day 7:30 - 30 day challenge

day 7: favorite movies
alright... i'll try and keep this list short... but i can't guarantee anything.  i have never really been able to pin point one true favorite movie, so i'm super glad today's item was a plural situation :)  i really do enjoy movies.  there is something about them and the way they can transport you to a different world unlike your own.  my 2012 of movie watching was awesome, thinking back on it makes me miss my netflix dvd account... but then i remember once i met the boy, my movie watching nights were cut very slim.  to recap on all the movies i saw in 2012, click here.  of course, my list of favorites could go on forever, all for very different reasons.  so here is the list as of april 2013
in no specific "i love you more than the rest" order:
- mrs. doubtfire
- bridesmaids
- crazy, stupid, love
- mean girls
- toy story (all three, of course)
- i am sam
- forrest gump
- 27 dresses
- silver linings playbook
- date night
as you can tell, i do love my comedies. both romanticaly girly and hilariously funny will do it for me.  i do also enjoy a fair amount of dramas, and even the occasional action movie.  what movie genre will you almost NEVER be able to get me to watch?  horror.  i just can't do it.  i was swayed to go see "cloverfield" once... ugh it was HORRIBLE.  never again.  not on a big screen, barely on a small screen.  well, on that note, i'm going to leave you with this fantastic scene from the most recent movie i watched, big fish.

december flicks & reads

i slacked on all levels this month.  nothing i watched was from my netflix account (which i intend to cancel next month) and no more than one book was read.  oops.  i finished "something blue" with plenty of time to read "something borrowed" in the month... but then the holidays happen.  yeah, i always find an excuse.  i even slacked at instagram-ing movie stubs and such to use..
most of the movies this month were selected by the boy.  4 our of the 7 to be exact. on our trip to chico we watched goldeneye, and he also acquired all the other james bond movies in digital (aka not vhs) format... so now you can see what exactly my future holds.  yep.  probably quite a bit of james bond education.  as far as the rest of his selections went, they were pretty good.  minus eight crazy nights.  i could have lived my whole life without seeing that gem of a cartoon.
as far as les miserables goes, i thought it was pretty well done.  i went in to it not knowing what the story line was, and found myself only confused a little bit here and there.  oh, and i expected a lot more of anne hathaway's charater, since that's basically all you see in the trailer.  so yeah.  i didn't cry like a ton of other people said they did, but i enjoyed it.
basic (2003)
the saint (1997)
goldeneye (1995)
10 things i hate about you (1999)
elf (2003)
les miserables (2012)
eight crazy nights (2002)
so apparently this was the follow up book to "something borrowed"... but i didn't know that and read this one first.  oops.  i still enjoyed the book anyways, despite that fact, and i'm sure i'll enjoy the first one.  i'm finding i really enjoy this author's writing style, so you'll probably see more of her books on my "reads" posts in the coming year.
something blue - emily giffin
in other news, here are some links to follow me on various social-ish sites
instagram
twitter
goodreads
have a fun, fantastic & safe new years eve, and i'll be back in 2013!

november flicks & reads

my internet has been pretty wonky the past week or so, which makes quite a few things more difficult than the really should be.  surprisingly, this is only a few days late versus the few weeks the past couple months have been.  november was a pretty productive movie going month for me, being at the theaters three times. not too shabby.  especially that they were two matinees and a bargain price tuesday ticket.
i think the weirdest of all the movies i saw this month was numb.  i don't even know where to begin on that one, besides that it's not the normal matthew perry that i'm so used to seeing on tv week after week.  don't knock it till you see it though!
little miss sunshine (2006)
crazy/beautiful (2001)
julie & julia (2009)
wreck-it ralph (2012)
the five-year engagement (2012)
skyfall (2012)
numb (2007)
silver linings playbook (2012)
honestly, i forgot i even read a book this month since i finished it way back at the beginning of the month.  then followed that up by checking out two books from the library and not opening a single one of them.  well, this lovely read was very typical of the jodi picoult books i have read in the past.  random, unexpected things happening at every given moment.  though this one wasn't the easiest read.  i feel like it jumped around quite a bit and was a little confusing at times.  if you decide to pick it up and give it a read, i wish you the best and would love to hear your thoughts on it!
perfect match - jodi picoult

