Food, Style, and Travel
In about 5 weeks, it’s my baby’s due date. It’s finally the home stretch! I can hardly believe it. Except, I can because pregnancy is long and although I may never feel totally ready for the baby, I’m ready enough.
I still haven’t said anything on here about my baby’s name or sex, but I might as well tell you now. It’s no secret. I was just trying to decide when and how to tell people.
A playlist for when you need to chill out, think about things that don’t really matter and attempt to feel like a cloud.
This playlist includes two artists I know in real life, my boyfriend (The Wonder Wheel) and his dad (Diablo Pablo). Be sure to give their tracks a good listen.
Favorite movie: Out of all the movies I saw this summer online, on DVD and in person, Ant Man would have to be my favorite. The cast made it good for me. I’m not usually a fan of action movies in general. But if it’s got hotties who are awesome actors like Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena and Bobby Cannavale, then I’ll watch it and love it. Side note: Ant Man was actually the only movie I saw in theaters. I enjoyed the others from home because I’m a homebody.
Favorite TV show: Okay, so I watch a lot of TV. I watch too much TV really. I’m trying to cut back and focus on living life. Some shows I watched this summer include East Los High, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Twin Peaks, The X-Files and Switched at Birth.I’m a sucker for teenage soap operas. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but I’d have to say I most enjoyed Switched at Birth. I like getting to know the characters and the different dynamics involved. In case you’re wondering, I’m pretty sure I’m a combination of Kathryn and Bay, but more Kathryn than Bay.
Favorite podcast: I listened to five episodes of The Lively Show in one day and I’m sure I’ll listen to more soon. In fact, I started this post last night and had written four in that last sentence, but now I’m up to five. I’m listening to one of the episodes right now. I enjoyed hearing entrepreneur Jess Lively talk with Gretchen Rubin, Caroline Rector, Becky Murphy, Joy Cho and Jessie Artigue.
Favorite music: I like all the music I’ve heard from Courtney Barnett so far. The music is pleasing and the lyrics are beautiful, relatable poetry. They’re even a little silly. My favorite song of hers is Pedestrian at Best.
This blog post was inspired by Diana of the our.city.lights blog who does similar posts, as well as The Lively Show and all the YouTubers who do monthly favorites.
The first time I watched Titanic, it was 1997 and I was six years old.
I was not allowed to see the whole thing. I saw most of it though. I was either kicked out of the family room or just dismissed myself for the “Draw me like one of your French girls” scene. Honestly, I found what I did see of it a little boring at the time, but I’ve always thought that I should watch it again later since it’s held in such high esteem.
So I did. And it was terrible.
If you feel differently, please let me know why. I just do not see the appeal.
I went into a bit of a rant about it last night to my mom. Man, I wish I would have gotten that on video. I’m not sure if I could repeat it on cue. So, I’ll just try in writing.
First off, the couple only knows each other for two days and they’re terribly in love. That’s the part I just can’t relate to. I get that Rose didn’t want to be with her fiance and that Jack was a nice guy. But it’s a little ridiculous when Jack says things, “I know you.” Kid, no you don’t.
Jack isn’t so bad though. He’s kind of cute and he’s sure of himself. It’s Rose who is a little annoying. Even as an old lady, she’s a little selfish. I mean think about it. She’s recollecting her time on the Titanic while on this boat with a crew who is looking for a very specific, expensive necklace. I get that it was sentimental for her, but it seems so rude when she drops the necklace to the bottom of the ocean without telling anyone she had it with her.
In the scene when Rose and Jack are running away from Rose’s fiancé Cal while he is firing gunshots at them, they run down the ship instead of across. Watching that felt like watching a horror movie. “Don’t go in there! Just run the other way. It’s not that hard. If you down, there will be water. Idiots.”
The one character I actually liked would have to be Molly Brown. I love her wit and dry humor. It turns out that she’s based on a person who lived, whereas Jack and Rose are not. Margaret “Molly” Brown was an activist who worked for labor rights, women’s rights, education and literacy, in addition to being a world traveler. She also ran for Senate twice.
Sorry, guys. I’m a cynic when it comes to love sometimes, even though I am happily in love myself. I’ve just never understood the head over heels love at first sight kind of love because I’ve never had that. Perhaps that isn’t fair.
Funnily enough, I brought up the fact that I had watched all of Titanic on Netflix recently, along with my sentiments, while my boyfriend, his sister and her boyfriend and I were eating dinner together. Paul’s sister said something about how Paul thinks quite the opposite.
While I was six when the movie was out, he was 10. Apparently Paul saw the whole movie and loved it. Like my brother who is a few years older and I’m sure other boys at the time, he became very interested in the Titanic itself. Paul built a model of Titanic and learned to draw it. He’s sure he could still draw it from memory because he has done it so many times.
This movie was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards and won eleven. So, it’s clear that it was appreciated by other people. I guess it just wasn’t for me, or my older sister Katie, who I watched it with. I can’t deny that I’ve loved other things the director and actors have done.
Now I can say I have seen all of one of the most iconic movies of my generation. Hurray!
My boyfriend Paul is here today to share his latest Spotify playlist, Midsomer Times. Without further ado, I’ll let him take it away.
