Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Lovely Remake of Run by Leona Lewis (Original Snow Patrol)
I just love hearing these lyrics. It's nice to hear a woman singing it. Very powerful!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
All About the Movies this Year
It has never happened before. Never has there been a year in movie making that I've been so thrilled to go to the movie theaters. There are some that are new to me, and others I've been waiting on. Here is my list:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Saw this with my Mom two days after the premiere date. The last movie I saw before this in the movie theater was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That tells you a lot about my opinion of movies over the last few years. Harry Potter flix are always worth the wait in my opinion. And I haven't read the books, so the movies are all I have until they're done making them.
Twilight & New Moon
Rarely do I jump on the bandwagon, but I did this time. I am a true "twi-hard" owning and having read all the books several times. It should be called "addiction." I didn't watch Twilight in the theaters because I read the book long after it was on the big screen. When I watched the movie, I was in love with the actors portraying the characters. Some I loved right away, others grew on me as time passed. Release date: November 20, 2009
My Sister's Keeper
I watched this trailer over and over. Every time I would get goose bumps. I planned to go watch it with my Mom, but we never got to it before it left our local theater. I suppose we could go to more metropolitan area and it would still be there, but I think I'll wait til it comes out on DVD.
Brothers
I've been following this movie for a while and a trailer just recently appeared on Hulu.com. It's a remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire; three actors I love. It's about two brothers - one is serving his 4th tour in modern day military, while the other has just recently been released from prison. When the military brother, Maguire, is confirmed to be dead while at war, his brother, Gyllenhaal, decides to take care of his wife and family, played by Portman. But what Gyllenhall and Portman don't expect is to fall in love with eachother. It's sort of a Pearl Harbor theme where Maguire shows up half way through the movie, alive but not well after finding out about his wife and brother. The trailer is VERY TENSE, but very real. I believe it and find the situation unbelievalbly sad and heart wrenching. Release date: December 5, 2009
Alice in Wonderland
Two words: Tim Burton. Need I say more? The remake intales the familiar case of Johnney Depp & Burton's GF Helena Bonham Carter. Also casted is Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway and newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Burton's mind is always worth the wait. Release date: March 5, 2010
Amelia
My husband is a pilot, so anything pretaining to an airplane we get involved in. This doesn't exclude movies. This is going to be a GREAT movie. Not only does it have a great 2 time Academy Award winning female actress to play the part - Hilary Swank - but it's also a great story about a great American icon. This story needed to be told. I guarantee the next movie that comes out will be entitled "The Wright Brothers" Release date: October 23, 2009
The Reader
When a movie pulls you from the couch in through the TV, and you feel the emotion as if you were the actual character playing the part, you know it's a good movie. Compelling story about love and pride shortly after World War 2, Kate Winslet revealed no angst as she stepped into the role of Hanna Schmitz. Definitely a must see if you're looking to forget normalcy for a couple of hours. It's out on DVD.
Whip It
Almost anything Drew Barrymore is involved with I will watch because she creates roles for and about women. This movie is about women in Roller Derby starring Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore and Juliette Lewis. Release date: October 9, 2009
The Time Travelers Wife
30 years from now, I'll be sitting with a friend or family member watching this rambling on about how it's one of the best chick flix / romances of all time ranking with Steel Magnolias or Titanic. It's possible. I'm DYING to see it! The trailer does it's job and teases. Release date: August 14, 2009
Taking Woodstock
A movie about the greatest concert of all time. It needed to be made. Release date: August 28, 2009
This is it. If I see anymore coming out, I'll post!!!
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Saw this with my Mom two days after the premiere date. The last movie I saw before this in the movie theater was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That tells you a lot about my opinion of movies over the last few years. Harry Potter flix are always worth the wait in my opinion. And I haven't read the books, so the movies are all I have until they're done making them.
