kristen Stewart's constant pausing. I think the movie might have been an hour shorter if she didn't pause for a whole minute and stutter every time she was spoken to. It's fine in moderation, but when that's your whole acting method, there is definitely a problem.
• Rob's chest was disappointing. But enough objectifying men.
• Bella's extreme pause while running to Edward. He was about to kill himself and she stops and dramatically pauses to watch him, thinking "Oh noes, he's going to expose himself!", but, of course, taking those precious moments to watch him. Oh.My.God. I was about to yell at the freaking screen. Or punch her in the face.
• How dark it was. I know the book was dark and the whole theme is that Bella was depressed, but they needed more comic relief. I think I could have counted the funny moments(the ones that were on purpose) on one hand. I'm not saying they should have made it too light and fluffy, but the monotonous darkness became exhausting and boring after a while.
• It got a little bit boring. I will admit, I closed my eyes a few times because it wasn't interesting enough and I was tired.
• The fact that Jacob's hair was long in the beginning. Granted that's the book's fault, not the movie's, I'll let it slide.

I think that's enough for now, though I could think of a million nitty gritty details. Hopefully this review was helpful. I also hope I didn't ruin it for anyone. I still think everyone should give it a chance, regardless of what I thought, because I lot of people loved it.

Thanks for reading!

New Template

I'm having mega trouble trying to pick a new template-there are a bazillion choices. I have more choices that I need your help with than I usually do. If you could leave your opinon in the comments ASAP, that would be amazing. Thanks!
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/from-the-snow
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/snowy-mountains
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/awesome-space
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/green-hills
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/soft-clouds
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/futurestarswillbedim
http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates/preview/aurora

Movie Review/New Obsession: Edward Scissorhands

I had good feelings about this movie from the very beginning. As soon as I saw it in the last-minute-as-your-checking-out-impulse-buy section of Target for $5, I threw it in the cart and bought it. Anything by Tim Burton is good, right? Wrong. Anything by Tim Burton is incredible.

This movie has everything-humor, romance, violence and action, and everything in between. Johnny Depp portrays the most loveable character I have ever experienced. He is extremely charming, vulnerable, and so flawed that it's impossible not to love him. I must have said "awww!" out loud at least every 5 minutes.
There wasn't a single thing I didn't absolutely love about this movie and I'm dying to watch it again, even though it's only been about a week since I watched it last. I am a huge fan now.
I wouldn't just recommend this one. I'd tie you to a chair, tape your eyelids open, or let you borrow the DVD if it meant you watch it.

Go out. Now. And get it. Watch it. Love it.

P.S. Edward Scissorhands kicks Edward Cullen's butt. And I personally find him more attractive.

Music Review: "Waking Up" Onerepublic

I've been a huge Onerepublic fan since the beginning. I was , like the rest of the world, hooked by "Apologize" and "Stop and Stare". I started to listen to more and more of their songs until I grew to love each and every one. So you can only imagine how excited I was for their new album. I bought it as soon as I woke up at 5:50 A.M. I waited out the whole day until my ride home when I could finally check this new album out for myself. I don't want to give it a bad review because the whole album wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as the first album. It's got a bit of a different, more cynical tone to it, but they stay true to their hip-hop pop-rock sound with the use of electronic editing and violin.There are a few songs I absolutely LOVE, so I think I'll just review those so that those of you who want to check them out without having to listen to the whole CD can do so.

1."All the Right Moves"-This was their first single and it's a pretty good song. I'm kind of sick of it now because I listened to it too many times, but if you haven't heard it, check it out.

2."Secrets"-I think this was their second single. And it's awesome. One element I love about Onerepublic that sets them apart from other pop-rock groups is their use of the violin in a modern and beautiful way, which is done wonderfully in this song.

3."Everybody Loves Me"-This song made the album for me. It has the greatest guitar intro, an awesome bassline, and, as always, Ryan Tedder's phrasing is unique, fresh, and absolutely superb. Not only is his voice flawless, but the way he carries out the words to this make you completely ignore what he's actually saying(I haven't the slightest clue what this song is about) and get lost in his magnificent voice. DEFINITELY check this one out, whether you like them or not. It's freaking AMAZING.

4."Good Life"-This song is perfect for a sunny, bright, and good day. It's about appreciating life and the lyrics make you feel good. Another one of my very favorites.

5."Marchin On"-This one has a great military theme, which they managed to portray perfectly in not just the lyrics, but the beat of the music and the voices. There's a part of the song where they sing,"right, right , right, left, right, right, right, right,left, right, right, right, we're marchin on" and it makes me walk with a perfect rythm. It shows a more hopeful, patriotic, and heroic side of war. It has the feeling of a proud soldier, marching on. You should definitely check this one out also.

Hopefully this inspired you to go on iTunes and check out a few of these new songs. If you don't want to listen, please at least try listening to "Everybody Loves Me" or "Marching On". Those two are my favorite.

