Nick and Nora

Nick and Nora, characters from the novel, The Thin Man, who were later adapted into a movie series, are hilarious in this compilation-' alcohol moments'.

On Getting Old(er)

(source)

Lately, I've found myself taking solitary walks in the afternoon before dinner and sneaking away for morning jaunts on Saturdays. This past Saturday as I arrived home, I immediately went to prune my potted plants and herbs, while ever so quietly whispering under my breath. Philip quickly caught on- "you are talking to your plants, babe." Apparently, he can see me 40 or so years from now as the older woman of our neighborhood who takes long walks- greeting everyone, constantly monitors her garden, and wears funny hats, obviously.

Before Midnight

Have you seen Before Sunrise or Before Sunset?  In Before Sunrise, Jessie and Celine meet on a train bound for Vienna, and in Before Sunset, they reunite.  Before Midnight, is set 9 years after ‘Sunset’ in Greece,  and it came out at the end of May. Sadly, I haven’t seen any of them, but boy is in love with these films. I am surely looking forward to watching each with him.

Friends and Birthdays

(Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, source)

Do you have one of those friends that you just can't NOT give presents to? You see it as your personal challenge to outdo yourself with every holiday?

I do my best to give all my closet friends and family some sort of gift for birthdays and holidays; at the very least,  I send a card. But when my friend Katie's birthday rolls around I just love finding gifts for her. I try to find the most obscure gift that everyone else wouldn't understand, but she will surely love it, even if it's just for the thought.

Tunes: Pina

Something a little different today . . .

Film: Celeste and Jesse Forever

I'm behind the times here, but I finally watched Celeste and Jesse Forever this past weekend.  Have you seen it? I have a girl crush on Rashida Jones, so I was hopeful that I'd love it. And I did.

Girl Rising

The documentary, Girl Rising, looks amazing. It tells the story of 9 young women around the world who have faced extreme adversity and hardship because of their gender. The girls' stories are narrated by renowned actresses such as Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, Priyanka Chopra, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, and Alicia Keys. 

Film: Paperman

This little film is buzzing everywhere and as it should. It's amazing and will certainly put a smile on your face. Created by John Krahrs, it's a special technique merging computer graphics and hand drawn animation.  

Film: To the Wonder

Heavens, I’m excited for this. Philip is an avid fan of Terrence Malick; I, on the other hand, have yet to  fall for his creative genius. However, I believe this one will do it for me. Doesn't it look incredible? I adore Javier Bardem. Let’s be honest, he has the sexiest voice ever. 

The Tenenbaums

So, tell me, what were you for Halloween? I finally persuaded boy to try out a costume, and let me just tell you, he was utterly uncomfortable and out of spirits. I resolved to promise him that this would be the first and last of his dressing up days. He just looked so pitiful; you should have seen it.

oh hello Friday

(girl crush, photo source unknown)

I am one of those people who become annoyed with others who post 'TGIF' on the inter-webs; I'm not one to wish my life away. But, I have to tell you that I'm so delighted it's Friday. Boy and I are finally spending an evening together, and our only crucial decision is the dinner destination. Tomorrow and Sunday will bustle about as we complete our Save the Dates (more on that later) and celebrate a birthday and a wedding. 

How about a Five Things Friday? Bloggers love those, I think. 

* a 'how to help your husband get ahead' ad. It's pretty bad; brace yourself. 

*oh I love these boots, but nuptial bills come first, I suppose. 

*did I tell you reader that this is where I'm getting married? 

*beautiful trailer of Wuthering Heights. 

*last week I sent these sweet little notes to my bridesmaids. Luckily, they all said yes! 

Movie Night

The outdoor movie night was a hit, or at least, I think it was! I didn’t let the dreary day of clouds and raindrops get me down. After surrendering to the fact it would not be a back lawn filming, I grabbed my toolbox and nailed the sheet screen right to the porch posts. A few strands of lights, candles, gin martinis and homemade kettle corn in these oh so cute popcorn buckets (mine were from Target) really made the evening. Some of our guests stayed until the wee hours of the morning so we featured Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Back to the Future, and guests mimicked the nostalgic lines of ‘Indy’ and ‘Marty McFly’ all evening.  

Outdoor Film

(photo via)

This weekend, boy and I are hosting friends for an outdoor film, and I just. can't. wait. I'm stealing all my brilliant ideas from Claire of The Senses Five; check out her post. I have the perfect cove nestled in my backyard for the screening, so hopefully the rain will hold off. Fingers crossed!

Pool Days

A summer cold kept me from seeing my nephews this weekend, but I made do with the impromptu D.C. weekend, including a BBQ festival, a relentless heatwave, and many movies in the A.C. On Sunday, I twisted boy's arm to take me to the pool. Deviating from the usual "beach lists", here's what we brought to keep us content and entertained. 

Dreams

(photo via A Ballet Blog)

The other evening, some colleagues and I reminisced over our aspirations in younger years and our fall back careers if we ever decided to quit the day jobs. On my truly awful days (which are rare and few as I do love my work), I'm tempted to fill my time as a barista slash florist. That job exists, right? Though, if I were granted a genie and  a wish, I would ask for the talent of a prima ballerina. Growing up, I religiously took ballet classes and other varieties of dance. Since I didn't want to spend hours and hours in the studio every evening, I begrudgingly decided to stop taking classes, but I still think about it everyday and opt for occasional classes and attending performances. But, sometimes we have to make these decisions. One of my favorite passages from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar says it best:

Oh Audrey

We'll call this one girl crush. An Audrey Tatou spread in Marie Claire Russia- need I say more? Like the rest of the world, I fell in love with Audrey in Amelie. I think she has the best mingling of girlish charm and  womanly sophistication. Don't you?

(by Shayne Laverdiere) 

P.S. Before she was Chanel, she was Coco.

Baz and Leo

Baz Luhrmann and Leonardo DiCaprio meet again! The trailer for the Great Gatsby was just released, and I am beyond excited to see it. December seems so far away! This was one of the my top favorites for required reading in high school. I would take a Mr. Gatsby over a Mr. Bennet any day. And maybe it's just me, but Leo's prolific career seems to get better with every film. His roles deliver fascinating characters again and again. Don' you agree?

P.S. Have you ever listened to Baz Luhrmann's graduation speech to the class of '97?

(the young Leo)