Twilight & New Moon
Rarely do I jump on the bandwagon, but I did this time. I am a true "twi-hard" owning and having read all the books several times. It should be called "addiction." I didn't watch Twilight in the theaters because I read the book long after it was on the big screen. When I watched the movie, I was in love with the actors portraying the characters. Some I loved right away, others grew on me as time passed. Release date: November 20, 2009
My Sister's Keeper
I watched this trailer over and over. Every time I would get goose bumps. I planned to go watch it with my Mom, but we never got to it before it left our local theater. I suppose we could go to more metropolitan area and it would still be there, but I think I'll wait til it comes out on DVD.
Brothers
I've been following this movie for a while and a trailer just recently appeared on Hulu.com. It's a remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire; three actors I love. It's about two brothers - one is serving his 4th tour in modern day military, while the other has just recently been released from prison. When the military brother, Maguire, is confirmed to be dead while at war, his brother, Gyllenhaal, decides to take care of his wife and family, played by Portman. But what Gyllenhall and Portman don't expect is to fall in love with eachother. It's sort of a Pearl Harbor theme where Maguire shows up half way through the movie, alive but not well after finding out about his wife and brother. The trailer is VERY TENSE, but very real. I believe it and find the situation unbelievalbly sad and heart wrenching. Release date: December 5, 2009
Alice in Wonderland
Two words: Tim Burton. Need I say more? The remake intales the familiar case of Johnney Depp & Burton's GF Helena Bonham Carter. Also casted is Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway and newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Burton's mind is always worth the wait. Release date: March 5, 2010
Amelia
My husband is a pilot, so anything pretaining to an airplane we get involved in. This doesn't exclude movies. This is going to be a GREAT movie. Not only does it have a great 2 time Academy Award winning female actress to play the part - Hilary Swank - but it's also a great story about a great American icon. This story needed to be told. I guarantee the next movie that comes out will be entitled "The Wright Brothers" Release date: October 23, 2009
The Reader
When a movie pulls you from the couch in through the TV, and you feel the emotion as if you were the actual character playing the part, you know it's a good movie. Compelling story about love and pride shortly after World War 2, Kate Winslet revealed no angst as she stepped into the role of Hanna Schmitz. Definitely a must see if you're looking to forget normalcy for a couple of hours. It's out on DVD.
Whip It
Almost anything Drew Barrymore is involved with I will watch because she creates roles for and about women. This movie is about women in Roller Derby starring Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore and Juliette Lewis. Release date: October 9, 2009
The Time Travelers Wife
30 years from now, I'll be sitting with a friend or family member watching this rambling on about how it's one of the best chick flix / romances of all time ranking with Steel Magnolias or Titanic. It's possible. I'm DYING to see it! The trailer does it's job and teases. Release date: August 14, 2009
Taking Woodstock
A movie about the greatest concert of all time. It needed to be made. Release date: August 28, 2009
This is it. If I see anymore coming out, I'll post!!!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
GOOP
Gwyneth Paltrow was a guest recently on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. During their conversation, her website was brought up, www.goop.com and I was instantly curious. Along with being one of my favorite actresses, she is also very inspiring as a person and woman. So, I went to her website to see what it was all about. It's comprised of her life - what she eats, where she goes, what she wears...etc. An expanded blog, if you will. A very motivational, thought provoking way to share her favorite experiences, places, food and thoughts. I signed up for the newsletter and just downloaded some healthy recipes to try this weekend. Check it out. www.goop.com by Gwyneth Paltrow.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Landslide
Last week, I was listening to some songs and came across Smashing Pumpkins version of the song "Landslide" originally written by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. I'd always heard this song on local radio stations and noticed it was sort of an upbeat song. I never really listened to the words. So, for the first time, I really listened taking in each word along with each beat. My cheeks were soon stained with salty trails of tears. For me, it was a song about loss; and whenever I hear a song about losing someone, I put myself in that situation. The outcome - quiet hysteria. This person could have lived their lives to the absolute fullest and then lost it all - it may have been like being reborn again but instead of starting fresh, you're left with decades of memories filled with the life you once embraced. I think it's about defeat. It's a moment of utter loneliness. But the fact that the song is sang in an upbeat manner is a conundrum to me. What do you think?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Hobbies