Book Review: Peaches

I have a whole long list of books and movies to review, but I've been lazy and unmotivated. I figured I'd sit down for a couple minutes to tell you about "Peaches" by Jodi Lynn Anderson because I enjoyed it so much.
This is a story about three completely different people who are forced to work on a peach orchard, all for different reasons. The back of the novel reads."This summer at Darlington Orchard, three very different girls will discover the secret to finding the right boy, making the truest of friends, and picking the perfect Georgia peach. But at the start of the season, things aren't so...peachy."
This is one of those light reads that makes you feel happy and warm. It's a book about friendship that includes enough drama and comedy that it isn't that crappy, overly-serious, and borderline boring books about friends. It kept me interested-so interested, in fact, that it took me less than a month to finish it(I know, it's crazy). I'd definitely recommend it. It would be a great summer read. The feel of it reminds me of those cliche warm summer nights with a giant moon and fireflies in a garden in the country....ahhhh how nice.
The only thing I opposed to about this book was that once you got towards the end, it became sort of monotonous. It seemed like something I would write. However, it is worth reading anyway.
If anyone reads it, tell me! I want to know what you guys think!

P.S. Sorry I haven't been posting lately. Soy muy perezosa.

P.P.S. As I was searching for a picture of the cover, I discovered a sequel to this book! It's called "The Secrets of Peaches". Now I am excited! And wait! There's more! There's a third one! It's called "Love and Peaches".
At least, I think that's the order it goes in....I hope I didn't read the sequel...or the third...hmmm...

Outfit

I apologize for the uber lame title for this post. Honestly, I tried to come up with something witty. Failure.

Anyway, I felt like putting together an outfit just for fun and wanted to share it with you guys.

1.Blonde Ambition Dress-www.modcloth.com-$49.99
2.Take the Reigns Jacket-www.modcloth.com-$64.99
3.Electra Heels-www.modcloth.com-$47.99'
4.Delicate initial necklace-www.urbanoutfitters.com-$18
5.The Scarlet O' Handbag-www.modcloth.com-$59.99
6.Love Lila by round designs earrings-www.urbanoutfitters.com-$14.99
7.BDG ribbed slouchy beanie-www.ubranoutfitters.com-$28

Negativity, Electrical Storms, Psychological Studies,and Changing the World

The over abundance of negativity has been on my mind lately. I am generally a positive, glass half-full, silver-lining person and it's become clear to me lately that I might be one of the few people like that left! I think negativity has become such a normal thing that we don't even realize when someone says something negative. This incredibly annoying girl that I cannot escape was the one to first spark this idea in my mind. Every word out of her mouth is something rude or negative. Her inability to be impressed or interested in anything is just annoying and just brings you down. She's a downer. She says just plain rude, mean-spirited things to me that make me wonder what happened to her in her childhood that caused her to be this way.
You're probably wondering why it is that I'm telling you this, no? It's because I want every person who reads this to be more aware of the negativity around them and what they emit. Be aware of how it affects the people around you and how it affects your overall mood. Silver lining is the way to go. You'll never be disappointed. Disappointment is a bad feeling and I like to do everything I can to avoid it. Shouldn't everyone? People are always wondering why we Americans use so many anti-depressants-here's your answer.

On to happier topics, I wanted to share my favorite music video with everyone. It was only about a week ago that I finally watched the whole video, though I've known the song for a while. It's a beautiful, breathtaking video from U2 for the song "Electrical Storm". For those of you wondering, the man is Larry Mullen Jr., the drummer for U2, and the girl is Samantha Morton, a British actress. No, they aren't a couple and they never were, but they have a great chemistry that makes this video magical. Oh, and did I mention that Larry is incredibly hot and that Samantha Morton is my new girl crush? If that's not enough motive to go watch it, I don't know what is.Enjoy!

So, in case you haven't noticed, I've become fascinated with human nature. Just for fun, I decided to start a little mini-study of people's minds(without them knowing). I've been asking questions in my facebook status' and checking out people's replies. Here's an example:

If you could be transported anywhere in time, where would you go?

The first response was:
"to a world where war, and stupidity didnt exist."

The second was:
"to the middle of the bloodiest conflict ever"

Can you tell which one was a girl and which was a guy?
Anyway, I've only been doing this for like, two days, so I haven't made any big conclusions yet. But if I remember, I will try to post some sort of result within the next week.

Last, but definitely not least, changing the world. Easier said than done. In the words of the Notorious B.I.G.,"Before we can change the world, we have to change ourselves."
I can't describe how inspiring the U2 concert was. This may sounds silly, but it changed my life. Bono is my idol and seeing what he's been doing his whole career to benefit people in 3rd world countries is just astonishing and incredibly inspiring. I've decided to try to immerse myself in charity like he's done. I'm going to go with my family's church to feed the homeless every saturday starting a couple weeks(because I have plans that cannot be changed for the next two weeks) and I'm hoping on doing some more charity work. I have so much time on my hands on the weekend that I use for virtually nothing. Why not help someone?
I'm not sure how these changes in character are supposed to occur. Are they fast, like mine? Or do they take time? Regardless, I hope to change at least one person's life for the better. I also hope to inspire others to do the same.

P.S. It's weird how many semi-naked girls show up when you type in "charity" on google images. I love that Bono and Ali Hewson show up, though :)

Well, guys, thanks for listening!

