Saturday, May 30, 2009

Movie Review

Hubby and I have had a good start to the summer. Movie-wise that is. And I'm really loving living so close to the theater.

Yesterday we went and saw Drag Me To Hell. It's the new Sam Raimi movie and reviewers have been calling it his "return to horror." For those of you who don't know, Sam Raimi did the Evil Dead movies. And as a reluctant-viewer-turned-fan of those, I was pretty stoked for this one. Then our local paper published their review and LIKED IT which is a shock around here. The reviewers here tend to hate everything that hubby and I love.

So plot in one breath: Christine is cursed by an old woman and tries to ditch the curse. That's the absolute simplest way to give it to you. And I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave it at that.

I went into this knowing what to expect. Well, maybe not knowing, but hoping that it really was classic Raimi. And I think you have to go in with that in mind. It's definitely what I was hoping for. The scare that I like to call the cheap shot was there. A LOT. Ya know, where everything is quiet or almost quiet and then BOOM there's something jumping out and scaring the crap out of you. Plenty of that. There were total gross-out scenes (but not gory) that you expect. Hubby argues that there was one scene you could call gory. But we were both laughing because it was exactly what you watch a Sam Raimi flick for.

And that man and his camera work. Wow. It's very distinctive and it was in full force in this movie. I can't even describe it here because I know all my readers haven't seen his previous movies. But as hubby and I were watching we were laughing and elbowing each other because a particular shot looked EXACTLY as it did in Evil Dead or Army of Darkness. I'm actually ready to watch those movies now just to figure out which shots and angles I recognized.

Being such a fan of Raimi and his previous work makes it hard for me to review this. It was exactly what I wanted, exactly what hubby wanted, but will the average movie patron enjoy it? I'm not sure. I think people going to be creeped out will be disappointed. This movie has some camp to it. It's not like horror movies today that go straight for disturbing. You have to have an open mind if you aren't already a Raimi fan.

The story wasn't bad. I didn't feel any problems with dangling plot or continuity issues. Was it a predictable plot? A bit. But at the end, we had several guesses and weren't sure which we would see. Hubby even managed to be surprised (that's saying a lot when he finds something predictable). But it was fun. It wasn't elaborate and confusing.

And for those of you that are hoping to see our favorite Raimi hero, Bruce Campbell... sorry. He's not there. Hubby and I were holding out for him until the very end, but no Mr. Campbell. Apparently it conflicted with Burn Notice (which will be back soon!) so he couldn't do it. I'm a little sad still. But there was a piece of audio that sounded like it may have been him from another movie. Still trying to figure that out. Also, don't be too disappointed. There are some little gems for you Raimi fans to find.

All in all, I feel it earned an A. Hubby technically agrees, though he claims that since Bruce wasn't in it he'll only give it a B. Fun movie.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Yay! New Trailer!!!!

I got up this morning and found this. I am so excited! Already showed hubby and he's not happy we have to wait a year.


Who Do You Want to Be?

I've been playing with this site for a looooong time. And I told my mom I would post some of these forever ago. Are you ready to quit being productive for the day?

You know when you go to amusement parks and they have the cardboard cutouts you stick your face into? That is this site. Faceinhole.com lets you upload your picture to whatever. You can even upload multiple pictures for group shots. SO MUCH FUN. So of course I have to share some of my favorites...

If ONLY this is what I looked like in a bikini. Sadly... no.


Create your own FACEinHOLE


We'll see if my sisters kill me for this one, haha.


Create your own FACEinHOLE


Because hubby and I are nerds.


Create your own FACEinHOLE


For mom. Because she still thinks I look like Britney.


Create your own FACEinHOLE


And for myself. *sigh* Jealous, Claudia?


Create your own FACEinHOLE

Thursday, May 28, 2009

SYTYCD - more auditions

Alrighty, last night of auditions? Then next week is Vegas. I can handle that.

8:03 - Bianca made it right up to the point of "yes or no" last year, and didn't make it to the top 20. I don't remember her though. She's tapping tonight and she's pretty good. She's through to Vegas.

8:06 - Okay, these siblings (Brynelle and Xavier) are waaaay too close for me. If people mistake you for a couple... YOU ARE TOO CLOSE! They look kind of... chaotic? Their moves are wobbly at times. And the lifts are SO awkward. They obviously aren't going through.

8:15 - I missed this girl's name. She's a bigger girl and looks like she really wants to try. But she's not good enough to get through.

8:17 - And now we have weird auditions. It's a lot of made up stuff for the most part. You can't just move randomly and call it dancing.

8:19 - Calico is a swing dancer. She's obviously having fun, but she isn't great. She's not getting through.

8:21 - Adam (judge) got up and danced with her. Attention whore, haha.

8:28 - Couple: Asuka and Ricky. They made it to Vegas last year, but neither made top 20. They're super good.

8:31 - Kinda jacked, the judges are all but worshipping Asuka and kind of doing that "oh yeah, you were good too" for Ricky. They're both through.

8:32 - Bunch of good people.

8:33 - Emergency Alert System. Sweet. Severe thunderstorm warning! I so hope so! But I'd like to get back to the show now.

8:35 - Totally missed this kid's dance. The judges liked him so I'm assuming he was pretty awesome. He's only seventeen though so he isn't eligible. Nigel is SO giving him a ticket to Vegas for next season!

8:42 - Now we're being interrupted by our local news losers (this is the network I spoke of previously). I was already told about this thunderstorm that probably won't even happen here!!

8:43 - Aaaand now that we get back to the show I get the beeping with a message at the top. So I can't hear what's going on. All I know is the guy has some red hair and the few seconds I saw of him were good.

8:45 - They didn't hand him a ticket so I'm assuming he has to do choreography.

