Yesterday was Groundhog Day, dears! And little Phil saw his shadow, which supposedly means six more weeks of winter, but I'm not so much interested in his forecast as I am in his adorableness. That said, often times I wish Phil were able to have the life of an everyday groundhog with a family and a little burrow of baby groundhogs instead of being subjected to flashing cameras and newscasters. If only Beatrix Potter's world were real . . .
This video gets us pretty close, though. My mum sent it to me the other day while I was studying, and it really did increase my productivity! Cute baby animals have a way of doing that ;).
The SAG Awards were Sunday night. I didn't even realize that until I heard people talking about the dresses and winners on Monday. We don't watch our television much, but I liked getting to see everything recapped in the news, and some of our favorite looks are featured below (pics from POPSUGAR). Fashion news is a nice break from all the sadness that's been everywhere lately. Speaking of which--if you're reading this, I highly suggest you look into the International Rescue Committee or the Sierra Club or any of the other organizations that support humanitarianism and the environment. It's so important that people take individual action to make the world a better, safer place for everyone!!
What were some of your favorite looks from the night?
Are there any organizations you think need some extra support right now? What about causes?
Now, watch those baby groundhogs one more time ;).
Hi, friends! It is so cold outside today, and there is ice everywhere. I'm hoping everyone stays safe this morning. There are cute little bird footprints in the snow (awww), but I feel sorry for the birdies to have to be in such a chilly climate right now. It was pretty warm up until last week. I think all our Christmas weather just decided to come at once. But the benefit of having work delayed today is that we got to watch some of the Golden Globes last night. There's so much struggle in the world right now, and in life, and it's nice to be able to escape into a little film and fashion sometimes. Not that some real-world difficulties weren't discussed last night, of course. Meryl Streep gave a very meaningful speech, and there was a sweet dedication to Princess Leia and Debbie Reynolds.
Note: Red Carpet pics borrowed from the Popsugar website.
Emma Stone as a celestial goddess
Hailee Steinfeld in a soft purple princess look with angel sleeves
Natalie Portman looks Jackie Kennedy-chic in Prada
Lily Collins as a ballerina fairy (I love this look so so so much)
Gina Rodriguez sparkles in Naeem Khan
Brie Larson channels vintage glam in Rodarte
Laura Dern is sweet in flowers
Drew Barrymore looks breezy and magical
Naomie Harris stuns in metallics
Viola Davis is bold and bright in Michael Kors
Claire Foy makes sparkles adorable and glamorous
Zoe Saldana is beautiful in blush
Reese Witherspoon is elegant in buttercream yellow
Michelle Williams plays with texture and the perfect simplicity of black and white
Ruth Negga goes futuristic-glam
Mandy Moore embraces goddess vibes
Octavia Spencer is chic in a pantsuit
There were a lot of other beautiful looks last night, so if you get the chance, definitely check some of them out. Which were your favorites? Stay safe this Monday!
It's been ten years, but BBC's Planet Earth nature series is finally back! YES! This is so exciting! Planet Earth II is premiering on BBC now, and the video footage from it is beyond incredible. It's a really nice break from everything that is usually on television, and its episodes transport viewers to some of the world's most fascinating island, jungle, mountain, grassland, desert, and city (yes, city!) habitats. (And there's apparently even footage of a swimming sloth.)
If you're just as enthusiastic about this news as I am, then please please please take a mental health break to watch BBC's official extended trailer. Looking at cute animals increases productivity, and we could all use a little more nature in our lives, right?
Happy Planet Earth-ing!
It's easy to take things for granted. School, the mountains, Friday night movies . . . we can get so swept up in the anxiety of anticipated moments that we forget to be present and appreciate the here and now. But that's sad because the here and now are only around for a moment, and if we miss them, they're gone forever.
We've been very busy this week with back to school, work (I've got a new internship...), trying not to get sick (elderberries are so wonderful for that), and helping my grandfather transition home from rehab after breaking his hip. Today is Friday, though, and it's got that "Friday feeling" because it means that the alarm can be set for 7:30 AM tomorrow instead of 5:15 AM. That means a full 135 extra minutes of sleep! Ever since I was little and my mum worked 13-hour days with at-risk students (and then came home to do more work at night), my family has had this little tradition of Friday night movie nights. We've gone through a Miyazaki period and then a Star Wars period and even watched all the Before Sunset movies (my brother wasn't as excited about those, lol), and seeing movies together has always been a comfort. With that in mind, if you get the chance tonight, try to watch a movie with a loved one. That can be anyone from a sibling to a parent to a friend to a cat to a stuffed animal to a plant :). And if you're looking for movie recommendations . . . .
