A Single Man (2009)

Tom Ford. The great Tom Ford made a beautiful movie. He put this wonderful story to the silver screen and made it shine. It is one of the most visually pleasing movies I have ever seen. I have told many many people about it in the last 3 days, since seeing it in the theater, and when professing my love for this movie I described it like this...

It is like living in a realistic 1962, going to see a fashion show, a classical concert full of strings, and visiting a wonderfully glamorous art gallery all within 2 hours.

I am just in awe of the vision this movie has. Not only is it a perfect love story between two normal people with different views in the wrong decade, but it shown and told so very well.

I couldn't get enough of the sadness Colin Firth's character, George Falconer, felt. No one could quite understand him or grieve with him, since he was forced to live his true life in private. His happy moments in the film were brought about by bursts of brilliant color and vibrance. It is now one of my favorite movies of all time and by far the best visual movie I have ever seen.

I kept expecting to be let down in some portion of the movie but it kept getting better and better. By the end of the movie, it was whole and complete with nothing left to wonder about. Carly and I just sat through the credits in awe. We just kind of stared at each other with the same feelings about what we had just experienced.

If I happened to be a film critic, I would recommend this movie to anyone who has felt love in their lives. I give it two thumbs up, five stars, and an A+.

Just last week I wrote a post about my favorite fashion in movies... this one is now at the top of the list.

I am writing this on both blogs because it not only has to do with fashion but life and the beautiful things there are to see.

Good Riddance 2009...

and Hello, 2010!

I can honestly say I have never been so happy for a new year to come about. I am ready for a great year. Do you hear me 2010? Seriously!

Yes, of course, there were some great things about 2009...
- 2 fantastic weddings between 4 great friends, Carly & Matt and Phil & Alicia, including an awesome road trip through the northern plains
- a Barrett family reunion in Breckenridge
- the newest addition to our little family, Kafka, our dog
- being able to spend the holidays with the entire Kemm family for the 1st time in 5 years
- 2 amazing babies joined our lives Daphne Bingham (Jan. 2nd, 2009) and Aiden Aerts(Dec. 31, 2008 @ 10:30pm, so basically 2009)
- my dad moved to Portland which is such a wonderful place to visit
- celebrating our first wedding anniversary!
- I finished 4 quilts this year! I also started cross-stitching which is smaller to travel with than a queen sized quilt!

I have decided to spare you our list of terrible 2009 happenings for the umpteenth time. Be grateful! There are even a few (very few) good things that came out of the bad...
- lower car insurance (from having only one car)
- new movies, comforter, cameras
- adding our doggie as an extra security measure
- life lessons, which we will never forget

In the first week alone, I have been in a splendid mood! I think I am making my self happy just thinking about the new year and all to come. There are still plenty of things that are going to happen which I am totally unsure about, but I will try to take it in stride from now on.

Not a whole lot has happened this year in the first 12 days, but so far so good. I did have horrible delays on a Puerto Vallarta turn (that's why I don't work Mexico). I also went hiking with my pops in Portland to 3 different waterfalls. I have seen Avatar (pretty good) and I'm seeing Nine today. We have deep-fried 3 meals with our new deep fryer, so we are starting out really healthy.

I want to thank everyone out there for your kindness and support in 2009. We have such wonderful friends and family and we may not have survived without you. Even just kind words meant the world to us. I apologize for being quite the sad-sack this year, but hopefully it's over and you will see a happier couple of Rodriguez's this year! And if you ever have any kind of troubles we will be there for you, because we know how important it is to have the support. Thanks again!

Here's to the best year ever...
Cheers!!!

holiday fever...

I am baking! Baking like a crazy fool. I am making gingerbread cookies, puppy chow (crispix covered in chocolate, peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar), peppermint bark, white and milk chocolate covered pretzels, pecan pralines, and peanut butter scotchies (corn flakes covered in butter scotch and peanut butter).

Carly came over to assist with the pretzel dipping and did a swell job!

The kitchen smells great and has a nice layer of treats on every surface. I am just beginning the gingerbread cookies which will take forever, but I am ready to get started. I truly love using cookie cutters, but the process is ridiculous.

I thought I would watch something festive for the holidays, and since I already watched White Christmas last night, I chose Die Hard for tonight! It's not the most conventional christmas movie, but it works. We also watched Scrooged with Bill Murray to really boost our spirits.

Off to make the gingerbread mens and ladies...

with hard times, come movies...

With my life being so stressful in the last year (just in case you havent been following thats 2 car break-ins, a burglary and a stolen car in 12 months), I am really finding it hard to be cheerful or even thankful this holiday season. I am usually the first to get xmas cards into the mail, but the thought hasnt even crossed my mind this season. I know it sounds cold and almost stupid to let "things" get me down this way, but it is a hard time right now and I am trying to get through it.