8:45 - Weird skinny girl. She's interesting... but I don't know why she chose to look so... eighties. Okay, now she's just weirding me out.

8:47 - OHGOODGOD! We have another alert. THERE BETTER BE A FLIPPIN' TORNADO IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEND FOUR WARNINGS MY WAY IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES!!!

8:49 - Another poor nameless girl because of the alert. She's good. And cute. Wonder if she's single and likes guys with long hair... Oh, her name is Amanda. She made it through.

8:53 - Fifth alert. This one is hitting during a commercial though. And oddly enough, I don't see any of the stuff they're talking about. We have barely a breeze and not many clouds at all.

8:56 - I actually remember this guy from last year! Phillip is going straight to Vegas without dancing because he was through last year but couldn't go because he got pneumonia.

8:57 - Phillip is also partnering with his friend Arielle. Which he doesn't do. But he learned it for her. She's good, but I keep watching him. She's going to Vegas.

9:01 - A few good dancers. All going to choreography.

9:02 - Okay, this guy apparently dances like Shakira? I'm scared. I'll give the guy the fact that he can actually move his hips. But seriously, that's all he's doing. Hip shakes and pelvic thrusts. AND THE CAMERA KEEPS SHOWING HIS CROTCH! Ick.

**Having this show be two hours long makes for a blog that is entirely too long.**

9:06 - Choreography round. Sammy (the kid with red hair that I missed) is through to Vegas.

Okay, sixth weather warning. And as I write this we're getting a seventh. And all I see is lightning in the distance.

And my brother-in-law is here. So I'm quitting the blogging for tonight. But I WILL write about Sex when he makes his appearance...

Okay, I'm back. And we're finally getting some lightning! Woohoo!!! But back to dancing...

Leonid is very similar to Sex in his manic style. And he and Sex are totally going to battle! I feel like I should feel bad for being amused by this. Oh you have no idea how hard I'm laughing over here. I'm sure my neighbors think there's some insanity going on here. Awww... Sex is too tired to keep going. Leo totally won according to the judges. Well, the girls. Nigel was rooting for Sex.

HOLY COW NIGEL IS LETTING SEX DO CHOREOGRAPHY!!! Awww, now I feel bad. He is so lost.

Well, the thunder is kicking in over here and my cable is starting to freak so I'm out for the night. Vegas next week, and I'll be back.

So Soon, Stupidity?

I suppose I shouldn't laugh that it's so easy to find evidence of stupidity running rampant. Although this one isn't evidence of state departments being stupid. This time it's just an individual.

A dude in Oregon called 911 to say a McDonald's worker was being rude, and wouldn't give him his juice he ordered.

Holy. Cow. Really people? Did you forget to put on your big girl panties and take your sanity pills?

And what is it about McDonald's getting the attention? Remember a few months ago when a lady in Florida called 911 because they were out of Chicken McNuggets? Not just once, but THREE TIMES!

Both wackjobs were arrested.

I can honestly say I've never been mad enough at any fast food place to even call a manager. Let alone 911. Evaluate these people and lock them up because I think they're a few monkeys short of a barrel.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

SYTYCD - still auditions

I am so NOT typing out the full title ever week. It's annoying to hit the shift key every two or three letters. So we're still watching auditions, and I'm not at mom's this week, but hubby's home tonight. So maybe he'll have some good commentary for you.


I'm on my DVR time so no time stamps, I'll just ramble.
  • Tony and his "Tony style" are freakin' me out. He's flexible, but he CANNOT DANCE. At all. Hubby might be better than that (which is saying a lot).
  • Hubby asked me if someone gave Mary happy pills or if she's always like that. I laughed. She's still better than Paula.
  • Priscilla just gave hubby a flashback shudder because she reminded him of Tatiana from Idol. I got that for a second too. But she can dance (and she isn't constantly doing the bizarro laugh).
  • Okay, she had another Tatiana moment. But at least she isn't laughing. And she's through.
  • I don't remember Janette from last year at all. Her and her partner Romulo are good. They did way more tricks than actual steps though, which annoys me.
  • Haha, Mary did a short scream and hubby had to get up off the couch. She makes him crazy.
  • They're both going to Vegas.
  • Jennifer and Jessica are twins. I'm guessing that's their gimmick.
  • They're flexible and that's about all they have going for them. They don't seem like they know their dance completely. And if that's how it's supposed to look... um... yeah.
  • Oh, they made it up in one day. That explains it.
  • Joseph Smith is good. He's entertaining for sure. They're putting him through to choreography.
  • And he's going to Vegas. He needs to watch his facial expressions.
  • Wislande's outfit scares me. I'm afraid she's gonna pop out of her bikini top. And sadly she's really not good. At all.
  • Oh Lord and now she's talking back to all of them.
  • Dude, Erik is tapping to Thriller! And he's super good!
  • Ha, he started tap because his brother was doing it and "got a lot of girls."
  • He's going to Vegas.
  • Paris was Miss Washington at one point. She's good.
  • She's going straight to Vegas.
  • Geo is an African dancer. It's interesting to watch. He gets crazy air on his jumps. They're putting him through to choreography.
  • Wow. Talia married her high school sweetheart and lost him after only a few years.
  • She's good, but not great.
  • They're putting her through to choreography.
  • Geo is going to Vegas. So is Talia.
  • Marico looks twelve and he's a police officer. It just doesn't fit. But he's really good.
  • He's going to Vegas.
  • Dustin says that Howie Dorough from BSB is his cousin.
  • OMG he totally showed some moves from one of their videos! MOM, we are so better than that.
  • This poor guy is clueless.
  • I'm dying. They keep playing BSB.
  • Chris is on something. Seriously. Apparently my expression was odd enough that hubby started laughing.
  • Haha... hubby: "He goes to a lot of raves, doesn't he?"
  • Yeah, he's nuts. He just came to be a punk and told the judges he's ready to go home.
  • Freeeeeeak.
  • Caitlin's sis got through in Miami, so she's hoping to go too. She's really good.
  • She's going to Vegas with her sis.
  • Anna's cute. She's good, but she's contemporary which always weirds me out a bit.
  • She's going to choreography.
  • Travis is alright. He's super tall so you can see every little thing that didn't go right. He's going to choreography.
  • I don't remember Evan from last year. What's up with my memory? He's good so you'd think I would remember him.
  • He's going to Vegas.
  • We have more twins. Lauren and Lydia already look better than the last set of twins. They're both really good.
  • They have to do choreography.
  • Evan's brother, Ryan is up. He does tap. He's good too. And entertaining.
  • He's going to Vegas.
  • Choreography time: Lauren (one of the twins) is going to Vegas, Anna is going, Travis is going, and Lydia (other twin) is too. I was totally wondering if the twins were going to stay together or not.