Movie Review: The Nanny Diaries(2007)

I expected something completely different than what I was expecting for this movie. What I was expecting is what the trailer made it come off as-a light-hearted, warm, chick flick about the comical horrors of nannyhood. The reality is a depressing movie about what goes on behind the plastic-surgeoned smiles of the rich and famous and how their spawn suffer.
Check out the trailer here:


Annie Braddock, played by Scarlett Johansson, is trying to figure out who she is and where she's going. She takes up what she believes is just a temporary job as a nanny for one the uptown, snot-nosed wealthy families. She forms a special bond with Grayer, the child she nannies, and in turn, finds her true self and her values.

This movie was not light-hearted, but it did have a few funny parts(most of them-correction-ALL of them-are in the trailer). The rest of the movie dealt with affairs, divorce, child neglect, and losing people you love.

In the end, I would not recommend this movie. While the ending was cute and happy, the rest of the movie was dark and depressing. I wouldnt' have finished it had it not been for the need to see the happy ending that I knew was coming.
Don't watch it.

The Greatest Experience in The World(U2 360), Stressful Week, and Sleepy Confusion

Hola, ustedes!
It's been a very long, frustrating, and stressful week and I couldn't be more glad it's Friday. I'm currently listening to "Friday I'm In Love" by The Cure; it's my Friday theme song and is 100% sure to lift my spirits. Along with that, my November issue of Glamour just arrived a couple hours ago. Just finished looking through it. That magazine is a self-esteem booster and I always learn something knew and useful! One of the few magazines I actually read(I'm more of a picture person!)

So last Saturday was the greatest night of my life. After waiting in traffic for about half an hour before giving up and walking for a mile, I was at the U2 and Muse concert! Unfortunately, I missed all but 2 songs of Muse's set(I got to hear "Supermassive Blackhole", but not see it, but I did get to see "Starlight"-my favorite of all their songs-and "Undisclosed Desires", a new song that's pretty good!) After waiting for about 45 minutes after Muse's set was over, U2 took the stage, brining the energy to an insane high. And guess where I was sitting? 3rd row. And I know what you're thinking,Oh my god, that's crazy!, but there was a big gap between the seats and the stage(it was in a football stadium) for general admission. However, I was still close enough to be...well, close. I can't describe in words what this concert was like. Astonishing, incredible, unbelieveable, and in the words of Bono, magnificent. I've never felt so inspired! I'm now more obsessed with them then I've ever been. I'm ordering two posters, I bought the tote bag at the concert, my background on my iPod is an ancient picture of them, and they're basically all I listen to. It's so cool how after seeing a song performed live, once I listen to it on my iPod, I listen to it from this whole new perspective.
Nothing in the world is more wonderful than Bono and his passion.

This week has been very stressful. I'm not sure what happened this year, but I've suddenly completely thrown my entire self into my schoolwork-all work and no play has made Alanna a dull girl. However, I have the best grades I've ever had. Trying to balance out your life is complicated. I don't want to miss out on the wonders and joys of being young, but I also don't want to screw up my entire life by not doing my best right now. See my dilema?

Yesterday was an interesting story. My alarm goes off at 5:30 A.M. I rolled over in bed in the morning and looked at the clock, still, for the most part, asleep. It read 5:45 A.M. Oh shit, I thought, I must have slept through my alarm. That's not good... I had enough time to get ready because I wake up earlier than I need to so I can try to wake myself up before school. Anyway, I got on my makeup, my layered outfit, washed my face, and the whole she-bang. I had, what I assumed, was about 15 minutes left. I check the clock. It read 3:00 A.M. I did a double take. WHAT?! I checked the other clocks in the house-it was, in fact, 3:00 A.M. In my sleep daze, I had mistaken the "2" on my clock for a "5". Grr. So I changed back into my pajamas, took off the load of jewelry off, and climbed back into bed for the next 2 and a half hours.
What a crappy way to start the day.

Hopefully your week has been better than mine! I also hope your weekend is pleasent and relaxing-or busy, in a good way, of course.

Happy weekend!

What I'm Looking Forward to For Fall/Winter

It's starting to get chillier outside! I'm very excited. There are so many things I'm looking forward to for the cold weather months. Check it:

1. Scarves-I love scarfs. They're practical, cozy, and cute!
2. Fall/Winter Scents-Especially at Bath & Body Works. The Christmas tree candle is amazing :O
3. Eggnog-Need I explain this one?
4. Shea Butter Infused Socks-Saw these last week and finally bought them today. They're from Bath & Body Works(one of my favorite stores) and they are the softest things I've ever felt. Like heaven. Go buy some for yourself:http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3432211
5. Halloween-I've always loved Halloween! An excuse to eat wayyy too much candy, look either hideous or like a slut, and scare people! Who could ask for anything more?
6. Cozy sweaters-Who doesn't like to bundle up in a soft, warm sweater on a cold winter day?
7. Reading-I always find myself reading way more during the cold seasons because I like to be cliche. I light candles and put on some Christmas tunes, then curl up under the covers and read a book. Hell, I've been pretending it's cold and doing that when it's still warm!
8. Candy canes- <3
9. Sitting By the Fireplace-Cliche, I know.
10. Christmas-There's no better holiday! I'm going to start early this year, even if I get dirty looks for it :P
11. Hot Cocoa-Might make some later...
12. Christmas Specials-Rudolph, Charlie Brown, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, How the Grinch Stole Christmas(the original-none of that modern crap), all the classics. Can't go a Christmas without 'em.
13. PIE!-Hot apple pie, fresh out of the oven-magic.
14. Thanksgiving-Probably my second favorite holiday! I love spending time with my family and eating entirely too much of my favorite foods!
15. SNOW!!!-We'd better get some this year. Even just a little dusty. Anything.