Does everyone reach a point in their lives when they just feel the need to experience everything at once? Do you think it's worse for females or males? My husband is so creative. I wish I could be as creative as him. He goes through "phases" where he gets involved in new, interesting activities. It's like watching a kid's face light up on Christmas morning when he gets an epiphany. For example, he was interested in taking Jujitsu classes, so he signed up and now he goes two times a week. It's actually really great to be married to someone with so much enthusiasm for life. I wish that I was interested in so many things. I just think that I'm content with what I have, that I don't want to push my luck. Or maybe I'm just a coward. I've been having this urge to learn to play piano or guitar, but I haven't made any commitments to it. It might be because it's warming up and I'd rather be outside than stuck inside learning the piano. So, it's a goal. Maybe in the fall I'll be brave and sign up to learn. I just have this urge to excel - to flourish. Several years back, a lot happened at once. I moved out of my parents house, I graduated college, found an amazing job in my career field and married the love of my life. A lot of change all in one short time frame. And it never seemed to end - it was constantly hectic every weekend for about a year or two. Then it calmed and I was able to embrace my life and everything in it. Now, maybe it's time to bring on the change again - good change. Life is what you make it and I'm going to make the most of it.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Realistic New Moon Trailer
I think I've seen all the 'fanmade' New Moon trailers and this one is the best by far :)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Dog Paddling Adventures
For those of you who don't know, our dog is a big part of our lives. His name is Tucker and he is a 1-1/2 year old Brittany. We bought him with the intentions of having a field companion for Curtis and a family dog, for the both of us. He's lived up to both, for the most part. Aside from the occasional jumping up on strangers, or pulling on his lead when he's excited, or grabbing a sock from the laundry basket just to get our attention, Tucker is really an amazing dog. I imagine that most "parents" get excited about including their "kids" in daily, monthly or even yearly activities. I love to share all my experiences with the people that I love, and Tucker isn't an exception. One of our yearly activities includes a vacation and since we already took a pretty big one across the Atlantic (in which there was no way Tucker would have survived such a long trip in a crate) we decided to do something especially designed for him.
I went to Google and typed in "Vacation with your Dog." Out of all the search results, one caught my eye.
www.dogpaddlingadventures.com
It's a little family owned business that operates out of Ontario, Canada. They take groups between 5-10 'humans' camping and canoeing at various parks in the Ontario area. The best part: You bring your dog with you! Your dog roams free off leash with the other dogs that came with their humans. Tucker will learn how to canoe with us :) He'll be able to swim and run while the whole time Curtis and I will be having another little vacation as well. It sounds like a cool concept and I am looking forward to experiencing it.
Seeing Tucker happy always makes me happy :) It really is something to see him take off, sniffing and seeing the world on his own. Watching him learn is really a rewarding experience. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel about our first born if this is how I feel about our pup :) Giving your heart to someone is truly a beautiful thing.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Ireland - An Experience of a Lifetime
Curtis and I just recently got back from our trip to Ireland. What an amazing country. What an amazing time we had together. We left on March 10 catching our airplane from Columbus to Philly. At around 9pm, we left Philly for our 7 hour flight to Dublin. We arrived in Dublin at 7am ready to partake in the days activities.
We saw the Guinness Factory and tasted our first pint of Irish Guinness - which was pretty amazing. I had my doubts, but I actually liked it a lot. After that long day, we finally were able to relax and sleep in our hotel room. In the next several days, we traveled to Kilkenny, Killarney, Blarney, Galway, Clifden and to top it off, we were back in Dublin on our last day for St. Patrick's Day! What a sight to see a river full of green bodies inches apart from each other. It was pure MADNESS trying to get through them all to our hotel. One other couple described Mardi Gras to be less crazy than the mayhem we witnessed on the streets of Dublin.