october flicks & reads

let's play the totally slacked at updating again game.  yep, i'm still winning.  the problem with me remembering to post things is getting quite ridiculous.  though, this time october bled right in to november, and november means birthday month.  seriously, the first four days of november were full of a little bit of everything.  date nights, birthday celebrations, job interviews... you name it.  but i did still watch some movies, and read some books... which is why they're both jammed in to this one post.
the movie that was the most difficult to get through?  hunger games.  yes, i read the books first.  which meant i knew what kind of things happened.  and i pretty much had a death grip on the boy's hand the whole time just to be sure.  will i go see the next one in theaters?  probably not.  on a smaller screen was MUCH easier for me to handle.  pitch perfect was HILARIOUS.  like, i'd buy it the day it came out because i liked it so much hilarious.  but i'll wait for people to sell their used copies on amazon, because i like a good steal.  true story.
the hangover (2009)
can't buy me love (1987)
pitch perfect (2012)
the hunger games (2012)
charlie st. cloud (2010)
rain man (1988)
for the record, i did read the book for charlie st. cloud before watching the movie.  both books this month were pretty decent (and i'm glad i can say that i read two).  still didn't get that gym membership so i can have a place to treadmill and read more... maybe next month.  or next year since we're BASICALLY almost to 2013.  yikes.  where has the time gone by?
the death and life of charlie st. cloud - ben sherwood
love the one you're with - emily giffin

september flicks & reads

yeah, i know its almost two weeks in to october and i'm posting this... better late than never right?  september brought a new someone special in to my life, and my late nights of watching movies & reading by myself have taken a hit.  thus combining these in to one post.  no really, i do enjoy blogging still.  don't get me wrong!  i went out to the theaters twice this month, plus a few movies on netflix kept a balance of things being watched.  of course i can't blame everything on the new guy, but also thanks to tv shows coming back on the air and having new things to watch.  haha.  here is my list of movies, and they all were pretty good!
the pirates! band of misfits (2012)
the avengers (2012)
lars and the real girl (2007)
ruby sparks (2012)
the six wives of henry lefay (2009)
the good girl (2002)
crazy on the outside (2010)
yeah, my reading list is pathetic.  one book the entire month.  lame.  good thing is though that hopefully october will change.  i'm planning to get back in to going to the gym this month which will allow for some reading time when it comes to treadmills & such.  in the past, it was all about textbooks, but thanks to being a college grad, i have none of those to lug around and study anymore.
that said, this book was an excellent read, thanks to jenny.  i really don't want to go too in depth because i went in to it with not much knowledge about it beyond the title of the book (jenny told me not to read the back, but just dive in) and i would say the same to you.
room - emma donoghue

august flicks

huh... i'm pretty amazed that i was able to make it to the movie theaters three times this month.  yeah, i know looking at this list is pretty much a weird mix of everything, but i can't say i strongly disliked any of the movies i watched this month.  though, i think jenny & i hated ourselves for a few days after seeing madagascar 3... thanks to the stupid circus afro song.  nothing worse than trying to get things done... or sleep... and have THAT running through your brain.  though, it would be a pretty good form of torture ;)
riding in cars with boys (2001)
wanderlust (2012)
hope springs (2012)
keeping the faith (2000)
the bourne legacy (2012)
rent control (2002)
madagascar 3: europe's most wanted (2012)
chasing liberty (2004)
for richer or poorer (1997)

july flicks

alright. alright. yes, i did go see magic mike.  and i'll throw out the fact that jenny & erika saw it with me so we are all equally guilty of seeing that "enticing" movie.  problem was, when we saw the movie, there was WAY too much trying to happen all at the same time during the 110 minutes of the movie.  unfortunately, i'm sure that movie COULD have been a whole lot worse than it was... but it also could have been a whole lot better.  so, if you are still desiring to see "magic mike"... wait for dvd.
good movies this month?  because i said so, new year's eve, and the always enjoyable she's the man.  makes me wish amanda bynes was still making movies.
the ugly truth (2009)
love, wedding, marriage (2011)
my girl (1991)
magic mike (2012)
new year's eve (2011)
miss pettigrew lives for a day (2008)
because i said so (2007)
two weeks notice (2002)
the amazing spider-man (2012)
romy and michele's high school reunion (1997)
definitely, maybe (2008)
she's the man (2006)
the wedding date (2005)
mirror mirror (2012)
shall we dance? (2004)