So, what are you looking forward to?

Time For a Real Post

Oh wow. I've been such a slacker. I keep telling myself, I'm going to post something today, however I've been busy and lazy(occasionally at the same time-not a great combination). In my defense, I started a post the other day, saved it as a draft to get back to, and completely lost my train of thought and inspiration. The past two days of my life were completely consumed by a project I was frantically trying to get done. But I'm finally completely free today, so it's time to sit down and tell you about everything that's been going on in my life.

The Fray Concert. Possibly the best night of my life(so far-but the U2 concert is coming up quickly!) I meant to post a couple weeks ago, when I was still riding on the Fray high(which lasts up to 3 days). I can't possibly put this experience into words, but I'm going to give it my best shot.
My dad, SunnyD, and I went to the concert. They opened with "She Is"(if my memory serves me right) and closed with the most spine-chillingly wonderful song in the entire freaking world, "Happiness". I was hungry and didn't feel good at all, but I totally didn't notice at all. Their live music could double as an anesthetic.
And I just got terribly distracted and spent 15 minutes googling Isaac Slade's(lead singer) wife, trying to figure out whether or not she's good enough for him(FYI-she's not). He should be mine.
Anyway, concert was amazing. End of story.

Other than that, I don't think anything big has been going on. I always get bored in class and start thinking of a million things I could blog about. Of course, when I have inspiration, I have no computer. When I have a computer, I have no inspiration. FML.
So right now I'm listening to:

1. "I Wanna Have Your Babies"-Natasha Bedingfield-This song's just awesome. And it makes me think of Isaac Slade :P
2. "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'"-Mayer Hawthorne-if you haven't heard Mayer Hawthorne yet, check him out. His old-timey sound is very nice :D
3. "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)-US3-This song always makes me laugh!
   
4. "Under Control" by Parachute-good song

Get ready for your mind to blown. I went to Borders with the greatest people in the world on saturday. I bought 3 books (one hardcover and two floppy ones) and a cell phone charm. I calculated the original prices-the total was $41. I spent $4. Try to process that, bitches.

Due to extreme tiredness yesterday, I missed the season premiere of "The Big Bang Theory"-I recorded it, however, and watched it today. One word: AWESOME. Two words: Hilarious and AWESOME. Watch it. On a related note, I finally got around to watching last week's premiere of the new season of "The Office" today. It can share the words I used to describe Big Bang. If you haven't watched either of these shows-DO IT.

I think this is the last thing of my current "In Need of Blogging" list. I've been bored lately and I came across this guy on YouTube that the YouTube-savvy have known about for a while, named Phillip DeFranco. He does a 3-4 minute show where he talks about things in the news, politics, and interesting topics. And I'm pretty sure he makes a new video every day. You heard me. Now that's dedication. Check out his channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/sxephil?blend=2&ob=4

In the words of The Fray, that's enough for now. Hope everyone has a great week! I make no promises, but I will try to post sometime soon.

P.S. I forgot to watch the premiere of "Glee". And the encore the next day. And the next episode. GRRR.

Back to School, Tissue Paper Pom-Poms, the Damaging Effects of Humidity, and a Small Review of the Worst Movie EVER MADE

It's been a while since I've made a relatively interesting post, so I'm gonna give it a go!

The picture at the top doesn't relate to most of the post, but it's just funny!

School started up on Tuesday *cue the groan and eye roll* I don't really like any of my classes very much, with the exception of Spanish. My teachers are nothing special. There's no one I'm excited about. However, I have one teacher I'm not sure how I feel about. And I totally don't mean that kind of,Do I think his butt is cute or not? No. It's like the do I think he's actually a good teacher and someone I could even get along with? The first few days I thought he was really obnoxious. His type of humor is the one which involves embarrassing people. Luckily, he didn't do anything to me(that's what I get for being quiet and blending in with the wall). I was afraid because he seemed like the kind of person who was constantly joking(and thinks they're the funniest person alive) and could never be serious, but it died down after a couple more days. I think he's straight, but I've heard his gay voice way too much.
Anyway, I really like my Spanish class. I think it's because I'm so used to almost everything I do in all my other classes is, for the most part, review of everything I already know. "Applying your skills" as they like to call it. However, with Spanish, everything I'm learning is brand spankin new.