Here we are – the summertime homestretch.
Don’t be afraid to take a dip in the deep end. Put the final weeks of the season to good use. Take comfort in those relaxing moments sitting by the window, watching the sunset turn into a foggy night. Breathe in that crisp, freedom-enriched air on a walk down the street.
With that in mind, spend the next 42 minutes with the ever-so lush Devonte “Blood Orange” Hynes and Bradford Cox film scores, soft Mac Demarco, and the only Spotify-available production of Waldemar Schwartz.
Fourteen years later and Zero 7 still have it, while Neil Young gets in a box.
Follow @thewonderwheel for more music and fun animation!
P.S. You should be able to see the embeded Spotify playlist above, but if you can’t, click this link to open Midsomer Times in your Spotify player.
Normally I’m not really into super hero movies, but a few weeks ago when my boyfriend asked me if I wanted to see Guardians of the Galaxy I said “Yes! Definitely! Chris Pratt is in it and it looks funny, so yeah.” Or something like that.
Although the movie doesn’t come out until August 1, we had the opportunity to see the movie. My boyfriend works for Yahoo, which has been promoting Guardians. He was invited to Disney Studios, along with other media people, to see the movie and bring a guest (me). There are perks of dating someone in media, my friends. Not all the time, but when they come they can be pretty special.
I’m really glad I gave this movie a chance. The thing is, it’s not really a super hero movie. Or at least it’s more than that.
In the words of writer James Gunn:
When I saw that on Tumblr last week, the phrase space epic instantly made me think of Star Wars. It’s a story of group that bands together for different reasons, but in they end they’re all on the side of good. It has action, drama, comedy and a bit of romance. All the makings of a good movie, if you ask me.
We saw the movie in 3D, which I wasn’t expecting and don’t always like. I’ve seen a handful of movies in 3D and sometimes it’s seemed overdone to me. Too many elements were flying toward my face. Maybe that was around the time when the technology was new and Honey I Shrunk the Kids was a big deal. Thankfully, Guardians wasn’t like that.
The story was a little hard for me to follow. Maybe I just wasn’t trying hard enough, honestly, but keeping track of the bad guys was the toughest part. Still, the story had heart and that got to me. The characters had depth and went through growth that felt genuine.
The movie has a stellar cast. I love Chris Pratt from his role as the loveable dope Andy on Parks and Recreation. In Guardians, he gets to play one of the smarter guys in the room and he’s still just as funny. Zoey Zaldana does a great job playing a complex character here. I think her character is actually the most nuanced of the lot of them and she plays it well. Surprisingly, I didn’t get annoyed by Bradley Cooper in this movie, but maybe that’s because he was lending the voice to a brilliant raccoon. Something about Bradley Cooper – or I guess just the characters he plays – normally bothers me, but not this time.
By the way, you can see the Yahoo Q and A with the stars and director of Guardians of the Galaxy here.
Whether you’re in it for Chris Pratt’s ripped abs (worth it) or the comic book story, you won’t soon forget this epic adventure. If you see it, let me know your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments below. I want know what you think.
P.S. Parents, in case you’re wondering, this movie is PG-13 and it seems safe for kids to me. It can be a bit scary for young kids, but I don’t think it would be bad. There was nothing sexual except for a joke that would go over their heads and no cursing that I remember.
I’ve been meaning to tell you for quite some time to get off your butt and..
See Chef in theaters!
On the risk of over hyping it (Is that a phrase?), I feel that I must tell you to catch this movie while it’s still in theaters.
The cast is spectacular, the writing is amazing and the soundtrack rocks. It’s honest, sweet, funny, romantic and inspiring.
Centered around restaurant chef Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau, the movie takes us on a summer adventure. How perfect is that? In an attempt to get back his creative passion for cooking and make some extra cash after losing his restaurant job, Casper starts up a food truck. The journey ends up being a great bonding experience for him and his son Percy, played by Emjay Anthony.
Sofia Vergara, Jon Leguizamo, and Dustin Hoffman round out the all-star cast of this independent film. Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. play a role as well.
My boyfriend and I don’t always agree on movies, but we both loved this one. He said he had never laughed that much in a movie before and it had him smiling the whole time. It’s like food for the soul.
We saw it a few weeks ago and I haven’t stopped recommending it since.
Seriously, catch it on the big screen while you can!
BTW: I feel like I should mention that this post was in no way sponsored, although I would love to be sponsored to write movie reviews of sorts. Look for more film, TV and pop culture blog posts in the future.
Image: Open Road Films
Happy summer, everybody! I hope you all had a good time celebrating the start of the season.
I was at Knott’s Berry Farm, an amusement park, with family on summer solstice. I hadn’t been there in almost 10 years. It was fun, but honestly, I can’t handle roller coasters quite like I used to. I guess I’m getting old.
I’m making plans for summer and hoping for some grand adventures. What have you got planned?
Summer makes me long for weekend trips up and down the California coast. I’m also hoping for a plane trip to visit relatives and plenty of beach days around my area.
This playlist was inspired by the KCRW summer concert series. It’s a great chance to experience live performances, DJ sets and community. Notice I said inspired and not sponsored.
Listen to the playlist on Spotify here.
Modern Notebook 