So it's on again tomorrow, but that will be the last of the auditions. I like keeping it short. I just want to get to the good stuff. So see you tomorrow night.

And for those of you wondering (like hubby was), Sex is back this year. *fist pump* YESSS!

I Spoke Too Soon

Just when I think I have nothing to write about... stupidity rears it's empty head. Oh America, as long as your people continue being... well... dumb, I will never run out of things to write about.

Today, I give you states that are ordering "neutral face expressions" at the DMV. Know what that means?

YOU CAN'T SMILE FOR YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE PICTURES!

I'm not lying. The article can be found here, via USA Today.

Apparently smiles throw off some face-recognition software that some DMVs are using. So much for "high-tech." A smile throws the whole thing off? Perhaps it was thought up by those thuggish types that refuse to smile for any pictures... ever. Wait, that would indicate that the thuggish types can invent things. Ha!

The four states that have adopted this ridonkulous policy are Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada, and Virginia. Darn you Nevada! You were a backup plan if hubby and I decide to leave California!

Are criminals going to be allowed to provide a mugshot? Because that's essentially what these new license pictures will look like.

Well, crap

I find myself with a shortage of things to blog about at the moment.

My TV blogging is down to one show right now.

I don't want to review every last movie I watch, especially since some of the reviews would be of things I got from Netflix that many of you have already seen.

I don't have any crazy-awesome projects to document.

Haven't gone on any sweet trips recently.

Don't have any interesting photos to share.

So what the heck do you people want to hear???? At least tonight there's a So You Think You Can Dance blog coming tonight. I love ready-made, easy-to-write blogs. But seriously people, send me some suggestions. I've got nothing in my head right now.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

So Helpful!

Now I'll never be left wondering whether I should drink my coffee hot or cold.

Today is good for iced coffee*. This site says so.




*Non-local readers, make sure you put in your own zip code. You wouldn't want to have hot coffee on an iced coffee day!

Happy Tuesday

Hopefully all of you had a relaxing three-day weekend. Heck, hopefully most of you even had a three-day weekend.

I didn't get a lot of relaxing in. There were moments of fun, but overall I had a little cloud hanging over my head. Don't know what that was about, but I'm tired of it and I hope it's gone for a while!!

So it's a short week for most people this week, but when your Monday happens on a Tuesday they end up being even worse than normal sometimes. So enjoy a video today. Of the cutest little girl telling the cutest fairy tale. In French. I die every time she says "hippopotamus" and "crocodile." I want my children to learn French.


Monday, May 25, 2009

Movie Review

Hubs and I went to see Terminator: Salvation tonight. Actually just got back (gotta love the theater being twoish blocks from where we live).

GREAT start to the summer. Best movie ever? Nah. Good use of our money? Yup.

Guys: all the action is there. Good story (not hard to follow as I've seen some people say). MORE than made up for T3 (which I didn't see, but don't need to).

Ladies: Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. That alone will make any functioning female happy. I love me some Bale. Sam Worthington was more of a pleasant surprise. Don't get me wrong, I didn't go just for the eye candy. I like guns and explosions just as much as hubby does, so I enjoyed that aspect as well.

Admittedly, there were bits and pieces that left something to be desired. A few characters and the subsequent relationships were a little rushed. There's also a part that would have been more powerful given some stronger development (sorry, don't want to give anything away to y'all). But I was not bored or confused for a second. Which happens more than it should with some movies...

I did roll my eyes once. And giggle a couple times. There are a few little shout outs to the previous movies. Which were definitely fun, and not overdone in any way. Just more pleasant surprises along the way. It was also funny to hear the teenagers behind us be clueless about why these things were there in the first place. That's what happens when you don't catch up with things from before your time...

Overall, solid B. Possibly a B+. Hubby says B+, possibly A-. Good enough that it could earn a second viewing (if there weren't at least ten other movies we're looking forward to). If you want to get out to the movies aren't into mutants or space travel, check this one out.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Hi Friends

I will be faaaar too busy this weekend to blog. As it is I have two hours to make a batch of frosting, two batches of cupcakes, and frost some cookies.

So spend the holiday weekend doing something interesting. Then come back here and let me know what you did. Have an adventure, go see a movie, drink too much... whatever.

Perhaps I'll do all three...

Friday, May 22, 2009

It's Called an Opinion People

So last night when the two male dancers danced together on So You Think You Can Dance, my mom knew someone was going to make a stink. And sure enough, GLAAD didn't disappoint.

They are now calling Nigel Lythgoe "homophobic" and saying he, along with Fox, needs to apologize to the gay and lesbian community.

Perez Hilton has a story here. Complete with video of exactly what Nigel said last night.