I was bored and was feeling quite crafty after making an origami bouquet of flowers for my grandma's birthday(I'll post pics later) and so I decided to go to Martha Stewart's website for some inspiration. Usually, I don't try out any of her crafts(or recipes) because they're much too labor intensive. I want my crafts to be fun and relaxing, not frustrating, time consuming, and money-eating. However, I found directions for these really cool tissue paper pom-poms that hang from the ceiling. I've seen them before and thought they'd be really hard to make, but I checked out the directions, and they look really easy! They also look really cool. I'm definitely going to try it out like, ASAP and I will get back to you with the results. Here's the link-check it out:
http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/tissue-paper-pom-poms-how-to?&pgType=intro&rsc=howTo_tab_intro#menu_container

I'm so sick of the stupid humidity! I saw Shela's post and decided to go off on a mini rant about my hatred for humidity. It makes my makeup melt of my face before the day's even halfway over! Even when I don't wear much-just eyeliner and mascara-I have little black puddles in the creases under my eyes! And don't get me started on my hair. It can look perfect and straight and then the second I step out the door, it's a big ball of wavy frizz. How on earth am I supposed to look good? GRRR.

Last and least, I watched "The Clique", the movie based on the book series by Lisi Harrison. I liked the book series, although it really wasn't the greatest. I was excited a few years ago when I heard they'd be making a movie. Then I found out it was a straight-to-DVD movie. Killjoy. So I came across it on the Lifetime Movie Channel and decided, what the hell, how about I watch it. It was TERRIBLE. But I couldn't look away. It was so uneventful that I wasn't even sure when it ended. It was the worst movie I've ever seen, I think. NEVER watch it-even out of curiousity. EVER.

TTYL, darlings!
//*Alanna*\\

TV Review: Ruby & the Rockits

Trying out a new review format-I've hated how every single one of my reviews sounds/looks.

Summary: Ruby has been living with her grandparents her whole life. When they become too old to take care of her, she hunts down her father, David, half of the 80's rock duo, The Rockits. David, however, lives a rockstar life and is not ready to take care of his daughter. His brother Patrick, the other half of The Rockits, has his own family and takes Ruby in.
My rating: 7/10
Why: I went in expecting this would be another crappy abc family show, but I was pleasantly surprised! The main reason I decided to try it out was because Alexa Vega stars in it. She was in Spy Kids ages ago and was one of my favorite childhood actors.
I watched the first episode and was hooked. After the first one, I watched every single one(there are only five). Now I'm excited for the next episode(it airs Tuesday).
I'd compare this show to The Bill Engvall Show. It's funny, lighthearded, and it has the same playful family humor.
I would definitely recommend watching at least one episode. Hope you all like it as much as I do!

TV Review: Glee

I meant to write this review a long time ago, but I completely slacked and then forgot. I'm sorry.

Unfortunately, you'll have to put up with my own crappy summary because I cannot seem to find one anywhere. Well, here goes nothing!

Will Schuester is a high school teacher who decides to take over Glee club in hopes of bringing it back and giving it a better reputation. Initially, he only gets a few kids to sign up-including Rachel Berry, a girl with nothing on her mind besides becoming famous. Will tries his hardest to get students excited about Glee club, but fails miserably. Meanwhile, he falls for Emma Pillsbury, the school's adorable new nutritionist. One problem: he's married.

I know I left a million key points out-you just have to watch it.
I LOVED the pilot episode Glee!! It was the perfect mix of drama, comedy, and music. The characters were full of personality and well developed.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it an 8-a must watch!
The pilot comes on Fox again on September 2nd and the season premiere comes out September 9th. Hope you all tune in!

Must....Resist...Song....

I hate Miley Cyrus for many reasons, but I'm totally diggin this song after hearing it on Teen Choice and the Wal-mart commercials(and the clothes are cute, too! AHHH!!!)
Check it out and be prepared to hate yourself for it:

Hey, It's Ok!

I bet you're getting tired of my non-stop movie reviews and lack of actual posts, soI wanted to share my favorite part of Glamour magazine with all you girls out there.
It's probably easier if I skip the explaining and just show you the examples from the last three issues.

Hey, it's Ok!
...to learn a party trick. You many not meet Mr.Right with your cherry-stem tying ability, but it can't hurt, right?
...to offer to pay but secretly hope he foots the bill.
...to give and overeager new luv-ah two words of advice:"Ladies first."
...to say: "Oh my God. You're the foe(?) in plaid that old psychic once told me I'd marry!" (If you believe in that stuff, you're gonna need a man who can deal.)
...to do a ring check the minute you meet a cute guy.
...to push your aviators up onto your head and consider it a hairstyle (I do this one all the time)
...to talk about the weather when all else fails. It's universal: Everyone cares.
...to say no to Frisbee golf, windsurfing or anything that will take you away from your towel, trashy novel, and frosty beverage. Lying on the beach is an activity!
...to press 0 to speak to a live human every singly time.
...to act all "candid" when someone pulls out a camera.
...to have more pairs of shoes under your desk than in your closet.
...to make him spend a ton winning you a stuffer bear.
...to think the fireworks were a wee bit excessive. Ooh, ahh, how many small countries could that have fed?
...to count housecleaning as a workout. Scrub and squat, sweep and sweat, dust and dance-done and done!
...to feign indifference but really pay super-close attention to the "emergency exit" spiel when you fly.
...to weigh more than your boyfriend does. After all, he doesn't have boobs and hips!
...to be kind of afraid of whatever's in the kiddie pool(lol!)
...to ask for bacon on your veggie burger.
...to not repair your heels until they sound like tap shoes when you walk.
...to want to be a Real Housewife of Wherever for just one twinset, Tory flats, margaritas-at-brunch day.

