Friday, November 30, 2012

Skyfall

They aren't considered the best movies ever made, and many of them are pretty ridiculous, but we love James Bond films nonetheless.  So much so that we've watched them all, twice, in chronological order. So with the new James Bond film out, it was an obvious choice when deciding which movie we want to see.  Now, there really isn't much to say about the plot line, because every James Bond film has the same one.  Something or someone goes missing or is stolen and it's James Bond's job to get it back.  There are some close calls along the way, and many lovely ladies, but James Bond always gets the job done.  What I really liked about this particular one is that it brought everything back toward the old school Bond movies.  I don't want to say more, just in case you haven't seen it yet.

No matter what type of movies you like, there is always room in your heart for a good Bond film.  Come on, who doesn't love a secret agent kicking butt while wearing a suit, seriously.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Do the Right Thing

Do the Right Thing, circa 1989, is one of Spike Lee's first films.  It centers around a Brooklyn neighborhood, during a record breaking heat wave.  Lee, who is the main character, is a young man working as a pizza delivery guy for a pizzeria owned and run by an Italian man and his two sons.  As the temperature rises, so does tension and frustration between those living in the neighborhood.  The film addresses hate and prejudice as it depicts Latinos hating African Americans, African Americans hating the Italians, an Italian son befriending an African American as another's prejudice towards African Americans grows.  All of this disdained for others culminates in one large act of violence, which leaves the community right back where is started, divisive.

This film is on AFI's top 100 movies, and with good reason.  This film gives a glimpse into a world of prejudice and it's unproductive ways, without placing any sort of blame on one particular group of people.  Just try to look past all of the terrible 80's style.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Wanderlust

This film was surprisingly funny, and I'm definitely one to avoid anything with Jennifer Aniston in it.  Particularly, Justin Theroux's character was funny.  Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston are a New York couple who fall on hard times after Rudd loses his job.  They go to stay with his brother in Atlanta, but end up choosing to reside in a collectively community off the beaten path.  The group of hippies is endearing and Rudd and Aniston start to enjoy their time there, except being away from "normal" life becomes harder for Rudd and easier for Aniston.

This one is definitely not for the all-time favorites list, but it was a good movie on a night when we wanted something lighter and funnier.

Monday, November 12, 2012

On This Day


To begin, here is the only good photo I got on Halloween.  When there are 7+ children under 3 running around the house, everything's a blur.

I just wanted to pop in today.  There is nothing big on the schedule.  I worked out this morning, which is something that I love but don't do enough.  This afternoon will be filled with homework, particularly statistics, since it's been taking up all of my free time.  And tonight, I get to spend the evening with my lovely friend.  It's our Monday night routine, and it definitely helps me keep my sanity for the rest of the week.  Best of all, we watch Revenge and Project Runway, our favorite shows.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Seven Psychopaths

We were given a date night last weekend.  It had been so long since we had seen a movie, and the last one was a dud, so all I wanted was to see something good.  We didn't know much about this one, but it was getting great reviews and was written by someone we've enjoyed before so we thought it was a good choice.  Hallelujah, it was!  At least for us.  It reminded me just how much I love and have missed seeing good movies (which is obviously a relative term, and only applies to my own likes/dislikes, but makes me no less excited).

The film stars Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.  Farrell is a screenplay writer trying to write a film titled Seven Psychopaths.  Sam Rockwell, his friend, gives him a couple of ideas and he is able to start putting it together.  Although, as he starts putting it together, those who he's writing about are real and he realizes that the people around him are, in fact, psychopaths.  This film has very dark elements at times, but then in the same scene I would find myself laughing out loud.

Honestly, this film might not be for everyone.  It is from the same writer as In Bruges, so if you liked that you're bound to like this too and if you didn't like it, well, maybe you should see someone else this weekend.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

True Friendship, According to a Toddler

If this is what makes them happy and love each other as much as they do, as long as no one is losing a limb, I say go for it.  I love what they find so enjoyable and love to do together.  And just so you know, my friend and I were called to the basement in order to witness this fun.  It was that awesome to them :)

   

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Weekend Wear

I just realized as I was typing out this post that my entire outfit from this weekend was from Target, oops.  Can't say I don't love that store.  I just saw a winter scarf there that I am debating about getting. One can never have too many scarves, right?  My thoughts exactly.

This weekend, I wore this outfit for our usual Sunday activities.  This skirt is super comfy and I thought I'd mix up my fall wardrobe a bit.  



Entire Outfit: Target // Scarf: Gift from India // Belt: Thrifted

Friday, November 2, 2012

The Grey

Eric and I weren't too sure about this film before we watched it.  We heard some good things and some not so good things.  But we went into it hoping to be entertained yet didn't expect to be blown away either.  And that's about where we ended once it was done.