Here's the thing. GLAAD is calling for people to tell Fox that Nigel was wrong. But listen to what he says. There is nothing expressed except for his own personal opinion. Last time I checked, that was still legal. Although with the constant whining we hear from some "rights groups" that is quickly going out the window.

So if GLAAD can demand an apology for what I see as an opinion, I say we should be able to write in and stand up for personal opinions. I already emailed the address that Perez Hilton provided. If you are tired of people being "offended" and "attacked" because we are all individuals with our own opinions, take five minutes to email and let them know that Nigel was not in the wrong.

Contact Information courtesy of GLAAD, via Perez Hilton:

Erica Keane
Vice President, Media Relations
Fox Broadcasting Company
(212) 301-3613
erica.keane@foxtv.com

Because I'm So Very Mature

Last night at mom's we were making ringtones and finding songs from some favorite shows from back in the day. And since it's Friday, and we have a holiday weekend, I felt some videos were appropriate.

And since it was pretty much our topic of conversation last night (and because I so very badly want the series on DVD), today I'll stick to Animaniacs.




Oh, Wakkorotti. What's funny is that my mom wasn't so amused by these segments when I was a kid. But last night she laughed pretty hard when I found the song.








Thursday, May 21, 2009

So You Think You Can Dance - Season Premiere

Yay!! This is another of the shows that my mom and I watch together and chat about. So I'm at her house (hubby is working again) live blogging for you tonight. I'll throw her comments in where applicable.

Wow, my mom's first blog, even if she isn't the one writing it.

8:06 - Gabi Rojas is up. Mom says the way she moves she could be in The Lion King on Broadway. She is pretty stinking amazing. And cute to boot. They're putting her through obviously, and Nigel called it one of the best auditions he's ever seen. Aaaand we already have Mary Murphy's first scream of the season. That's gotta be a record.

8:10 - Uh, I don't even know what to say about these guys. "Storyboard" and "Hobgoblin" are buddies that are freakin' me out! They're good, but it's way bizarre good. Almost scary. The word "crazy is thrown around a lot with the judges. They're staying for choreography before a final decision.

8:18 - Obligatory not-so-great dancers. By no means professional material, but according to mom they're cute. They do look like they're having fun.

8:21 - Peter can tap. Which is funny because he is not what you'd expect a tap dancer to look like. He's already earned two "wows" from Mom. Yeah, he's pretty good. He's through to Vegas.

8:23 - Inspirational story of the night. Tiffany has severe spine issues. It's basically a short spine, her arms and legs are the length of your average adult. And she is AMAZINGLY graceful. Nigel is SO impressed with her and the fact that she went out for this. She still isn't quite good enough so she's not through, but she's pretty damn impressive.

8:34 - Maksim is doing the cha cha with a contestant from last year. He's pretty good. They're keeping him for choreography.

8:36 - Bunch of random dancers at once. All of which make it through to Vegas.

8:38 - Mom and I are going to hell for laughing at the Asian guy who pronounced ballet as "barray." Oh we're horrible. But now we're watching him and he's good. Not great. Mom says he's funny, but a little too much flailing in his dancing.

8:40 - Mom just made another "barray" joke. I'm still cracking up.

8:41 - They're keeping him for choreography.

8:42 - Choreography challenge. The "Mutants" give up. Maksim is staying. Our "barrey" dancer is through also.

8:49 - Don't know this girl's name because we were too busy downloading Animaniacs songs. But she's REALLY good. She's through.

8:51 - My mom is giving me overshares. Big time. I'm uncomfortable. This couple is a little intense. They're not great, but I have to acknowledge that they're better than Tim and I would be. The judges didn't like them. They're not going anywhere.

8:53 - Medley of just plain bad dancers.

8:54 - Nina and Igor are dancing. Mom and I are being evil because we're envious of her stomach. Mom said someone needs to slap her. I chimed in, "Or feed her a sandwich." Mom said, "No. A box of cookies. A sandwich won't be enough." But back to the actual dancing, they're really good. I wish I could dance like that. This girl spun for like, five minutes! Okay, not five minutes, but a super long time. They're keeping them for choreography.

9:02 - Kellen is up. He's pretty good. Not sure why he's using an umbrella as a prop. He's good enough without a prop. Turns out he used the umbrella because he just lost his aunt, and made a pretty good analogy. That I'm far too lazy to type out. And he's through.

9:05 - Chimezie rocks because he is wearing a Transformers shirt. Oh, and because he pretty much rocks right now. He was super fun. They're going to keep him around for choreography.

9:08 - Choreography round. Igor is in, Nina is not. Chimezie is in, which makes me happy.

9:16 - Kayla is super good. The judges love her. She's through.

9:19 - Dad just walked in and started fake-whining about us having another show to watch so soon.

9:24 - Bunch of good dancers. And the weird choreographer judge in her mohawk and 80's prom dress looooves them all.

9:26 - Um. Not to sound intolerant, but the two guys dancing together just doesn't look right. Misha and Mitchel. One is straight, one is gay. And they're great. Mitchel totally dropped Misha right now. And Misha is better than Mitchel. It was... interesting. Nigel totally compared it to Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory. They're going to put them through to choreography.

9:31 - Choreography. Mitchel isn't through. Misha either. I swear if the show gets crap for this, I'll be vocal FOR the producers.

9:37 - Mom is dying. She loves Star Wars with every inch of her being. And this girl is swinging light sabers dressed as a bear or something. To the theme song. Wait, she's supposed to be a lion and acknowledged that it had nothing to do with the dance. The judges are pretty much calling her out. She's obviously not going through.

9:40 - Another medley of people who can't dance. OH HER PONYTAIL JUST FELL OFF! and I'm pretty sure we had a stripper in there.