Hopefully you enjoyed those as much as I did!

I found some more here:
http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2008/11/hey-its-ok

Review: Hitch

I'm probably the last person to ever see this movie, but there's gotta be someone else out there, right? Whoever you are, this review is for you.

Summary from IMDB:
In New York, Alex Hitchen(Will Smith) is a kind of sentimental advisor, teaching each client how to date the woman of his dream. His present case is helping the clumsy Albert(Kevin James) to date the wealthy and powerful Allegra Cole(Amber Valletta). Meanwhile, Hitch has a crush on the gossip columnist Sara, who was assigned to write about Allegra. When the best girlfriend of Sara(Eva Mendes) has a love disillusion with a man that Sara thinks that is a client of Hitch, she plots a revenge against Hitch and the misunderstanding leads the two couples to a conflictive situation.

This movie was the perfect mix of funny, dramatic, and romantic. Eva Mendes and Will Smith had great chemistry and their characters had one of those relationships that you're cheering for, hoping they can pull through.

It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but I did enjoy it and it's definitely something I would recommend everyone watch at some point.

P.S. I forgot this, but I don't think I really need to say it-WILL SMITH WAS HOT!

Duh.

This movie was nothing like I expected. Well, parts of it were-but as a whole, this was not what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be one of those nothing-but-funny movies like "Knocked Up" and "Napoleon Dynamite", but it was actually really sad!

Here's IMDB's summary:Henry Roth lives in a Hawaiian paradise with the company of endless women with no strings attached. This is until he meets Lucy Whitmore. Both Henry and Lucy enjoy the company of each other and feels the start of a serious relationship occurring. Approaching Lucy the next day, Henry is confused when Lucy fails to recognise him. This is the moment Henry discovers that Lucy actually suffers from short term memory loss and can't remember each individual day. Henry won't let this stop him and is prepared to make her fall in love with him all over again, each and every day.

While 50% of the movie was hilarious, the other half was just plain sad. Genuinely sad-not the kind of,"This movie sucks so bad, it's sad." And kind of exhausting. You watch as Henry strives to make Lucy fall for him every single day. You watch her break down in tears as she realizes all the things that have happened to her that she cannot remember. It's sweet, but depressing.

I think I need pros and cons list:

Pros

• There were a lot of really funny parts
• It was sweet in a heartwrenching-type of way
• Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler had great chemistry
• Adam Sandler was pretty adorable
• Happy ending :)
  

Cons

• Sad
• Kind of frustrating
• Exhausting

I would recommend it to those who love a good heartwrenching story. I however, don't like sad stories. But I'm just weird.

My final verdict-it was a good movie. I don't regret watching it. It's not my type, though.

Review: Julie and Julia

Since I'm trying extra hard to become a movie-watching person, I've seen a lot of movies lately and I'm falling far behind on my reviews. I apologize if I post a huge batch all at once-when I get in a blogging mood, I like to go with it.

SunnyD and I saw Julie and Julia just a few hours ago. It's based on the book by Julie Powell, who Amy Adams portrays in the movie.

I'm stealing IMDB's summary because, as you all know, I majorly suck at summarizing things(I love detail!)
Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) are featured in writer-director Nora Ephron's adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell's Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme. Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

I guess I was kind of expecting this movie to be...what's the word? Fluffy? Alright? Plotless? I was pleasantly surprised because this movie was not only cheerful and adorable, it actually had a plot! It definitely was far from edge-of-your-seat-what-is-going-to-happen-next, but it was enough to make it interesting.

I'll give you a little synopsis of my own because IMDB's was a bit too fluffy, with no actual content-Julie Powell is tired of her job and wants something to distract her and keep her busy, so she takes up cooking. She plans to go through Julia Child's entire recipe book-complete with 524 recipes from France-in 365 days.
Looking back at the past, Julia Child is going through similar things. She also takes up cooking and begins to write/publish her own cookbook while in France with her husband.

I'd definitely recommend this movie. It's not a chick flick, it's good for all ages(13 and up of course, seeing as it's PG-13). There were young people and elderly people seeing it and everyone seemed to be enjoying it.

I'm trying to use different words because I'm sure you're all sick of "charming", "cute" and "adorable". My word to describe this movie? Charismatic.

Now I feel the urge to cook....

I love the movie's tagline:
Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?


P.S. You know how at the end of movies, people usually clap? Well for some reason, Little Miss Queen of Weird(aka The Darling SunnyD) despises it. Back me up people-isn't it perfectly normal/good to clap at the end of a good movie? And can someone please try to explain to me why this irritates her so much?

