January 2012 round-up

1) Candle scents this month:  Bonfire

2) What I read this month:  In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson; America's Founding Food; The Wordy Shipmates (again); 1493 (still working on this one)

3) Top three songs I was drawn to:  "Would You" from Singin' in the Rain; "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd;

4) Movies I saw:  Tucker & Dale vs. Evil; Infamous; The Ides of March;

5) Favorite tv moments of the month:  Modern Family: "Lifetime Supply";

6) Something yummy I made:  Broiled asparagus w/ lemon pepper - quick and easy.

7) Restaurants where I ate:  Snoopy's Diner; Ichiban; Jacky's Galaxie; Square Peg; Sura; Cheeseboy (we ate in restaurants way too much this month)

8.) Five things I am loving this month:  The weather the fist week or so was phenomenal. We actually had a day in the 60's. And then it finally snowed! Hooray for snow in January!

9) A goal I had for this month:  eating healthier - not as successful as I would have liked.

10) This month I looked forward to:  post-holiday peace and quiet.

11) Something I want to remember about this month:  Niece R's very bad day; The Providence Post-Holiday Blogger Party; Style Week: Providence; meeting Dixie of Blue Suede; Red White and Blues fundraiser.

12) A photo I took this month: 

Dress from Style Week Providence

World's biggest opal

via TYWKIWDBIFil

I love opals. I think they're beautiful, and they happen to be my birthstone, so I'm not tempting fate or superstition by buying one for myself.

TYWKIWDBI recently featured an article about the world's largest opal matrix, uncovered in Australia.

"The opal is about 30 cms in length with a height of 15-20 cms and a 4 cm thickness. Its estimated value is at least 1 million dollars USD. However as far as opals go, this one has set the benchmark which is certainly going to remain for the next few years. Historically, the largest opal found so far was just 6,100 carats in size. The current one is nearly ten times that size." ~ JustLuxe

File this one under "Jewelry you can give to me."

This article has also somehow rekindled my interest in astrology. Huh.

Feel the Force Friday

Forget everything else and watch this for the next 2 hours:

This is Star Wars Uncut, a production 2 years in the making. The public was solicited to select 10 seconds of the movie and remake it, shot-for-shot. The submissions were then voted on by the public (yes, I voted!), stitched together, and we now have the Director's Cut.

I can't remember ever laughing out loud at a movie as often as I did at this. Genius.


How Return of the Jedi should have ended...

Mark Hughes' 50 "The Best Films Never Nominated For The Oscar For Best Picture"

Hughes goes into detail on the first ten in his article, then lists the others. I wonder which of my readers have seen these films, so I'm going to color the ones I've seen in RED, and invite you to do the same. If you do, leave a message in the comments!

Also, what movies did he miss?

I believe I'll add this to my list of 1001 things for next time.

Metropolis (1927/28)
North by Northwest (1959)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
Mean Streets (1973)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Sling Blade (1996)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) The Dark Knight (2008)
Notorious (1946)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
The Searchers (1956)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Superman: The Movie (1978)
The China Syndrome (1979)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Blade Runner (1982)
Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Blood Simple (1984)
Brazil (1985)
Matewan (1987)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
Die Hard (1988)
Glory (1989)
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
Thelma and Louise (1991)
The Player (1992)
Malcolm X (1992)
Germinal (1993, foreign language film)
Dead Man Walking (1995)
Seven (1995)
Rob Roy (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Magnolia (1999)
Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
King Kong (2005)
Syriana (2005)
Children of Men (2006)
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Shotgun Stories (2008)
Che (2008, foreign language film)
Shutter Island (2010)

Nighty-night...

Scenes from 64 horror films in 5 minutes, with accompanying creepy music.


List of the films and music here.
Sweet dreams...

www wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? Audio: 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann (for those keeping track, I recently finished his other audiobook, 1491). In print I'm still working on America's Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking

• What did you recently finish reading? The Unquiet by J.D. Robb. Since I didn't bother to review it, I guess it didn't make much of an impact. Another seasonal novella based around Halloween.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Still planning to read Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty by John M. Barry

Feel the Force Friday

Add caption

Source: themarysue.com via I {heart} Rhody on Pinterest

The first Star Wars poster" per Reddit

Source: google.com via I {heart} Rhody on Pinterest

Taunton hotel

Source: google.com via I {heart} Rhody on Pinterest

Evian Star Wars Water (fake)

Source: google.com via I {heart} Rhody on Pinterest

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Never Ending Meme, part two
(stolen from Kwizgiver)

21. Did you go to your high school prom? no

22. Perfect time to wake up? when I naturally wake up

23. Perfect time to go to bed? 10 or 11

24. Do you use your queen right away in chess? no

25. Ever been in a car accident? several over the years

26. Closer to mom or dad…or neither? both about the same.

27. What age is this exciting life over for you? I...don't know how to answer that.

28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager? I have very fond memories of the 80s

29. Favorite shoes you have EVER owned? black heels w/ 4 buckles. Kinda granny, but kinda fun.

30. Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school? no

31. Were you in track and field? no

32. Were you ever in a school talent show? yes

33. Have you ever written in a library book? no

34. Allergic to? cats, oranges and wintergreen

35. Favorite fruit? blackberries

Feel the Force Friday

Source: themarysue.com via I on Pinterest

episode IV - 8 bit style

Source: themarysue.com via I on Pinterest

Source: themarysue.com via I on Pinterest

www Wednesday

To play along, just answer me these questions three (3)…

• What are you currently reading? I'm listening to the audiobook of The Wordy Shipmates  by Sarah Vowell, and reading America's Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking by Keith Stavely & Kathleen Fitzgerald.
• What did you recently finish reading? 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, a cultural history of life in the Americas before Columbus
• What do you think you’ll read next? Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty, by John M. Barry

I swiped this from Kwizgiver.