9:41 - Elias brought his brother with him. And they're actually really good. Brother is too young for the show apparently so he's not actually trying out. So Elias is going to choreography.

9:50 - Natalie tried out last year with her friend Katie (who made the top 3). She was good last year, and she still is. The judges love her again. And she's through to Vegas.

9:54 - Brandon picked a pretty sweet song. And he's pretty stinkin' amazing. Like, holy cow amazing. Mary is crying he was so good. They all love him and he's totally through. Complete with a Mary-scream.

9:57 - Choreography. Elias didn't make it. But they want him to come back next year.

Done. Until next week.

Old School!!

There is totally a MASH game online.

Oh yeah. You know it. Choose your options for husband, car, career... all that good stuff. You know you want to play, so go do it.

BTW, the one I just played ended up like this: married to Robert Pattinson, living in a house in Vegas, I get to be an event planner, have three kids, and drive a white Corvette.

Oh yeah, that's the life.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

American Idol... the Winner Is...

So I'm behind on this. I was out and am now playing catch up on the DVR. I'll probably catch up by the end. For now, you get me in the form of rambling musings...
  • What is up with Randy's bow tie? No. Just... no.
  • Ew, why is Janice Dickenson there? Ick.
  • Top 13 number was good. I find it funny that that particular song was also used in Dancing With the Stars on Monday night.
  • Still love David Cook. Not in a lusty, swoony way, but I still enjoy his singing. Very much so.
  • These stupid Idol "awards" are just that - stupid. And mean. And a total time waster. I'd much rather have more performances.
  • Ugh. And then they bring that freak Nick Mitchell back? Time to hit fast forward.
  • Queen Latifah + Lil Rounds = meh
  • Very happy with Jason Mraz (gonna see him open for DMB) with Anoop and Alexis.
  • EEEE! Kris Allen with Keith Urban?! I heart Keith Urban!! I saw him in concert!
  • Oh yes, I heart him so much. In his tight jeans. Hubby would NEVER EVER wear those. Not even for money.
  • Laughing at the girls singing Glamorous. Especially my little Allison in her big ol' combat boots.
  • Damn Fergie. First of all, her face should be removed from her amazing body. They do not match. Second of all, she married my boyfriend Josh Duhamel. Third of all, I really want to hate her music, but I can't. So damn her.
  • Used to LOVE the Black Eyed Peas. And I am actually enjoying this song. If I hear it a second time I will probably find it annoying.
  • What is up with Fergie's "claws?" If that's fashion, I'm appalled.
  • Oh Lord. I could have done without seeing that skank Bikini Girl again.
  • Did she get implants? Her boobs look bigger.
  • Oh yup, Ryan just implied it.
  • I love that she is totally getting a good amount of boos from the audience.
  • I also love that SHE IS TOTALLY SUCKING WHILE SHE ATTEMPTS TO SING.
  • PWNED!!!! I love that Kara is totally showing her up. And I hate Kara. But she's still better than Bikini Skank.
  • OMG SHE RIPPED HER DRESS OPEN! BEST FINALE MOMENT EVER!!!!
  • Yay!! Allison and Cyndi Lauper! I'm flashing back to loving her in the eighties.
  • I just realized I am so not going to catch up and finish live. But that's okay, because I accidentally found out who won already.
  • Haha, I don't know why, buy Danny singing Lionel Richie amuses me. But he actually sounds really good.
  • Did Danny pick up a couple dance moves? He doesn't look as goofy dancing with his song.
  • Ohhh that outfit. Ummm... it's very Adam. That's all I can say.
  • Ahahahaaaaa! KISS!
  • Adam is so perfect for this. I am absolutely loving it.
  • Just noticed Adam's GINORMOUS PLATFORMS. So him.
  • I'm sitting home alone and that was so good that I STILL uttered an expletive aloud to myself.
  • Santana... yup, I'm old enough to enjoy him.
  • Like Matt with him.
  • LOVE that they transitioned to Smooth. It's a total perfect song for summer.
  • Kris has a little salsa/cha cha step going. It's cute.
  • Steve Martin on the banjo. I actually knew it was coming.
  • Megan Joy actually sounded decent.
  • So lame that they had the boys sing If You Want My Body.
  • Ugh. Tatiana.
  • I liked Kris doing Queen. Then Adam chimed in. And I changed my mind.
  • Just had a thought, my mom is probably so excited to see the members of Queen. She LOVED them.
  • It's cute how these guys are totally buddies.
  • Wow, Simon thinks they're both "brilliant." That's quite the compliment.
  • Almost 100 million votes. That's just ridiculous.
  • Kris almost looked fake shocked.
  • Oh, he just can't believe it.
  • Wow, they get a trophy now.
  • Haha, his wife looks like she wants to throw up.
  • I really wish they had written something better for the winner.
  • Awwww, Allison loves Adam. They need to do a whole album together.
  • Kris sang it better tonight than he did last night.

And that's it. I'm surprised, but I'm not. Oh, and I just now saw him hugging his wife. Now it looks like it hit him. But back to being not so surprised. Kris was good, but I really do feel like Adam was probably better. I didn't vote so I don't care much and I'm not about to cause a stink. And it's not like I'm going to run out and buy either of their albums when they come out.

Thoughts? Mom? We'll discuss tomorrow while we catch So You Think You Can Dance. Readers, I may blog that one. Not sure yet.

San Diego has Cupcakes!

So this is old news, but we hit some bakeries on our two trips to San Diego in the past month. First on our anniversary trip, then on our return trip to take Tad to the zoo.

Okay, if I didn't hate the way so many of the roads are set up, and it wasn't so close to Mexico, and it wasn't so far away from everyone I love... I would move there for the cupcakes. Because the one bakery we have here... well, I definitely wasn't impressed when I tried it. I'd rather put the effort into making my own.