Movie Review: Romeo and Juliet(1968)

I meant to do this review AGES ago-I watched it in April-and if the movie wasn't so great, I wouldn't be doing this right now!
I watched this in English class and thoroughly enjoyed it! It stays true to the story, the cast is great, and for being made so long ago, they did a really great job.
The actor that plays Romeo, Leonard Whiting, is...(can't think of a creative way to say this) INSANELY GORGEOUS! He looks EXACTLY like Zac Efron(not so much in pictures, but in the movie, you'll see it). Every girl in my English class all went,"Oh.My.God." at the same time when he first came on.
There were many other sexy dudes, too . ;)
Olivia Hussey makes a perfect Juliet and she's absolutely beautiful!

I'd definitely recommend this. The guys didn't seem to enjoy it, but the girls definitely did.
WATCH IT!!!



P.S. Trying to make my reviews shorter so I have to write less and you don't have to read as much. Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Shorter or longer reviews?

Antoher Fill-Out Thing Stolen From Shela

Sorry I'm posting so much, but that's how I like to do things-sit down and post everything on my mind, then wait a couple weeks to do it again.

1. Where are you and what are you doing right this moment? At the desk in my room, typing this(what else would I be doing?)
   
2. Are you listening to anything? My new obsession,"She Holds a Key" by Gavin Degraw(sorry this is bold, i can't fix it)
3. What are 5 things that you can grab from where you're sitting? No cheating! My iTouch, speakers, origami bunnies, water bottle, toe separators(painted my nails earlier)
4. Do you have any celebrity crushes right now? Kinda diggin Chris Cornell at the moment. He reminds me of Sirius Black, which I like ;)
5. Would you ever get Botox? Nah. Too creepy looking.
6. What do you look for in a guy/girl? Hugh Jackman qualities. The man is absolutely and utterly perfect.
   
7. What draws your eye out when you meet someone? What they're wearing.
   
8. Do you like cologne? Love it. Apparently it's okay for girls to wear it once in a while. Not brave enough to do that, but I love the smell of some colognes.
   
9. What's your favorite scent? The smell of Taye Diggs in the scratch-and-sniff part of the 2007 People's Sexiest Man Alive issue. That was really specific. But it stands out in my mind. I think it was sandalwood and something else...I'll dig it up later and post it.
   
10. Do you have a usual regimen for your skin or do you like to try everything out? It changes a lot, but I love using my pumice stone on my legs, arms, and feet, and then I put on two different types of acne treatment(i'm officially zit free as of like, 6 months ago-it feels good)
    
11. What is a little known fact about you? Hm....probably that I play with dolls. What a weirdo.
    
12. Would you do Katy Perry? Haha, she's adorable, but no. I'm too straight for her.
    
13. Are you lesbian or bisexual? Aside from the attraction to Meagen Fox(seriously, can you blame me? Dayummm) and occasionally other people, no. I only like celebrities that way sometimes, never regular people.
    
14. What do you think about Carrie Prejean? I don't care about the whole gay thing, but I just find her annoying as a person. I'm glad she was ditched :)
15. What's your shoe size? 6.5-8 Yeah, I know, wide range, right? Depends on the brand most of the time.
    
16. Who's your dream bachelor? Hard question. Not so into to RPattz anymore-he's become too famous. My dream guy is Isaac Slade(lead singer of The Fray),but he's taken, and Bono, he's taken, but Gavin Degraw might be single(don't want to look it up because I might be disappointed). Dr.Cox from Scrubs would be perfect for me, but he's not real :(
    
17. What's an extravagance that's a must in your makeup bag? Extravagance? Don't have any extravagences in my makeup bag.
    
18. Beers or martinis? Don't drink.
    
19. What's a trend that you want to try out this season? Dying to get one of those cute headbands with the peacock feathers on the side.They're adorable! That's my goal for this week:get a feather headband.
    
20. Are you falling in love with someone? Yes. But mostly famous-ish people. Gavin Degraw especially...
    
21. How do you feel about push-ups bras? Don't own one-I'd look like a major hooker. They get enough attention as it is.
    
22. What are your plans for the next year? Don't need to think about next year. living in the present
    
23. Put your Ipod on shuffle, play a song and pause at 0:23. What are the lyrics?
    
24. "i Don't know which side i'm on"
    
25. What's your favorite shade of nail polish? Rimmel Underground 340 Addictive
    
26. Who is your favorite book or author? Dunno
    

My Beach Playlist

I got back from my week-and-a-half trip to the beach on Wednesday and I thought I'd share my beach playlist while I still feel beach-y.

1. Ben Harper and the Innocent Crimials-"Steal My Kisses" This song never fails to make me feel good. Ben Harper has a soothing, smooth voice. This song is a great upbeat song to listen to on the beach!

2. The Black Ghosts-"Full Moon" It's probably best known for the being on the Twilight soundtrack. This song is just awesome. Another feel-good song!

3. Bob Marley and the Wailers-"Is This Love" Anything Bob Marley is perfect for most situations, especially the beach. Need I explain?

4. Chris Brown-"Dreamer" I'm not a huge Chris Brown fan, but I love this song. It came out during the Olympics. Good song to work out to, also.

5. Coldplay-"Strawberry Swing" Oh my god, this is totally my summer anthem! It reminds me of my childhood for some reason.