During the trip, we saw 6 castles including the Rock of Cashel, The Blarney Castle, The Kilkenny Castle, The Clifden Castle and Ross Castle - Ross was my favorite. It took almost an hour to walk to (we went off on our own without the tour group) and the walk itself was very scenic and breathtaking. When we arrived, it was like out of a painting with mountains as it's back drop and swans in the inlet in front with beautiful skies just around the end of the day. What more could you hope for? And having my best friend and husband holding my hand made the moment even more special.
We ate Irish meals including Guinness and Irish Stews, fish and chips (fries are chips), Irish pizza, chicken and potatoes, salmon, full Irish breakfasts which included eggs, Irish bacon (almost like Canadian bacon) pigs blood (YAK!) sausage and potatoes. We also tasted an Irish coffee which was also, surprisingly, yummy. I never thought anything with Whiskey in it would be good, but it definitely was something I'd drink again. It almost tasted like a Cappuccino. :)
Speaking of drinks, we did take a "Pub" tour. We drank a lot of different Irish beer including Kilkenny, Guinness, Murphy's, Bulmers, and Smithwicks. Kilkenny was my favorite.
Another high point of our trip was The Ring of Kerry which is a scenic drive though and along the coastline on the South Eastern portion of the island. Breathtaking. We were lucky because the weather was AMAZING on this day of the trip. The Atlantic ocean was beautiful outlined by the cliffs and shorelines of Ireland. I'll never forget how beautiful it was. We also saw the Cliffs of Moher which was equally as breathtaking. No picture can ever do them justice. It was a little chilly that day, and overcast, but the views were still profound.
Overall, I still think to myself how lucky we were to go to Ireland. We are fortunate to have made some friends, too. We went through CIE Tours - the Pub Tour. Our tour guide was entertaining and knowledgable. We had a great time and would recommend CIE Tours to anyone with a desire to see Ireland without the hassle of driving - especially if you're not used to driving on the left side of the road. CIE does a great job! An experience of a life time.
We saw the Guinness Factory and tasted our first pint of Irish Guinness - which was pretty amazing. I had my doubts, but I actually liked it a lot. After that long day, we finally were able to relax and sleep in our hotel room. In the next several days, we traveled to Kilkenny, Killarney, Blarney, Galway, Clifden and to top it off, we were back in Dublin on our last day for St. Patrick's Day! What a sight to see a river full of green bodies inches apart from each other. It was pure MADNESS trying to get through them all to our hotel. One other couple described Mardi Gras to be less crazy than the mayhem we witnessed on the streets of Dublin.
During the trip, we saw 6 castles including the Rock of Cashel, The Blarney Castle, The Kilkenny Castle, The Clifden Castle and Ross Castle - Ross was my favorite. It took almost an hour to walk to (we went off on our own without the tour group) and the walk itself was very scenic and breathtaking. When we arrived, it was like out of a painting with mountains as it's back drop and swans in the inlet in front with beautiful skies just around the end of the day. What more could you hope for? And having my best friend and husband holding my hand made the moment even more special.
We ate Irish meals including Guinness and Irish Stews, fish and chips (fries are chips), Irish pizza, chicken and potatoes, salmon, full Irish breakfasts which included eggs, Irish bacon (almost like Canadian bacon) pigs blood (YAK!) sausage and potatoes. We also tasted an Irish coffee which was also, surprisingly, yummy. I never thought anything with Whiskey in it would be good, but it definitely was something I'd drink again. It almost tasted like a Cappuccino. :)
Speaking of drinks, we did take a "Pub" tour. We drank a lot of different Irish beer including Kilkenny, Guinness, Murphy's, Bulmers, and Smithwicks. Kilkenny was my favorite.