So on our anniversary trip, we decided to hit up a bakery every day. And as soon as we checked into our hotel, we headed for our first one: Cupcakes Squared. And yes, the cupcakes are square. And the best things I have ever tasted.

We're total piggies and we got FOUR cupcakes. There was lemon (lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting), not-so-red velvet ("red" velvet with cream cheese frosting), lemon white chocolate (white chocolate cake with a little lemon and a white chocolate ganache), and cheesecake (graham cupcake with lemon marscapone frosting).

OH. MY. LORD. We had a couple then saved the other two for later. And they were all amazing. I think they use a french buttercream (so different than your regular buttercream) which I am so learning to make. If I had one of these places near me, I would be a cow because I would get cupcakes all the time.

Saturday we hit up a place called Babycakes that's just north of downtown. They don't just have cupcakes, they have a little bit of everything. We split a couple cupcakes. We got a blood orange and a hazelnut.

The blood orange was AMAZING. You could eat it for breakfast. There was the blood orange filling and blueberries chilling on the bottom of it.


The hazelnut was awesome because it was a marble cake that wasn't heavy at all. And the frosting was pretty light too. Tasty stuff.

For our anniversary we went back to Cupcakes Squared. We wanted to try and get the same flavors we had in our wedding cake. So we got vanilla squared (vanilla/vanilla), mocha (chocolate and coffee cake with chocolate chips and chocolate ganache), and lemon.

They did not disappoint this time either. I think I died a little with the mocha one. It was super-crazy-delicious.

Then on our last day we ventured into downtown to try Heavenly Cupcakes. We got red velvet (since hubby has apparently deemed it his new favorite flavor) and a vanilla caramel (vanilla cake with vanilla bean buttercream and caramel sauce). Aren't they pretty?


The red velvet was good, but the cream cheese frosting didn't impress me as much as others. The vanilla caramel was outstanding. Add some coffee flavor and you have a frappuccino. Awesome.

Then on our last trip we made a stop, but I didn't get pictures of our cupcakes before we ate them. The place was in Encinitas and is called Elizabethan Desserts. I think my favorite part is that it's located kind of inside a nursery so you've got all these plants and flowers around when you get there.

We got a chocolate toffee, a grasshopper, and a Mr. Bean's cup o' joe. Tad loved his. Tim liked his. I liked mine, but I thought it was a little sweet. Not sure I'd stop there if I was going back, I'd just hold out for Cupcakes Squared.
Jeez, I feel like a food blogger naming off all these places. If you're headed down there and only have time for one, go to Cupcakes Squared. Hands down the best ones we had.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Oh Reality TV...

So Dancing ended tonight. With a COMPLETE surprise. Shawn won. My mom and I were shocked and gasped. Hubby uttered a "srsly?" (Thanks lol speak.)

And mom and I watched Idol together. We missed the first twenty minutes (the first two performances) which didn't matter since they were just songs they had done before. Great choice by both of them on those songs! Adam picked Mad World again, Kris picked Ain't No Sunshine. LOVED both of those the first time around and would likely call them my favorite performances.

Round two, I liked Adam better than Kris. Kris did seem a little too... meh for a finale.

Then there was round three. Or the round that I would call "What did these people write and did they even let Adam and Kris rehearse before performing???" I'm not usually a big fan of the songs written for the finale. Most are too, "Listen to me! I'm uplifting and beautiful!" This one was totally NOT something I enjoyed. The fact that this wasn't a great song was proved by the fact that ADAM WAS ACTUALLY PITCHY. For the first time this season, Adam wasn't good. And then... Kris wasn't either. Mom and I were sitting there with semi-confused looks on our faces. I actually said, "If I was only watching these performances, there's no way I would believe we were watching a finale."

So I have no clue who's going to win. If people vote based on the entire season and take this semi-disappointing face-off out of the running, I would say Adam. But there are tons of reasons that I think Kris may win. So I have NO PREDICTION. I will say that I hope tomorrow night's results are a hundred times better than tonight's performances.

Fingers crossed.

Trailery Goodness

I can't believe we have to wait for Christmas for Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and directed by Guy Ritchie? Sign me up. Heather, you're with me on this one, aren't you??




And by the end of the month we should have a New Moon trailer. Apparently it's going to debut at the MTV Movie Awards. *sigh*

I heart trailers.

Fun Tool

Just something fun to share with you today. Big Huge Labs has all kinds of fun stuff to do with your picture, but I am really enjoying this one. It's a Palette Generator. Upload any of your pictures and you get a palette that coordinates with it! I love it.

And since I took a couple pictures of some hydrangeas in Encinitas, I thought they would be perfect for a palette.


So it's pretty blurry since I had to do a screen shot and I suck at those. But how awesome is that??? It would be fun to pick your wedding colors in this way... that would have been sweet for me because I was the most INDECISIVE PERSON ON EARTH when it came to them.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Dancing - The Finals

Honestly, it's about time. I don't know what it is, but I don't know if I was feelin' it this season like I used to. And I'm kind of ready to have my Monday nights back. Although FOX will probably air So You Think You Can Dance on those nights...

They're starting off with each couple dancing the paso doble. And since the judges want to prove to America that they know something, each judge will visit and coach a couple through it.

And of course the dancing doesn't start until AFTER the first commercial. Hello time-wasting.

Shawn and Mark look good. I always feel like I'm watching a little kid when I'm watching Shawn. She just looks like such a baby. Judges' score: 28

Melissa and Tony were good, like always. I don't know if I was wowed. Judges' score: 29

Gilles and Cheryl were hot. But I've made it known that Gilles has become my favorite. I'm just really impressed with the way he can pass for a pro at times. It's the clean lines he makes with his arms. Judges' score: 30

So now we get to the freestyles! Those can be fun, no clue what to expect from these couples.