Me & Earl & the Dying Girl (2015)
I saw this movie recently, and my mum, brother, and I loved it very much--even though it made us all cry. It's truly an art piece. There are so many little details--sketches hidden in wallpaper, wonderlands cut into the pages of books--that add a lot of depth to the film visually, but all the characters and scenes have a realistic quality to them that makes you feel like, yes, you could know them in the real world. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but the movie (which is based on a book that I now really want to read) is about Greg, a sometimes directionless high school senior, and his relationships with people like his foreign film-loving best friend ("coworker") Earl, his eccentric parents, and Rachel, the "dying girl." I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but the movie is beautiful and heartfelt and tragic all at once. It also has really good music.
Demolition (2015)
My brother has been listening to "Crazy On You" on repeat ever since we saw this movie. Despite the title, it's not at all an action or fighting movie with good guys or bad guys (not that those aren't fun movies to watch). Instead, it's about relationships and loss. Davis has just lost his wife in a horrible car accident, and he's going through an identity crisis, questioning the meaning of the world and if he's even capable of love. Things seem disheartening at times, but by the end of the movie, you'll feel better (and of course a bit melancholy).
Heart: "Crazy On You"
The Princess and the Warrior (2000) This is an older movie, and it's in German, but if you're willing to deal with subtitles, you won't regret it. Sissi, a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, is hit by a bus and rescued by Bodo, a troubled bank robber haunted by the loss of his wife. Sissi sets out to find Bodo to thank him for saving her, and their relationship ends up helping them both overcome the nightmares of the past. Like Demolition and Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, The Princess and the Warrior has a rawness to it that makes it seem very, very real. It's not glossy or glamorous--it's life. And that, in its own way, is quite beautiful.
TGIF! What are some movies you've seen recently (or not so recently) that gave you the "Friday feeling" we wait all week to get?
It feels odd to have Easter in March this year when I'm so used to it being in April, but there are so many pretty purple flowers on the trees that it doesn't seem to matter, and the colors are all very spring-like despite a chilly breeze. I hope everyone else is having a happy Sunday regardless of whether or not they're celebrating today. We have a lot of homework to do (sigh) and lost a dear pet last week, but we're honoring the holiday with some memory lane trips courtesy of childhood Easter specials. There's something very comforting about old holiday specials, and it's been sweet to revisit characters like Snoopy and Max and Ruby.
I'm reading Vera Brittain's memoir Testament of Youth at the moment. It's a beautiful, poignant account of life and love during World War I, and Brittain, a feminist and peace activist, offers an honest perspective on how the war changed the youth of her generation. No longer were they focused on academics or leisure but on survival.
“There seemed to be nothing left in the world, for I felt that
Roland had taken with him all my future and Edward all my past.”
Last year, a film adaptation of Testament of Youth came out, and my mum and I, always drawn to the tragic beauty of war poets like Wilfred Owen, watched it together. The scenes of the trenches recreated the horrific reality of the war, and the film captured well the novel and the transition that the youth went through from being completely disconnected from war to being fully involved in it. But while so much of the movie brought out the pain and horrors of the WWI era, the costumes designed by Consolata Boyle reflected (like the poetry) the beauty that so many clung onto during the darkness.
It is officially October 21st, 2015, the day made famous by Back to the Future Part II. A lot has happened since the 1980s, and even though we don't have flying cars or hover boards, the movie did correctly predict that we'd have 3-D movies and flat-screen TVs. Since Back to the Future Part II, which was made in 1989, was set in 1985, here are a few songs that came out that year. Flashback time!
Simple Minds: "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
Tears for Fears: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
The academic year is upon us once again, and it almost feels like summer break never happened because my mind has returned to schedules and planners and trying not to get lost in the halls. At least there's music...
Taylor Swift: "Wildest Dreams"
Lorde: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Cat Power: "Metal Heart"
And, just for the sake of it being school again....
Wes Anderson's movies all have a very particular visual style to them, and The Grand Budapest Hotel is no exception. The storyboarding, costumes, and set design make each scene a work of art, and it almost seems like the movie's aesthetic falls somewhere between a dollhouse, a play, and a painting. (One of the key techniques in capturing this unique feel is symmetry, the effects of which are explained in this interesting article.) Words, however, can't quite do justice to The Grand Budapest Hotel, so, without further adieu, here are some of the pictures we think capture it the best in all of its quirky pink glory:
Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! is one of my all-time favorite movies. It's very sad, and I love the music--the fact that mash-ups of songs like "Heroes" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" are set against the backdrop of 1900 France just makes me so incredibly happy. Speaking of backdrop, the lively colors and gorgeous sets are also really awesome, and they contribute to the stunning beauty of the costumes.