june flicks

june was a bit of a slow month when it comes to movie watching and book reading. erika's wedding, recital rehearsals & show day brought on a lot of late nights where i got home later than planned and just crawled in to bed and crashed on the usual movie nights. i did make it out to the theaters once this month, so that as good. hopefully next month will bring a few more movie trips with friends. ready for the summer fun to keep on coming!
flashdance (1983)
love actually (2003)
american graffiti (1973)
50/50 (2011)
something's gotta give (2003)
step brothers (2008)
sherlock holmes: a game of shadows (2011)
how to deal (2003)
brave (2012)
while you were sleeping (1995)
drive me crazy (1999)

may flicks

this month was pretty decent as far as movie watching goes.  i would have to say i filled my netflix account with pretty good choices (of course, i'm the only judge of that!) looking through my list, i also see that it was another very "nicholas sparks-y" kind of month.  one was recorded on my dvr, one was a netflix rental, and the other was a big screen adventure for jenny's birthday.  i'm hooked, not going to lie.  though, i think i've gotten to the point where i've seen all the movie versions, and it's down to just reading the books.  i will have to double check with my two resident nicholas sparks authorities though.

the only let down of this month of movies?  charly.  i had such high hopes after loving the book, and hearing good things about the movie.  but it was just... really weird at parts.  it left me feeling like i need to reread the book to see how much of it actually did happen.  can't see myself adding that one to my movie collection though :/

stand by me (1986)
nights in rodanthe (2008)
charly (1968)
no reservations (2007)
dear john (2010)
the lucky one (2012)
mamma mia (2008)
you've got mail (1998)
the last song (2010)
one for the money (2012)
big fish (2003)

april flicks

i'm pretty all about instagram-ing things these days... can you tell?  anyways, this month was pretty much a good month for movie choices.  there were a few odd decisions i made (case and point: xanadu) but other than that, they were all pretty dang good.  21 jump street was down right hilarious, message in a bottle was pretty romantic, and of course, bridesmaids & crazy, stupid, love made for an EXCELLENT girls night with betsy & jenny.  the movie that stands out to me the most from this month?  i am sam.  i don't know how or why i didn't see that movie sooner, but the entire storyline behind it is just so sweet and adorable.  if you haven't seen it, i highly suggest it.  it gets a "will hunt this movie down at dimple records" rating on my personal movie enjoyment scale :)

21 jump street (2012)*
garden state (2004)
the object of my affection (1998)
bridesmaids (2011)*
crazy, stupid, love (2011)*
he's just not that in to you (2009)
some kind of wonderful (1987)
footloose (2011)
i am sam (2001)
xanadu (1980)
war horse (2011)
must love dogs (2005)
message in a bottle (1999)
little black book (2004)

movie ticket shadow box

i stumbled across this idea awhile ago on pinterest, and thought it was AMAZING... so i had to make one all for myself. a quick trip to joann's, and i got the frame and paper all in one trip. now, it totally doesn't match the color my room is painted right now, but that's quite alright with me. it's sparkly, teal and pretty :) the paper was originally 12x12, as all pretty paper tends to be, so i cut it down to 10x10 to fit my frame. the original shadow box appeared to be larger. or maybe just more rectangular. either way, i preferred the square frame format, since most movie ticket stubs end up being that shape these days anyways. (that picture totally makes my teal strip look crooked, but it's not... i used a ruler!) the teal stripe was also cut from a 12x12 piece (i think it's 3x10) and stuck down to the background piece. i used my cricut to cut the ticket shapes as well as the lettering. ran those letters through my sticker maker, and they were good to go!
i got my brother to dremel a slot in the top for me so that for any future movie going experiences, i can easily just drop the ticket stubs in through the top to add to my collection. sure is useful to have brothers around that are handy with dremels too. dropped my tickets in, ranging from 2008ish up to a few weeks ago. my wallet was relieved to have the stack cleared out. but that just means more movies need to be seen! and there you have it! it was super simple on my part (since i didn't have to do the dremel-ing) and turned out fantastic! now i have a super cool piece of wall art to show off my growing movie ticket stub collection :)
original pinterest post: kirsten johnson
cricut cartridges used: mickey mouse font (for ticket shapes) alphalicious (for lettering)