Shawn and Mark are up first. Okay, the garbage bag outfits were freakin' me out (as Tad would say). She actually looks like she's having a lot of fun, which is cute. They're super cute, and fun. And making me tired just watching them. But honestly... I've seen more impressive ones. Judges' score: 30

Melissa and Tony are up now. Tony's shirt is totally gay, I just have to say it. And this song is so amazingly old it takes me back... it was fun. There were a ton of tricks and lifts and throws, but I don't know if I loved it. I felt like there were more tricks than actual recognizable steps. Judges' score: 27

And now are Gilles and Cheryl. Okay, Cheryl just creates fun routines. OMG, he had such a Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing moment!!!! I loved it, I smiled from beginning to end. He needs to win. So cute. Judges' score: 28

Okay, it's obvious, but I want Gilles to win. He's totally consistent and amazing. I'm going to miss the finale tomorrow (I can only watch/record two things at once, and this is at the bottom of the totem pole). But I'll catch highlights for sure.

*high pitched sqeeeeeal*

The official New Moon poster is out! And I LOOOOOVE it.



*sigh*

I am fully prepared to sit and be irritated by how pushy Jacob is. And have my little moments over Edward. I am officially ridiculous.

poster found here

Adventures in Baking

So since I've been gone (ooh, totally started singing Kelly Clarkson in my head) I've obviously been baking. It's what I do! I had one paid party, then I had my nephew's birthday, then cookies for a birthday party. *whew* Been busy.
So of course I must share.
Smash cake for a friend's son. His first birthday was Curious George and I had SO MUCH FUN making his cake and cupcakes! They were adorable!
Here's the little George cupcakes. There were also some solid colors you can see below.
Group shot! I absolutely loved these things! I might want a Curious George birthday!


And on the tower at the party. I'm so glad I put the balloons on the sides of his cake, they match so perfectly!


Then Tad turned five (on Cinco de Mayo) so I had to make him a birthday cake. He requested a Veggie Tales cake which I was happy to do. And as you can see, he loved it.



Then I had to make my semi-famous sugar cookies for Tad and Cole's joint birthday party the day before Mother's Day. This year I decided that all the kids get them for their birthday. Cole's the sporty one so he needed some fitting colors and shapes.



And Tad wanted bones and dinosaurs. Anything for my Tad! I was pretty thrilled with them.
And now coming up I have cupcakes and cookies for the same party. My youngest niece is turning one! And my sister asked if I can do some butterfly themed cupcakes. Then of course there's the cookies that all the kids get. I'm super excited! I love girly themes! And if my camera continues cooperating with my computer, you know pics will be here shortly after the party.
If you're local and interested in treats for a party, email or comment me and we can discuss.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Yuck

Today is supposed to reach 101 degrees.

It's May. This is not acceptable.
I have a love/hate relationship with summer. One the one hand, there are beaches to visit, cold beer, barbecues, polished toenails, cute sandals, and steamy summer romance (unless you're married, in which case you live vicariously through other friends).

On the other hand, there's heat so intense that you can fry eggs on the hood of a car, your comfy couch becomes an unbearable pile of fabric and stuffing that makes you sweat, you feel the need for three showers a day, and now, in the case of my hair, you realize that bangs SUCK when you can feel your forehead sweating under them.

Needless to say, I am so not ready for it this year.

And since I'm talking about weather in general, I thought I'd share this picture with you. Because it does involve weather. But mainly because you need to see the... outstanding... newscasts we get on one of our local stations.


Did ya notice the problem? "Patcy fog?" The fires in "Santa Barbar?" Yup, this station regularly screws up. And doesn't seem to care. I should go take it over and demand they quit being morons...

Friday, May 15, 2009

Yup, Still Slacking

So I know I tried to blame my computer issues for my lack of posts. And I really have been annoyed with not being able to put new pictures up. I switched editing programs and have been able to upload again. But I haven't been able to put them on CD yet. Which is incredibly annoying. A new laptop is pretty high on the list when I start working.

But for now, just wanted to stop in and let everyone know I'm still alive over here. Spent our two days in San Diego, and had fun. Tad liked the zoo (what kid doesn't?). And tonight we went to a carnival at the school I used to student teach at. I love my kids for inviting me. Also heard some interesting news about jobs... but nothing great for me to tell you about.

Hopefully I can figure out the editing program this weekend and post some pictures for you. Keep your fingers crossed.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Um, Hey There Guys

Remember me? I'm the one who shows up a couple times a week to write about reality competition shows. Then disappears for the next few days only to promise a blog and then not deliver.

I know, I'm a slacker.

I don't feel motivated. I feel like not much is going on with me. Add to that the fact that I'm having serious issues with uploading my photos lately (I reinstalled the program and everything). And I just end up not writing.

So tonight I'm skipping my Dancing blog. Tad is here (we're off to San Diego tomorrow) and started talking about Sleeping Beauty. But he didn't know the name of it. He just told me about "the lady with the horns that turns into a dragon." Hubby had no clue what he was talking about, but I totally knew. It was only my favorite movie growing up. And yet I didn't actually own it myself until I was... well, out of high school for sure. So I put the movie on. And a few minutes in, he's asleep on the couch.

Oh well. I'll watch it while I pack. Always nice to have something on while I'm doing the boring chore of packing.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Woo Hoooo!

So today was Tad's birthday, but that warrants its own post. It was a pretty good day though.

Hey Heather, your comment to my mom totally worked some magic! Lil Kim is gone from dancing!!!

I'm pretty stoked over here. Are we sure it isn't MY birthday???