This film lies somewhere between a realistic survival film and a horror.  It really isn't a horror, but the whole situation, particularly the wolves they are fighting, are a little beyond anything you would ever believe is real.  Liam Neeson plays a guard for an oil company in Alaska who survives a plane crash along with six other people and who are fighting against the elements and a pack of ravenous wolves for survival.

The aspects more similar to horror films seemed a little predictable, but the ending wasn't at all what we expected, in a good way.  If you don't scare too easily, I think this film would be okay.  I can't handle shock value horror (Saw, The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc), but I can handle intense thrillers and this film was totally fine for me.  It would probably make a good Halloween movie if you didn't want something truly in the horror category.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Friends, Pumpkins, Tractor Rides, Oh My!

Happy Halloween!  Although this may not be a Halloween post specifically, it is a fall themed post.  As we did last year, my friend and her kids ventured to my parent's house where we had our very own pumpkin picking day at our very own pumpkin patch.  My dad has been totally into planting pumpkins the last few years, and we take advantage of the dozens that fill this part of his garden.

And this year, the kids even got a tractor ride.  By dad happened to be home and spent most of the time taking the kids around the yard.  They thought it was pretty much the best thing ever.











Tonight we'll be spending time at a friend's house, handing out candy.  Although we may not trick-or-treat, who doesn't love getting candy from a group of super heroes?  This year Baxter will be Spiderman and Atticus is the Hulk.  Don't worry, I'll make sure to take some photos so you can witness all of the cuteness that is guaranteed to ensue :)

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Statistics


No, I will not be coming to you with a plethora of random facts or some intriguing information.  I wish.  Unfortunately, I am talking about statistics, as in my introduction to statistics class.  Ugh.

I know that some people get and even like statistics, but I am far from one of them.  The past nine weeks have been some of the hardest, most boring and challenging of my school life.  I am not a genius, but I am proud to say that I work hard at my classes and usually pass with a good grade.

I like a challenging class usually, but if you add how uninterested I am in the material and the fact that I usually doze off while reading my textbook, it makes it a little beyond challenging.  Honestly, at this point I just want to get it over with a passing grade.  I am not failing, but everything in me wants to just stop doing the work.

Thankfully, I can't do that because then all this time I've spent doing it would be a waste.  So, I will continue to plug away and pray that the next five weeks fly by faster than I can hope.  I don't think I have wished for Christmas to come soon since I was 15, but then again, I haven't ever taken a statistics class either.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Weekend Wear

This past Sunday was a little different than our usual routine.  Most weeks we spend the afternoon with one of our families, but this week we had the day completely to ourselves.  We love seeing our family, but it was nice to not have any sort of an agenda.  We enjoyed the crisp fall weather by walking to breakfast, enjoyed relaxing while the boys napped, and spent the afternoon/evening raking leaves at our new house.

There wasn't anything too spectacular, but it was low-key and relaxing, which was much needed after being pretty busy the last couple of weeks.


Top: Thrifted // Cardigan: F21 // Jeans: Gap // Boots: Office London

Friday, October 26, 2012

Philadelphia

The movie Philadelphia centers around Tom Hanks, a successful lawyer working at a prestigious law firm, who is also gay, and who has kept his sexual orientation to himself.  After contracting AIDS, his employers fire him.  This leads him to seek out representation in order to bring an unlawful dismissal suit against his former employer, only no one is willing to help him, including Denzel Washington.  Then there comes a point when Washington sees the prejudice and discrimination that Hanks experiences and has a change of heart.

This film, released in 1993, shows the fear, stigma and discrimination that surrounded those who were homosexual as this new disease and the details about it were being uncovered.  Antonio Banderas also stars in this film as Hanks' life partner.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Where We're Living, and Why


Not everyone would choose to live in the city, but then again, not everyone would want to live outside it either.  For Eric and I, we were torn between the pros of each option.  Outside the city meant more of a yard, a tire swing, and tree forts.  Within the city meant friends close by, more diversity, and walking distance from almost anything.  Eric and I preferred living in the city, but knew the value of  living outside it, as we both grew up more in the country.

When we were considering moving, the area to which we wanted to move concerned us the most.  As a multi-racial family, there is a dynamic that many other families don't have the consider.  Being white parents of black children, we want to make diversity a common experience in our children's lives, but that isn't as readily available outside the city (at least where we live).  Conversely, we want to foster our children's imaginations and independence, which we felt like was a little more difficult with the restraints within a city.

