Grindhouse presents...

So I was laying in bed last night (keep it in your pants kids) and I was having a fabulous convo with myself for the bloggity blog. Do you think I can remember one iota of it today? Nope. Nada. Zip. If this is what comes with getting old... I don't want it! Shit! It was good too. I figure that maybe if I just sit here and type on my dysfunctional keyboard for a while maybe I will remember the brilliance that once was.

Oh...
I member...

So... How many of you out there have seen... Wait for it...

Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof"
(spoiler alert)

Anyone?

Buehler?

I don't know what took me so long to see this movie. I guess I'm just stubborn (shut up Salti). But I swear to you I was watching it and having an ultimate girl power moment. I feel that I must warn some of you, due to the mixed nature of my audience, that this is a violent, sexual, somewhat drug/alcohol laden type of movie. And yes... I still loved it. The characters are complex and interesting. As a woman you watch the movie and relate to the dialogue because it is so similar to what we actually talk about. And then there's my new girl crush... Zoe Bell!! Stunt woman turned actress/stunt woman. This Kiwi does it all. She's rad. And yes... I use the word 'rad' liberally when called for. Just ask Ms. Salti and all my immediate family. I'm bringing it back people.

(That's Zoe in the green hat)

So. As Lamar used to say on Reading Rainbow "Don't take my word for it"... go see it yourself, lovers. Enjoy! And be prepared for a little unexpected Tarantino gore =) He's good like that!

Jason Segel... wild, weird, and wonderful

So if you haven't seen Knocked Up or I Love You Man... let me just tell you that Jason Segel is worth the alliteration. He is so quirky... so interesting... I dig 'im man!! And yes, he is totally 'my type' and I find him irresistibly sexy. True enough. Enjoy this little clip... I did=)

Mi Casa Es Su Casa...

Welcome my lovelies!
As you walk through my front door you'll notice the little sign above the kitchen door which reads "Mi Casa Es Su Casa" (translation: my house is your house).
So, without further adieu... take your shoes of and come on in!

Just to your right there is our little sitting area/laptop nook. This is where I sit and read all of your clever blogs while I look out that window and am grateful that I'm in here and not out there on hot days like today!!
Yes, it's a little messy...
Yes, that's a Passion Iced Tea from Starbucks...
Yes, that's a lava lamp...

Straight through the doorway is my itsy bitsy kitchen where I will create for you an exquisite masterpiece... I don't often use cookbooks but the few I happen to have are in boxes right now because we have mold abatement going on in the basement... long story.
But no worries! The air is clean and my kitchen is always open.
Perhaps I'll make you the squash penne I referred to in this post? Or, if squash isn't your thing I can whip up a little homemade marinara... Ms. Salti has been kind enough to give you all that recipe!

Due to my lack of cupboard space... or my ever increasing amount of kitchen paraphernalia... I have a wire rack in the kitchen with all of my tools, spices, entertaining dishes, bake ware, the bread-maker is on the bottom (don't tell anyone I use it!).

Where are my manners?! Let me get you something to drink... I have to admit I'm a little cleaned out after the bachelorette party I just attended. I would not recommend drinking the cooking vermouth. Patron happens to be my favorite but I also have some beer in the fridge along with a healthy supply of SoBes.

Here's the garden where I'll be picking some of our veggies for dinner tonight. Maybe you'd like to go and commune with the honeybees?
Hey... enough Patron and I'll commune with anything you put in front of me!

Or maybe you'd like to have a sit on my favorite swing under our large Catalpa tree? The shade cools things off nicely.

If you're like me you like to put on a little music while cooking... and if you can't find something in our collection then you don't like music. This is just the CD collection too... the records are on the floor. I didn't take a picture of those!
Here are some of my faves...

Recognize anything you like?
no? Too bad... you can leave now;)
hahahaha... just kidding... I'm bad at picking favorite music and movies! I have a lot!!

Now that dinner is ready let's throw on a movie while we eat. Here are a few I thought you might like...


I tried to pick a little something for everyone... it's so hard to please people these days!! Picky, picky=)

All of my books are in boxes as well (mold abatement) but if you look to the right of my blog there... down a bit... you'll see my book montage with a list of a few of the things I've read. I've conveniently left out all of the ever boring books that make me look as smart as I am. You don't need me to tell you that. Only dull people brag about how intelligent they are by showing off with their old college books;) tee hee hee . Nothing but love!
Someday I will take a picture of my bookshelf when it is back up and running.

Well... I hope you've enjoyed your evening as my guest. I enjoyed having you.
Stop by again sometime!!

A Good Old Fashioned Lovestory

Instead of Sponge Bob the other morning I opted for one of my old favorites. Bas Luhrmann's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I used to watch that movie several times a week before I had kids but haven't watched it in some time for whatever reason...
guess I've been busy...
Anyway... they loved it. The imagery. The story. Everything.
They were constantly asking me why things were happening and what the characters meant by what they said (even in high school old English can be a little tricky to navigate and they're only 2,4 and 7). I was surprised how quickly they caught on.