So Idol was tonight too. We watched it at mom's house so my rundown will be briefer than usual. It was rock and roll night though. Which made me super excited to see Allison and Adam. Had me wondering about Kris and Danny though. They also introduced a new thing tonight: duets. As soon as I heard that I had to start hoping that Allison and Adam would be paired up.

So let's get to it.

First of all, Slash (don't you dare ask "who?") was the mentor this week. For years now people have been telling my brother that he looks like Slash (that and Howard Stern). So as soon as I saw Slash on the screen I asked Tad, "Hey, who is that?" He looked up and in about two seconds said, "Hey, that's Nick." Haha... made our night.

Adam was first, sang some Led Zepplin (which I love). He of course was FANTASTIC! My mom and I discussed that he just too... flaming glamorous for us. Some jokes ensued. But we all agreed (even hubby) that he was great.

Allison followed, singing some Janis Joplin. I liked her. But this was the perfect week for her, so why wouldn't I like her? Not all the judges loved her, but since when do I actually tune into what they're saying?

There was a random conversation about Paula's drug use when my mom made a crack about how she talks too much and has to be on something. Random conversation continued about how useless she has been this season.

Next was the first duet: Kris and Danny. I said, "Neither of them can dirty it up enough to be rock and roll. I had to go look up their song just to remember what it was... some STYX!!! Which my mom was stoked about. Together they sounded great, but they just aren't quite rockers. They were good, but nowhere near great.

Kris sang some Beatles after that, and honestly... not good. I mean, okay. But so forgettable. As far as memorable goes, he's at the bottom tonight. It's nicer looking at him than listening to him at times. Because he is pretty stinkin' cute. And he just does better singing the sappy love songs.

Danny sang... good God... Aerosmith. And not just Aerosmith, but Dream On. That's right. Now that I think about it, Adam could probably have done that song justice. Danny was good for the first couple lines, then my dad said, "Nope" and I had to agree. (Just in case you care, my dad is the one who gets all the credit for getting me into Aerosmith at a youngish age. I credit him with my good taste in rock music.) Then came the part where Steven Tyler would do some "controlled musical screaming" (hubby and I just came up with that term). Um, I actually felt bad for Danny at that point. It sounded like it would cause some serious pain.

Then to make up for that, we got Adam and Allison singing some Foghat. Awwww yeah. Tad quit listening to his book and WATCHED them. He loves him some Slow Ride. And he loved Allison with her "purple hair." They were awesome, but you kind of expected them to be. The general consensus of the house was that yeah, they killed.

So tomorrow night, I will be recording and actually watching because we have CHRIS DAUGHTRY AND NO DOUBT! *sigh* for Chris and *enthusiastic clapping and bouncing* for No Doubt. As far as who goes home... I have to say Danny or Kris. I'll go with Kris because he's kind of coasting for me at this point. At least Danny has impressed me a lot the past couple weeks.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Dancing Week 9

I'm a bit behind tonight, just got back from a birthday party. So now I'm catching up. And I know I haven't blogged in a bit. I've been dealing with my own stuff lately...

Tonight each couple gets two dances. And I'm still bitter that Chuck and Julianne got voted out last week. Grrr...

Shawn and Mark - quickstep - GREAT SONG CHOICE! Haha... from Aladdin. They look pretty good too. I just love Mark though. He always looks like he's having a ton of fun. Judges' score: 27

Ty and Chelsie - Argentine tango - He's really good at the sharp movements. Hubby is sitting here totally impressed with him. He has improved by a hundred times. They looked good. Judges' score: 25

Lil Kim and Derek - waltz - I'm torn between "boooo" and "yawn." So OVER her. Seriously America, send her home! Her dress is a bit distracting to me tonight. Wardrobe should have put her in something more flowy and pretty. The florals just don't fit the dance. But they look good. I wouldn't call it great. Judges' score: 25

Gilles and Cheryl - fox trot - LOOOOVE this song. They look good. Like, GOOD. But I think I'm totally biased for Gilles. *sigh* Yeah, pretty much LOVED them. Judges' score: 29

Melissa and Tony - Viennese waltz - Haha, hubby commented on Melissa's see-through skirt portion. Leave it to a man... they're good. But I pretty much love Tony so... Judges' score: 27

Ummm, so is Dancing morphing into Idol? There's a whole lot of needless filler tonight...

So now we have the Latin round and the stars have to have a solo in their dance.

Shawn and Mark - paso doble - Shawn KILLS at the poses with her arms. I really like this one. She's so cute it's weird seeing her all serious and mean. Judges' score: 29

Ty and Chelsie - rumba - EEEEE!!! LOVE THIS SONG TOO! Who doesn't love Tom Petty? And Tad looooves Chelsie right now! She just earned an "OOOH!" Ty's not doing too bad with the hip action. Oh, then his solo came and I spoke too soon. But he totally danced up to Jewel (his wife for those that don't know) and it was cute. Judges' score: 21

Lil Kim and Derek - salsa - *gag* The dance was good, but I'm not sure it was great. She started making weird faces again. WHAT IS UP WITH THE FACES?! And she just writhed on the floor for her solo. Um, not impressed. Judges' score: 27

Gilles and Cheryl - rumba - Ohhhh my. Gilles could give Ty a couple tips about the rumba. Holy cow I want to be Cheryl. And I'll leave it at that... Judges' score: 27

Melissa and Tony - samba - I liked it, but I think I was expecting a little more. The dance was really good, I just couldn't figure out what it was that I was expecting from them. And hubby noted that she was about to have a wardrobe malfunction with the left breasticle area. And she was TOTALLY embarrassed about it. Judges' score: 30

Alright, so obviously Ty should be the one to go home tomorrow. I love him and all, but he's just not the best dancer.