Saturday, January 31, 2009

Last Puzzle Piece

When I received this wedding invitation from friends it inspired me to make them something special for their gift.

Last Puzzle Piece Wedding Invite via foobella.blogspot.com


Inside: "Please join JR & Kim as they fit the last piece in place..."
Last Puzzle Piece Wedding Invite via foobella.blogspot.com


That was over two years ago, and I finally got it done, printed, matted, framed and sent to them for Christmas this year. (Don't worry, I did give them another gift back then, too.)

Last Puzzle Piece Wedding Invite via foobella.blogspot.com
click picture to enlarge

Some of these pictures are significant moments together on their road to matrimony. I think it went over well when JR said Kim just kept staring at it.

Sometimes it's better when I procrastinate.


Update: I failed to take a picture of it all framed up, but I found a tiny pic of the antiqued distressed frame online and so here's a tiny inkling of what it looks like.
Last Puzzle Piece Wedding Invite via foobella.blogspot.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

See This Film. At Least 'Once'

ONCE Netflix. My new BFF.

I never know what is in store for me when that little red envelope arrives in the mail. My queue is so full of movies that I don't bother keeping up with it’s contents anymore. Most of the time it contains something pretty good. Sometimes it’s a real stinker, and "once" in a long, long while it contains a gem that is destined to become part of my permanent collection. Last night, 'once' made it's way into the latter category.

When I first opened my netflix last night, I had no idea how, why or when this movie made it into my queue, but I'm so very glad that it did. Luckily for me, the only thing I knew about it was the little blurb written on the DVD sleeve stating something to the effect of, 'Once' is a "charming musical" about a Dublin busker who meets a girl, and their budding romance is developed through song. I didn't know who Glen Hansard was or the band he was in, The Frames, or that he was in the movie, 'The Commitments. I didn't know anything about Marketa Irglova or the fact that she and Hansard had already won an Oscar last year for their song, "Falling Slowly", from 'Once', or that they have been touring the world together as The Swell Season. I didn’t know anything. But, if I had known, would that have made any difference? Would my expectations be higher or lower for this "little film that could"? Would I have loved it as much as I do? I can’t answer that question. But I can say that this movie will stay with me forever and I feel like a better person for having seen it, experienced it. These artists and the amazingly aching and beautiful music that brought their characters and their stories to life have raised my expectations a little bit higher for all future films I watch. They’ve raised my expectations for myself, too.

Maybe I am a little late to the party in celebration of this movie, it's music and musicians, but at least I finally found it, and in one of my favorite ways...by surprise. Something that doesn't happen very often anymore in this over-saturated media world where we know the beginning, middle and end of a movie before it's even hit theaters.

This is just a simple little story about a guy and a girl, the music between them, and where that music takes them. It illustrates the fact that, for some, it takes that one person in their life to give them the push they need to move forward. I don’t want to give the whole story away, because maybe there is someone else out there who appreciates the wonder of a gently unfolding story. Someone else who will take this movie, it’s music and it’s characters with them, and they, too, will add it to their permanent collection.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Sunday Night Masterpiece

There's no better way to end the weekend than snuggling up on Sunday night with the "new" Masterpiece Classics on PBS. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a sucker for period dramas. Yes, I even read the books. What can I say? I'm just a girl, after all.

Somehow I missed part two of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' last Sunday, so I'm going to have to see if they replay it or catch it somewhere [cough] online. I'll definitely have to read the book, too.

UPDATE: Watched the rest of 'Tess'. Good stuff.

'Wuthering Heights' started last night.
Wuthering Heights

I read 'Wuthering Heights' for the first time last year after wondering what all the fuss was about. Though, I did enjoy it, I couldn't help but think that it would be what we now call a "romance" novel. So, does that mean that today's books boasting paintings of a torn-shirted Fabio on the cover will one day be considered classics, too? Naw, I doubt it. I suppose 'Wuthering Heights' was really "out there" for it's contemporary readers but today, books of it's type are a dime a dozen.

I also just wanted to do a girly thing here and point out that Tom Hardy as Heathcliff, is, um, well...yummy.

Okay, I know there are others like me who love these classics. What say you?

And allow me to leave you with this most wonderful homage to the book, the amazing Kate Bush song "Wuthering Heights":

I'll see you next Sunday, Cathy and Heathcliff.

xoxo