march flicks

i realized after this showed up on networked blogs that i hadn't finished editing this post. so here is the recap. this month was the first time i had ever been "blessed" with a broken dvd from netflix. yep. check out the crack on that beauty! i discovered it on my "scheduled" movie night, so i ended up pulling out the dvd i got for my birthday instead [it was baby mama that was cracked. watched rumor has it instead] i do have to say i commend netflix for being speedy on their shipment of a dvd replacement. impressive. also, three months in, and i have realized movie watching gives my mondays something to look forward to.
what's your number? (2011)
breakfast at tiffany's (1961)
fried green tomatoes (1991)
rumor has it... (2005)

baby mama (2008)
roman holiday (1953)
run fatboy run (2007)
date night (2010)*

benny & joon (1993)*
about a boy (2002)
the other guys (2010)
marley & me (2008)
office space (1999)

february flicks

my movie watching pace was a little thrown off this month. one being because it was a little bit shorter of a month, and two because i spent the week in las vegas which knocked out a few of my regular movie watching days. well, here is the list of what i got through - as well as the one movie i saw in theaters this month
what happens in vegas (2008)
my best friend's wedding (1997)
dodgeball: a true underdog story (2004)
life as we know it (2010)
the vow (2012)*
love happens (2009)
to be fat like me (2007)
all about steve (2009)

happy lovey dovey single's awareness day!

yeah, i went there! of course, with my group of friends, every day is singles awareness day for me! no big deal. i'm used to it. i decided to do a mix of things for this valentines day posting. first of all, a valentine's classic. (be my valentine, charlie brown clip) gotta love those conversation hearts!
next up for valentine's day, a little more youtube-ing brings you some of my favorite glee duets, whether romantic or silly. i won't be posting any from tonight's episode though. haven't watched it yet!

lastly, a short little list of some of my favorite lovey/funny/romantic comedy types of movies for you to potentially enjoy this valentine's day. in no specific order:
1. Valentine's Day
2. The Notebook
3. Bridesmaids
4. Crazy, Stupid, Love
5. 27 Dresses
and a bonus if you would like a movie night out:
6. The Vow
I enjoyed each and every one of those movies, and hope you would too. but like they say on reading rainbow, you don't have to take my word for it! Got any exciting plans for this evening with your loved one? Leave a comment below and share all about your excitement!

youtube favorites

every now and then, i spend my time cruising youtube for some video clips here and there. of course, there is usually a general theme of them when searching, be it tv shows, music videos, or just random crapola people think is may be funny. well, here are three of my favorite video finds of the week.

happy thursday!

january flicks

so we've reached the end of the first month, and survived the changes. well, at least i survived them. i don't know about how you readers (hello? are you out there?) are getting by. anyways, i took the liberty of creating a "goal" for movie watching with my netflix account. "goal" seems a little more realistic to keep at than a "resolution" so what i did was made a goal for every monday and thursday that i was home at night to be my designated movie night. this allowed the dvds to not just sit idle for weeks on end pinned to my bulletin board waiting to be viewed. here is the "watched movies" list of the month.
tap (1989)
cowboys & aliens (2011)*
dead poet's society (1989)
crazy, stupid, love (2011)
larry crowne (2011)
beauty & the beast 3D (1991)*
the muppets (2011)*
tangled (2010)*
when harry met sally (1989)
sleepless in seattle (1993)
the notebook (2004)*
boogie woogie (2009)
raising helen (2004)
just married (2003)
*notes movies that were not netflix rentals. just because i can