This conversation was ongoing for months, even before we spoke with our realtor.  The more and more we talked about it, the more it seemed like we were going to have to give something up with the decision we made.  And then, we found our house.

Granted, it doesn't have the biggest yard we've ever seen, but it is one of the biggest yards we've ever seen in our city.  We might not have a great tire swing tree, but we have enough room for football or soccer or baseball field.  This house made it possible for us to live in a place where diversity is right outside our front door, and yard where imagination can flourish out the back.

For a long while, it seemed like an almost impossible decision.  Then we discovered that if you're lucky, you can find the best of both worlds.  And now that we've found it, I don't think we'll be giving it up anytime soon.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Weekend Wear

So, that whole back to normal post was probably the reason I did so poorly blog posting this weekend, and this week.  You know when we declare that something is going to go one way, and it seems guaranteed for it to go the other?  Yeah, that's what happened.

But that doesn't detract from how busy our weekend actually was.  We had a wedding reception on Friday night, left for a wedding three hours north on Saturday morning and didn't get back until 5pm on Sunday.

The best part, besides how much fun the receptions were, was the fact that I wore Eric's grandma's dress to one of the parties.  Yep, Eric's grandma bought this dress in the 70s, kept it, and I wore it to our wedding on Friday.

It's such a glorious dress, although the only downfall is that it's pretty hard to dance in.  But it's worth it.




Thursday, October 18, 2012

Back to Normal


Over the last week and a half, we've all been pretty under the weather, and sadly, that meant an ear infection for Baxter.  Add Eric's busy schedule and traveling, and writing blog posts really didn't happen.  But we're now all on the mend and getting back to our normal schedule.  Hooray for healthy kiddos!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Friends with Kids


I know a lot of people say it, that it's really nice when your friends have kids around the same time as you, and as I've discovered about many things in parenting, what they say is true.  Not only is it great to have friends with kids, it's even better to have friends who are also stay at home moms.  I absolutely love the time we get to spend together during the day, the time our kids get to spend playing with other kids, and ability to have fun outings that get both me and the boys out of the house.

I have a feeling that I'd go a little stir crazy if I didn't have other adults to talk with throughout the day (besides the cashier at Target or the barista at Starbucks).  I know that I am very fortunate to be a stay at home mom and I am thankful for it, but honestly, that doesn't mean spending all of your time talking with toddlers is easy or mentally stimulating.

Besides, who doesn't love a little extra time with friends during the week or a reason to pick up Starbucks?

Friday, October 12, 2012

Fight Club

Fight Club.  Such an awesome film.  When I watched it last weekend it wasn't the first time I'd seen it, and it was just as good.  Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are just incredible and the story has you thinking and trying to figure things out the entire time.  You are oftentimes just as confused as Norton's character, but not too much that you lose interest.  And then there's the end.  You really don't see it coming, unless you've seen the film already, and even then it's still great.

Edward Norton's character works at an insurance company assessing car accidents to determine if a recall should be issued.  He's miserable.  He finds some solice by attending support groups for issues and diseases he doesn't have, but then Marla starts to show up and it ruins everything for him. Until he meets Tyler (Brad Pitt) on one of his flights and his life forever changes.  As you might gather from the title, they start fight club, a club where a group of guys meet to fight, literally.  But then it becomes so much more.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Welcome Autumn

I know that fall has officially begun, but it just doesn't seem like it until there are colorful leaves on the trees, some on the ground to play in, and cool weather that requires cute hats.  Last week when we visited some friends, all those things came together to create a beautiful fall day.

So outside the kiddos went to rake and then run through leaves as my friend and I enjoyed a hot cup of coffee watching our kids play together and enjoy all things that make fall my favorite.  It was a good day indeed.








Monday, October 8, 2012

Weekend Wear



Scarf: Target // Top: Thrifted // Jeans: H&M // Boots: Esprit 

On Saturday, we started our day at a Polish parade.  I am polish via my father, who is very proud of his heritage and annually attends this parade.  It had been quite a while since I've joined him (think, young childhood) and the boys' first time ever.  It was pretty cold, but not unbearable if you bundled up and had a cup of hot chocolate that my father, very thoughtfully, brought.

This was my, stay warm and be comfortable as you walk to a parade attire.  Nothing fancy, but it did keep me warm and my feet didn't hurt a bit.  Outfit success!