I'm sure my parents would argue that it's a fairly violent version of Romeo and Juliet to introduce the kids to but I'd like to hear someone argue that it was a non-violent story!
Not the point of this post however...
The point was to find out what your favorite versions of the tale have been over the years?

Perhaps a play you saw? I'd love to hear about it.

Franco Zeffirelli's movie was the first version I saw as I'm sure is the case for most of you. I think it was after I moved to Salt Lake after living in Hollywood (mid 8th grade). The teacher was very nervous because we saw the actors ass. Oh no. I just though it was cool that they would show that in Utah. I was sure they would be so uptight compared to what I was used to... but I guess I was being a little judgmental (very rude, I know, I repented later that night).
I loved it then but it's been so many years since I've seen it. I actually have it on vinyl... I should pull it out and listen to the soundtrack. I remember it was amazing.

I think we also saw the Los Angeles Ballet perform it when I was younger. Although this is not a picture from that performance I would also love to hear if you enjoyed the ballet version of it more than the others and why.

The story has evolved for me over the years which is why I enjoy it so much. Each stage in life it seems as though you understand the characters in different ways and you begin to identify with various people from the story. Of course I'm sure I will always feel that surge of passion as they are falling in love because that's just the genius behind the writing... but I think you understand what I'm getting at.

Baz Luhrmann made Shakespeare accessible to everyone though and that is something not easily done. That's something that every English teacher, actor, director, ballerina, and joe schmoe has been trying to accomplish for a very long time now. I think I'm also biased because I happen to love every movie he's ever directed (yes, Strictly Ballroom too).

So... Romeo and Juliet. Watch it. Listen to it. Read it.



A little culture won't kill you.
(and if it does I don't know what to tell you... I'm sorry... that definitely wasn't my intent)

Fucking Fab (They're referring to me in case you were wondering)

Thanks Ms. Salti! Okay... so I really do like getting bloggy awards... who doesn't. I guess for this one I need to list 5 things I'm obsessed with. And although I've just said I'm not obsessed with anything I guess technically that's not true...
Here we go...

The Naughty Monkies... Did you know that every time Taryn gets her hair washed now she wants me to take a picture. The child is a star. Too bad Hollywood is so far away... or too good depending on your views on child actors. I'm obsessed with my kids. They give me crazy anxiety but I can't imagine life without them. They're crazy cool. I love 'em!

Yes... I am a Twilight Fan. And yes, I just capitalized fan... deal. Very, very, very excited for the movie to come out. I don't know if I'll put up with the midnight screaming teenage girl crowds the night it comes out. But I will definitely go to see it at least once in the theater=) And I'm with Ms. Salti... the book was much better the second time through when you weren't rushing through to get to the end!

You could say I'm obsessed with my hubby. In a very healthy most of the time/ unhealthy once in a while sort of way. Hey, we're not all perfect! We do try. Even when we're having a rough time I miss him when he's not around. I crave his company and his touch.

Two more things... this is harder than I though and I don't have any more visual aids...
(will they continue reading?)

AHA!
Thanks to the miracle of modern technology I can now show you my next obsession...
Ms. Salti. I know. Some of you who are new to our little world might think that's a really strange thing to say. But let's put it this way... she's my other other half, my heterosexual life partner (HLP) so duh! of course I'm obsessed. I just consider myself lucky to get the things I'm obsessed with.

And last but not least...

My crackberry...
yes, the damned dirty ape. Just kidding booboo kitty shitz. Mommy loves you. Even though I drop you every time I get out of the car. I know! Grr! What did I do before texting?! Who knows. Love the crackberry... If you don't have one I'm just warning you now... they're a pain in the ass to get used to but once you do...

YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Deer Cupcake Award

The Rules:
Respond and rework.
Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one additional question.

What is your current obsession? I think I'm getting rid of this question because I'm so lame right now that I don't feel like I'm obsessed with anything cool or worthy of being obsessed with.

Where are you right now? I am sitting on the love seat in my front room with my feet propped up on a pillow, several pillows behind my back, in Salt Lake City, Utah in the US (specific enough?)

Do you nap a lot? I take offense to this =) I used to nap a lot! I nap more than Erica and less than my almost 3 year old. I love naps... mmmm... it's the Leo in me.

What's one of your favorite movies? Mystery, Alaska will always be one of my favorite movies. Although you all have to realize that I have at least a hundred 'favorite' movies depending on the genre and the day. If you haven't seen Mystery, Alaska it's great.