6. The Cure-"Just Like Heaven" Okay, this is just one of the best songs ever made. If you haven't heard it, you are very unfortunate and I will save you the time and embarrassment and give you the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5StFADI9NM Just listen and enjoy. DO IT! Oh, and don't watch the video. The lead singer is hideous and he might ruin it for you.

7. Foo Fighters-"Learn To Fly" You've probably heard this before. It's the best Foo Fighters song, in my opinion. No words to describe how happy this song makes me feel.

8. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole(Commonly Known as Bruddah Iz)-"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" This is the super famous cover that you hear in the romance movies and on TV. It's like magic. You'd think it's magic would wear off after a while, but every time I listen to this song, I feel it. It's touching.

9. Bruddah Iz-"Ka Huila Wai" This song is sung completely in Hawaiin(?) and it's just fun! Definitely the soundtrack to my beach vacation and my favorite pick for beach listening!

10. Jack Johnson-"If I Had Eyes" This one's kind of obvious because Jack Johnson is stereotypical beach music(but not in a bad way!)

11. Jason Mraz-"I'm Your's" Another predictible one we've all heard, but a good one.

12. Switchfoot-"Awakening" Switchfoot is another beach-perfect band. They're meant for sunny days :)

13. U2-"Mysterious Ways" You knew I'd have to add in some U2, right? This is one of my favorites. Enjoy ;)

Hope you enjoyed this playlist!

Movie Review: Bewitched

I came across this movie last night while babysitting. I had a few hours while the kids were asleep, so I watched the whole thing(of course, their parents came home 10 minutes before it ended, so I rushed home-they're across the street from my house-and recorded the rest).
Here's a brief plot summary: Isabel Bigelow(Nicole Kidman) is a witch(the friendly kind!) who's trying her hardest to give up magic and become a normal person(her father does the exact opposite). Jack Wyatt(Will Ferrell),a D-list actor, is trying to build up a better reputation for himself after much failure in the box office. He decides to do a remake of the 1964 TV show,"Bewitched", and cast a nobody as Samantha(the main character) so that no one can steal his spotlight. He meets Isabel on the street and offers her the part. Unaware of his plans, she agrees.
As the story goes on, they begin to fall in and out of love as Isabel tries to change him. You have to watch to find out what happens ;)

I found this movie to be absolutely charming(no pun intended). Nicole Kidman was adorable, Will Ferrel was self-absorbed and hilarious, and the supporting actors were great, too.
This is a feel-good movie that left me flouncing around the house at midnight, high off of happiness and wishing I could cast spells(I sound a bit insane, don't I?)

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for something to lift their spirits and make them laugh!

I guess if I had to say something bad about this movie, I'd say it was a bit predictible. However, most movies/books are and this movie is still very enjoyable! A must watch!!

Obsessions

When I was a little kid, I was so utterly obsessed with the Backstreet Boys. I used to write "BSB" on everything I owned. I looked up the video for "I Want It That Way"(haha, awesome song-no joke) at like, 2:00 AM at SunnyD's house and since then, I've been a crazy person. Kevin Richardson(the best Backstreet Boy-why the hell did he have to leave? I MISS HIM!!! He was the only one I'm sure was straight) is my ipod and computer background, I've been playing "The Call"(this came out after my obsession was over-now I cannot stop listening to it) on the guitar/piano over and over and over again, and guess who I'm listening to right now? I've been watching the videos and pausing on Kevin's face so I can get a screenshot. Seriously, I need him. BADLY!!!

Check out "The Call"-it's about a guy cheating on a girl, but for some reason I think of it as sweet the way he says it...someone listen to it and see if you can hear that.


I can't embed the actual video-here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6GRKRDicTU
And if you love Kevin like I do, he comes in at 3:06 and he's the main focus until the end of the video.
Damn, I'm obsessed. Can you tell?!

I blame my next obsession(in a loving way) on SunnyD.

Christian.Bale.

After seeing Newsies, I've grown to love him and his i-heart-thef-bomb self. But check out the what he looks like after dropping weight for a new movie:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/07/14/christian-bale-skinny-photo/

And if you recall his dramatic 63-lb. weight lost for The Machinist a while back;
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5iy8-zQns-Ec5xIMmwxQb_nuHsKO6-BbIdY1sGnCxa9bz8fh-Xvvg5l5G0_-z9tg6NVW_-zBEurNTgIoiQGX5c58cKkMJ1rjkLKK_mh7YMNbQfworxDTcsaDnkKjH8hzyU4sarJHUP6T/s400/Christian+Bale+in+The+Machinist.jpg

I miss this:
http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bale14.jpg

Oh well. Once he's finished with this movie, he'll probably gain it all back.

I'm sure you've probably seen David After Dentist(if you haven't, here's the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs) and you've probably heard the infamous Christian Bale rant(LOVE THIS MAN!) Have you seen the mash-up? Funniest thing ever!!! It will crack you up. Check it out:
Christian Bale Takes David to the Dentist;


Last, but not least, I NEED TO SEE HARRY POTTERERRRRRRRR!!!! REALLY.REALLY.REALLY. BAD.