Another high point of our trip was The Ring of Kerry which is a scenic drive though and along the coastline on the South Eastern portion of the island. Breathtaking. We were lucky because the weather was AMAZING on this day of the trip. The Atlantic ocean was beautiful outlined by the cliffs and shorelines of Ireland. I'll never forget how beautiful it was. We also saw the Cliffs of Moher which was equally as breathtaking. No picture can ever do them justice. It was a little chilly that day, and overcast, but the views were still profound.
Overall, I still think to myself how lucky we were to go to Ireland. We are fortunate to have made some friends, too. We went through CIE Tours - the Pub Tour. Our tour guide was entertaining and knowledgable. We had a great time and would recommend CIE Tours to anyone with a desire to see Ireland without the hassle of driving - especially if you're not used to driving on the left side of the road. CIE does a great job! An experience of a life time.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Bom Dia Açai Berry Juice
Last month, I had a HORRIBLE experience that changed my life. It changed my life so much, that I haven't had a sip of caffeine since. What was it that changed my life, you ask? Enter: Kidney Stones. It runs in my family, but I never thought that I would go through the awful experience. In my quest to NEVER EVER have to go through it again, I've been drinking tons of water and juice. I came across this juice / fruit called Açai Berry with Pomegranate made by Bolthouse Do Brazil. It has 472 antioxidants compared to 95 in cranberry juice. Açai berries are found in the Amazon and it's swiftly growing to be known as the most powerful and nutricious fruit in the world. Next time you're out grocery shopping, go to the fruit section and see if you can find a bottle. I get mine from Kroger grocery stores. They're healthy and taste great! Imagine the combo!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Cory & Casey Engagement Foto Shoot
Cory (my brother-in-law) and Casey (soon to be sister-in-law) asked me to take some engagement photos of them. I accepted and we decided to shoot at a local park called "Wolfe Run." I wanted the pictures to capture an intimate day together, walking though a park. Enjoy!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Claddagh Irish Pubs
Saturday, Curtis decided to take me out to dinner in Columbus. Happily to be out with the love of my life, we went to Claddagh Irish Pub. I was a bit skeptical at first, but completely taken back when we stepped into the restaurant. It was actually kind of ritzy. The attendants asked us if we had a reservation, and because it was such a spontaneous occasion, we didn't have one. So we sat at the bar, which was equally, if not better than sitting at a table. We found a nice secluded area of the bar -- it is possible to find seculsion at a bar-- and sat down. Curtis and I are going to Ireland in March, so we were looking forward to getting our tolerances up and to test out the variety and mixtures. I decided to be DD, so I ordered a water and only tasted some of the beer he ordered. He ordered a black and tan, which was really and truly the best beer I've ever tasted.
After that was a Smithwicks and then a half and half. There are a lot of different variations. Here are just a few.
After that was a Smithwicks and then a half and half. There are a lot of different variations. Here are just a few.- All Irish Black & Tan, aka, Blacksmith, aka, Irish Nectar, aka, Pint of Special: Guinness Stout and Smithwick's Irish Ale
- Back in Black: Half Guinness and half Sid Richardson College lager.
- Black Hearted Lady : Guinness and Bell's Two-Hearted Ale
- Black & Bushy :Half Guinness and half New Glaurs Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale
- Black & Cherry: Guinness and Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
- Black & Gold: Half Guinness Stout and half hard cider (e.g., Westons or Woodchuck).
- Black & Gold: Half Guinness and Half Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
- Black & Red: Half Guinness and half Red Stripe
- Black & Red: Half chocolate stout over half raspberry or cherry lambic
- Black & Sam: Guinness and Samuel Adams Boston Lager
- Black & Black : A blend of Guinness Extra Stout and Guinness Draught
- Black & Blue: Stout with Blue Moon Belgian White
- Black & Orange: Stout and pumpkin ale
- Black & White: Stout with any light colored beer.
- Black Bastard, aka, Arrogant Black: Guinness and Arrogant Bastard Ale
- Black Castle: Half Guinness and half Newcastle Brown Ale.
- Black Christmas, aka, Kwanzaa: Guinness draught over Christmas Ale.