I think that this type of outfit will most likely be my go-to look a lot of the fall/winter as it's comfy, warm and easy to keep up with two toddlers while wearing.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sunday Mornings




Life can get so busy so fast, especially on the weekends.  Sometimes by Sunday night, we're more exhausted than we were on Friday, when the weekend began.  We fill our time with all the things we want and need to do.  For us, the one time during our oftentimes crazy weekend that is meant for us to slow down is Sunday mornings.  It's almost a sacred part of our weekend.  We never make plans, we don't go anywhere (except to the bakery for muffins), we just enjoy being together as a family.  We try to take it slow, doing things that we enjoy and that are relaxing.  The boys play outside as Eric and I sit on the porch.  He works on his fantasy football team as I catch up on Pinterest, we talk about the week ahead, and just soak up not having an agenda.  

These few short hours we take for ourselves each Sunday morning give us a boost to start the week off right.  It's something that we truly cherish.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Bobby

Bobby is a film that takes place on the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated at the hotel where his campaign headquarters were located..  Although, it centers around his campaign and the California primary, it really isn't about him.  The film focuses on numerous characters, each connected and impacted by Kennedy's policies and eventual death.  Something that I really liked about the film was that every time you saw Senator Kennedy's face it was actual footage, the only use of a look-a-like was for scenes showing his back.

The characters in this film range as far as the cast itself.  There is a couple marrying to avoid deployment to Vietnam after being drafted, an alcoholic performer, hotel manager, campaign volunteers and staff, hotel staff, a drug dealer, a Wall Street broker and bus boys.  And each of these varying characters have weight behind their name; Shia Labeouf, Joshua Jackson, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Lawrence Fishburne, Nick Cannon, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Lindsey Lohan and William H Macy.

When we started the movie, I was under the impression that it was old and didn't have any idea about how extensive the cast is.  It was actually released in 2006.  I ended up really liking the entire thing, and enjoyed seeing the perspectives of all of the characters and their viewpoint during this time in history.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Itching to Craft

Since our house is so close to being done, I have been refraining from doing anything too crafty because I want to make sure I can use it once we move in.  And, I just haven't had a lot of time with the house and school.  But despite being so busy, I have yearning to do something creative.

What's best about waiting until we move is the fact that I will have a crafting corner in the new house. It will be a space that my sewing machine can stay out, and I'll have lots of storage space for everything I have.  Oh glorious!

Until that sweet, sweet day, I have been pinning things that I want to make, and will hopefully be able to find a home for it in our new house.








Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Artprize

While driving through downtown last Wednesday morning, Baxter saw a few pieces of art out of his window.  Right now, Artprize is going on, which is the world's largest open art competition, so there is art everywhere downtown.  Upon seeing said art, he yells, "mom, I want to go to the art show!"  I respond by telling him that we're going to the library, which we were, but he wasn't having it.  So, during our drive to the library, I made plans with Eric for all of us to head downtown to Artprize once he got home.

So, as soon as Eric got home we started our walk downtown.  We live just outside of the downtown area, so it was a nice 20 minute walk.  Once we got there, Baxter was super excited.  If we stayed in one area too long, he would command, "Let's go, I want to see more art."

There is no limit to what people can create, so we saw art made of paper, metal, wood, stone, and even a giant kaleidoscope.  But what's better than seeing the art, is seeing my son so excited about the art.  It's very important to us to give our kids opportunities to experience new things, and hopefully become well rounded and we have something so cool just a short walk away.










Friday, September 28, 2012

The Master

The Master is a film currently in theatres starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams.  Neither Eric nor I knew anything about it, except that it was receiving great reviews from our go-to movie review website, www.rottentomatoes.com.

Phoenix plays a war veteran, an alcoholic and someone who can't hold a steady job, who stumbles upon a group of people traveling to New York.  Come to find out, these people are part of a new religion and are taking their message across the country.  Hoffman is the group's leader and Adams is his wife.  Without anywhere to be or anyone waiting for him, Phoenix travels with this group, which turns out to be more of a cult.

The film itself doesn't seem to have much of a story or plot.  It's primarily, at least to Eric and me, a look into a certain period of time in the characters lives.  I like ambiguous films, but this one was a little much for me.  It started to feel like was dragging after a while, but the performances are completely incredible.  Although, Eric said he wasn't sure if Joaquin Phoenix was incredible or if he's just crazy.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

My Fall Wishlist

This is the time of year when I talk about how much I love fall weather, fall clothes, fall beverages, fall activities.  You name something that comes with fall and I'll most likely like it.  But something that is at or near the top of my list of favorite fall things is the attire.  I absolutely love dressing for fall weather.  I could probably spend a small fortune each year on new fall clothes, but instead I usually pick a few pieces I'd like to add to my collection.  So here are the things that are on this year's fall wish list.

1. Cute long sleeve tops that aren't cardigans.





2. Green skinny jeans



3. Black skinny jeans (I know, why don't I own these already?!)



4. Oxfords



5. Moccasins



6. Fall Biker Jacket