What's one thing you're looking forward to? Being out of debt. I know there will be some form of debt around at one point or another... but the kind of debt we're in now is just unhealthy. It could be much worse though... I'm being positive (small voice in head is sinking)

Who was your childhood crush? Childhood Crush? Or first love... kind of the same thing for me... James Jones. Still good friends with the fam.

What is your current favorite Song? All American Rejects "The Wind Blows"... it's on the playlist on my blog if you want to check it out. I love it. Not often I fall head over heels for a song the first time I hear it but I definitely fell hard for this one. Like "Come Undone" by Duran Duran... same kind of thing!

What would you like to get rid of? Can't be redundant or I would say my debt... so I guess I would say the distance between my mom and I. We've always been in the same city and now she lives 11 hours away! Too Far! A girl needs her mother... especially this girl...

What in life are you waiting on? I think I'm waiting on life to get easier. I'm constantly thankful for what I have but I always find myself wondering when things are going to ease up a bit. It's a never ending wave these days. But like I said earlier... it could be worse!

What is your favorite thing to do on a weekend night? Toes with Tata (aka Ms. Salti) =) Especially if we have ice cream at cold stone and do toes!

Why did you start your blog? I used to write a lot before I had kids. Before I started blogging I started feeling like I had lost a lot of my creative drive with writing, music, etc. and I felt like blogging was a good way to express that again. A positive outlet for me as well as a way to get feedback from my friends.

If money was not an issue, what is one thing you would purchase for yourself? An Island resort (hey, money's not an issue, right)

What is your best feature? I like my eyes. Always have. No matter how I feel about the rest of me... I'm always having a good eye day=)

Nick and Norah... Yummy...

Don't give me any bullshit about the economy this, and my budget that, and I don't have enough money or time to go out and rent a movie. You're talking to the wrong girl. I'm broke, I have three kids, I'm on a medication that saps my libido and makes my hands numb... so I don't want to hear it. Go out and rent a movie. And if you want my recommendation for a movie (take it or leave it I won't be hurt, promise) then grab yourself Nick and Norah's infinite playlist. There is one scene in particular that they could have left for the director's cut... but I'm not the director so no biggie. Anyway, it was great. Great soundtrack, great lead actors, great plot, just fab all around.
Any good new movie ideas for me? Please... do tell...

We want our movie!

Okay... so obviously it didn't come out in November of last year... but apparently it really is coming out the 17th of July. We are now reading Harry Potter for the second time around in our house. Since Tristan started school last year reading is not only a part of bedtime but a homework requirement nightly. I decided last year that if we 'had' to read for 20 minutes a night I was going to have to find something a little more interesting than "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Not that I don't love that book! Anyway... that's how I began reading these books. Tristan and I are reading "The Half-Blood Prince" and loving it! It's always surprising to me how much more you catch reading a book through for the second time.
Hopefully they'll stop putting off the release date of the movie! We're all anxious to see it!

Porn 'n Partners

I've lost count over the years of the number of friends and acquaintances who I've overheard tell stories of their husbands or boyfriends having a 'problem' with porn. I feel bad that they're not able to somehow find a way to incorporate it into the relationship. Okay... so I've had one friend out of all of them who figured out how to have fun with it... but that's a really small fraction! Don't get me wrong... if Trent could find nothing better to do with his days than sit around watching other people I'd get annoyed. Especially if the dishes were piling up and the kids weren't getting fed. But seriously... if couples could just find a way to make it part of 'playtime' I think they'd find a lot of their issues with porn would go away. Maybe that's a bit naive of me... but I hope there's at least a little truth to it.
I guess we sort of have to divide up 'porn' as well. I'm not talking about anything underage (OBVIOUSLY!) and sorry... but animals are out of the question too. Yes, I have morals!

I would venture a guess that many things in life that are considered taboo would be a lot less frowned upon if people could just talk about them in the open...
Well, give it a shot (pun intended). Start out simple and see where it goes.
And hey... if it's not for you... well at least you can say you tried it first.
Good luck in your adventures!
Mistress A.

Swing Vote

Trent brought home the movie Swing Vote the other day and I vaguely remembered seeing the trailers for it several months ago. He watched it last night and couldn't stop talking about it. He was like "You HAVE to watch this!" So... I distracted the kids for a bit and put it on. Great movie about this deadbeat dad whose daughter is more interested in voting than he is. One thing leads to another and the entire presidential outcome winds up on his shoulders. Seems like a very unbelievable story... but the real message here was more about the importance of voting regardless what your thoughts are of the process behind it.

After this last election I felt reaffirmed that my vote does matter. Even though I am living in what's considered a predominantly conservative state I feel that my voice was heard. I don't agree with the electoral college. Yes, I was taught all about it in college, and I think that once upon a time it had a need. However... as with many things... change occurs and change is needed. I'm not sure how little ole me would ever cause a change there... but I guess it all starts with voicing my opinion and writing a letter. I'll get working on that ;)
Hope you rent it... hope you enjoy it!