- Black Cow: Half Guinness and half New Glarus Spotted Cow
- Black Dead Guy: Half Guinness and Half Rogue Dead Guy Ale
- Black Eye: Half Guinness and Half Black Eye Ale
- Black Girl: Half Guinness and St. Pauli Girl
- Black Hoe: Half Guinness and half Hoegaarden.
- Black Honey: Half Guinness and Half Honey Brown
- Black Honky: Half Guinness and Half Goose Island Honker's Ale
- Black Light: Half Guinness and Half Samuel Adams Light (or other light beer) #9
- Black Magic: Half Guinness and Half Magic Hat #9
- Black & Blood, aka, Guinness and Black: Guinness & Ribena (Black Current)
- Black Negra: Half Guinness, Half Negra Modelo
- Black on Blonde, aka, Blonde Redhead' : A mixture of (slightly more than) half Guinness and (slightly less than) half Stella Artois
- Black & Ornery (invented by Kevin Zinter): Half Guinness and Half Furious
- Black Rock : Half Guinness and Half Rolling Rock
- Black Sap: Half Guinness and Sapporo
- Black Scotch Ale: Half Guinness and Half Sam Adam's Scotch Ale
- Black Summer: Half Guinness and Half Sam Adam's Summer Ale
- Black Tire: Half Guinness and half New Belgium Fat Tire
- Blacks on Blondes: Half Young's Double Chocolate Stout and half Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde
- Dark & Steamy (invented by Joe Fahrner): Half Anchor Steam Beer and half Guinness
- Dirty Bush (Traditional): Half stout Guinness half Bush Light Mixed Seasonally.
- Eclipse, aka, Black Moon: Half Guinness and Half Blue Moon
- Garnet and Black: Guinness and Killian's Irish Red. T
- The Greatness: Half Guinness and Half Great White.
- Green Goblin : Half Heineken and half Hobgoblin
- Guinn-ling: Half Guinness and Half Yeungling- Created by Jeff Thornton
- Imperial Black & Tan : Half Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale and half Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
- Innis & Guinness : Half Innis & Gunn and half Guinness
- Irish Anarchist: Any Irish stout atop any Irish red ale.
- Irish American: Half Guinness and half Budweiser.
- Irish Canadian: Half Guinness and half Molson Canadian
- Irishman in Texas: Half Guinness and half Shiner Bock
- Meth Whore: Half Pabst Blue Ribbon and Half Old English 800.
- October Night: Half Guinness and half Sam Adams Octoberfest
- Old Dirty Englishman: Half Guinness and half Tetley's
Friday, February 13, 2009
Pog Mo Thoin
In Gaelic -- the native Irish language -- it means "Kiss my ass!." Whether or not this is appropriate to say in a Pub in Ireland, I don't know. But I'm guessing, not. Ireland -- I've read that it's like going "home." Reason enough to travel across the vast Atlantic into a country full of picturesque cliffs and shores, endless rolling valleys and vintage medieval castles - a photographer's dream. Curtis and I are heading there in March for two weeks. it's going to be nice to leave "normal" behind to only think about the exact moment we're living in. It's also a nice way to celebrate my quarter century birthday! Yippee!
Why Lilly?
Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be a Graphic Designer. I loved the thrill of surprise. I loved that I could do something so naturally that others could not. You might be thinking, "Well what does this have to do with the name Lilly?" Enter, my father. He calls me Lilly occasionally and I've grasped that name as an alias for anything design related. My Dad has always been my inspiration for design and he started motivating me from an early age. I remember one day we were drawing together and he took a white piece of paper and drew two dots about an inch apart from each other. I remember wondering to myself what it was, but knew it had to be something clever. It was a polar bear in a snow storm. So simple yet so interesting and "out of the box."
So, that's the meaning behind Lilly. My Dad. I love both of my parents very much!
So, that's the meaning behind Lilly. My Dad. I love both of my parents very much!
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