I have a very strong friend whose mother died 4 months ago and just today she told me that no matter the loss, great or small, it is still a loss and it requires grieving. I really needed that. She lost someone very close and special to her while we lost things that were sentimental and special (and some that were neither). Although both are vastly different, in a small way we are both dealing with it in the same way.

I have such wonderful and amazing family and friends who have been so supportive and helpful in any way they could. But truthfully I am most thankful for husband. We have truly been put to the test in our first year of marriage and we are nothing but stronger than we were before. Not a single thing has changed except we know we are there for each other through thick and thin and we know we can make it work.

So, I will do my hardest this holiday season to wish good tidings upon others and I will try to feel the joy, but so far I just feel blah, to say the least. The hardest part is to work very hard everyday to pay bills and eat and have a good life and then people keep ruining it for us by taking it all away. I hope this is the end and we can get back to enjoying small things instead of dreading opening the front door to find the house a wreck!

WOW! DONE! (thanks for letting me vent!)

On a much much MUCH lighter note... I have been passing time with crafts as usual and of course with movies. I have watched quite a few in the last few weeks. Some were great and others so-so. I will only let you in on my favorites!

Dirty Harry 1971. Clint Eastwood in a classic bad-ass cop movie. There are great one-liners "do you feel lucky, Punk?" and really fantastic 70's music. I really liked this movie for the clothes, music, feel, and great San Francisco scenery. I liked the plot since it was loosely based on the Zodiac killer from the 60's. I do like a good serial killer. My favorite part is when he eats a hot dog and then takes out a bank robbery while chewing his food. Awesome!

Up 2009. Man, this movie is very touching and pretty funny. I think kids would like it, but an adult would like it a lot more due to the beautiful relationship the whole movie is based on. I think I liked the beginning scenes the best, but the rest is very sweet. My favorite visually pleasing scene are the beautiful colors the balloons produce onto the ground below.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 1988-1999. Damn, this show is hilarious. If you have never heard of this show I highly recommend it. A guy and 2 robots are forced to watch terrible movies for science experiments... that's it! The greatest part is their hilarious comments on these terrible movies. Just rent it or check it out. Funny. Always.

Silkwood 1983. Not only does this movie have Meryl Streep, but its set in Oklahoma and made in 1983. Why would I NOT love this movie? This is the age old story about worker V. huge bad company. A kind of Erin Brockovich for the 70's. It is a true story about a woman working for a plutonium plant who becomes subsequently contaminated and then tries to make the company realize the plant needs safer work regulations. It is a great movie and of course Meryl is fantastic. I love anything the woman touches!

Star Trek 2009. Could they have cast this movie any better? Every single person was perfect for their role. I really enjoy learning about how characters in movies might have met and this was very entertaining. The action was great and the special effects/sound should definitely get an Oscar nomination, as least! This is how a good action movie should be.

Being There 1979. I saved this for the last, because it is one of my new favorite movies. First off... Shirley MacLaine and Peter Sellers. Enough said. This is such simple story about a simple gardener just telling the truth to the world as he sees it. It is funny, witty, touching, and brilliant all rolled into one. I honestly didnt know what it was about and there were so many great twists I never saw coming, it is impossible to explain all the crazy happenings if I wanted to! There arent very many movies that leave me smiling and totally happy at the end, but this did it. Get this movie if just for the hilarious outtake during the credits!

My last 2 suggestions of the post...
-Lost (the tv show) is sucking me in and is very exciting. Thanks to Hulu.com, I am watching from the first episode. Check it out.
-New Moon is WORSE than Twilight. Do not check it out or waste your time. (Unless you wanna see Edward and all his chiseled goodness. OMG!)


Go forth and watch great movies! Oh and Happy Holidays!

busy little bees...

I have been pretty busy lately. Obviously. Since I haven't written in quite a while.

I will give you a good overview of the last three weeks. Ready? It's long...

oct 25-30
One of my oldest and best friends came to visit for the whole week! Anneliese and I met in 2nd grade at a friend's birthday party and in 4th grade she transferred to my elementary school. We have had a trillion sleepovers together with barbies, crafts, Fish Food ice cream, and movies. We have partied, traveled, cried and laughed together. We went totally separate ways after high school, but have kept in touch all these years. Even if its a year between our chats we can catch up just like it was yesterday.

She arrived on Sunday and left on Friday night. We had a very eventful week, minus the huge blizzardy storm that made us house bound for a full day.

We shopped at Cherry Creek Mall, Nordstrom's Rack, Target, Park Meadows Mall, Joanne Fabrics, and Halloween stores. We went to Lookout Mountain and Golden, CO. We cooked a few meals, did some crafts, cleaned house, decorated for the party.

The big Halloween party we had been planning for months on Wednesday the 28th, was of course ruined by the crippling 2.5 foot snow storm that started the night before and ended Thursday night. Luckily we had cooked and cleaned all day. We had 5 people at the house already; Tony, Matt, Carly, Anneliese, and me. Our neighbors stopped by with carmel popcorn and the one other guest is our friend Adam. A total of six people partied in the snow and in the garage with the keg for hours and hours!

We had sooooo much food for the 6 of us. We made...
72 mini cupcakes
chex mix
peanut butter cup cookies
sausage rolls
Rotel and Velvetta cheese dip
9 layer dip
cranberry bread
little smokies with bbq sauce
and we got a keg!

Ultimately we had a blast and I fully understood why people didn't make it out for the party. When it snows 2+ feet there aren't too many people that wanna drive to go drinking at a party! Shocking!

oct 31
Work. Blah. Cruddy Halloween.

nov 1-5
Work done by Wednesday morn. Because of the storm last week we threw together an impromptu Post Halloween party to attempt to finish the keg.

I cleaned the house all day to perfection because I knew people were actually coming this time. I asked people to dress-up in hopes of recreating Halloween.

The first couple of guests showed at 6. Then 6:30 Carly showed up. Soon after that, more and more people were appearing at the party. There were some really great costumes; M&M, Russian mail-order bride, Mario (from Mario Bros.), sexy cop, zebra, catholic priest, and more. I think there were about 20 folks in our little house/awesome garage.

We not only had pitchers and pitchers of keg beer, but some girls brought wine, champagne, and vodka. All in all there was a lot of drinking going on. The party went on until midnight. Seriously a fun time and I drank A LOT!

Thursday I probably did something important, but now I don't remember. Oh packing for our weekend vacation!

Later that night, I had a friend's birthday party to attend downtown. I got all dressed up and told myself I wouldn't spend any money or drink. I spent 25 cents on parking and of course there were free drinks.

Someone made me a drink and we danced to the music. We requested some Cyndi Lauper and the DJ said "who?" I then asked for 80's music and he said "what does it start with?" OK. Great!

nov 6-10
Friday morning, Tony and I got up super early to head to the airport. We were headed to Portland for the weekend to visit my dad. Elizabeth flew into Denver earlier that morning to meet our flight out.

Amazing rainy events in Portland...
friday
*Ikea. good shopping, good food and now Tony is in love with the store too!
*Bonneville fish hatchery to watch the spawning salmon in action jumping up the fish ladders
*Multnomah Falls. basically a double waterfall nestled into a lush green forest.
*Kell's Irish Restaurant and Pub. Tony and I love the Seattle location and we had been telling dad about it for years. It didn't disappoint. Corned beef and cabbage with good Irish beer and soda bread ::drool::
*VooDoo Doughnuts. If you go to Portland you have to have VooDoo. The old dirty bastard is AMAZING!!
*POWELL'S BOOKS. That's all I have to say. The best bookstore I have ever been to. When you need an obscure book like Red Dragon first edition or Angels and Demons Illustrated Edition... it's there.

saturday
*pouring rain, actual flooding
*Saturday market. It is a weekly outdoor craft show which might be great except for the cold wet rain.
*back to Kell's for a warm-up drink.
*a beautiful vintage store with Chanel suits and a Karl Lagerfield jacket and much much more. I almost died until I looked at the prices and we left :(
*powell's books again. I just can't get enough.
*Bridgeport Brew pub. Seriously what other kinds of sight seeing are you supposed to do in the pouring rain?
*more vintage stores but in our price range. new patent leather lace up shoes!
*chili for dinner at Dad's house. Nice dry warm evening with family.

sunday
*Elizabeth was supposed to leave, but got really sick in the night so we got one more day with her!
*basically football all day. hmph.
*downtown Vancouver, WA. Thrift stores, antiquing, and more vintage stores.
*Blind Onion Pizza. delicious.

monday
*Tony and Elizabeth left today to go back to work.
*Pittock Mansion. A beautiful house built in the early 1900's. So much history and a fantastic view of the rivers, the mountains, and downtown.
*Powell's one last time :(
*McMenamins on the river for dinner.

tuesday
*home.

Wow. The last couple weeks have been crazy, and now there is just work. Darn. I dont think the next couple weeks will be exciting at all, even though Thanksgiving is right around the corner!!

Here's to the next posts and lets hope they are shorter!