Gratitude-The movies

January-that first month after the magic of Christmas when reality hits, people get their post Christmas bills that make them weep, we see commercials for Cuba, Mexico and cruises for people who can afford it and it snows and the sun is not all that bright. To put a better spotlight on the month, sickness abounds and I am one of the millions fighting a stupid cold. I feel like I swallowed a woolly mitten, my voice has dropped 5 octaves and I feel like I will cough up a lung.

Oh yes...this is about gratitude:) and I belong to the Gratitude Circle Now even though sloths all over the world are giving me the thumbs up for my achievement in the organization of my crap...which has not really happened yet, I have been grateful for movies. Yes the movies!

No, my sloth-like skills have not moved me to an actual theatre but my ever expanding ass has found the couch and my hubby and I rented movies. Yup we still rent films. We don't have Netflix or Satellite nor do we even begin to know how to attach cables or laser-beams from our computer to the TV (which was bought in 1997 and is still going strong). I am grateful for film. I love film from the time I was a little kid and my Dad introduced me to the wonders of the screen. One can forget ones' troubles, sickness and dive into the greatness that is film.  so which films have I seen so far....

1. THE EXPENDABLES 3-The blow'em up feel good manly men's film where there is always one chick in the flick just to make sure the men don't get told they are pigs. Now men should know that we women will still call men pigs because we can:) I enjoyed this film, actually all of them. They blow things up, they kill a few hundred men, destroy towns, buildings well whatever is in their way but it is fun. I almost want to say wholesome except for all the killing, bad language and bad acting but hey-they are fun! I enjoy a good action film and this has action. I may not understand what Sylvester Stallone is saying but it has balls (the film not Stallone).

2. BOYHOOD- This film is on many critics top 10 lists for last year's films. It has won many awards and is up for many Oscars. The big reason it has received so much attention is the Director filmed this over a 12 year period using the same actors and one sees the 2 children grow into young adults.  He filmed around the other actor's availability and it is so neat to see these people age over 12 years.....NOT! I am sorry what a colossal bore!! It has children who wish their parents could get back together, it has the mother marry 2 deadbeat jerks, one who is an abusive alcoholic, it has the children going through their own stages of growth but it is boring! This director was so bent on the nuance of  filming over 12 years he forgot a key component-a great story that holds you and makes you care about the people. I actually wanted to bitch slap the kid when he was a teen. He looks like Hayden Christiansen's brother. Let me ask you, don't you want to bitch slap Hayden Christiansen (young Darth Vader)? Almost 3 hours long-dull as dirt.

3. THE 100 FOOT JOURNEY- This is not the best film in this genre but it is enchanting. It is about an Indian family who leave their homeland after the wife/mother is killed. They stop in a small town in France and the father decides to open up his own Indian restaurant right across from a very fancy pants French restaurant-you know the kind that serves 2 small bites of food and charges you $80 for it. The son of the Indian man has the gift of creating beautiful food. This film is about family, racism, love, acceptance and enjoying life. It is a nice film that puts a smile on your face.

4. GONE GIRL- I  can say, hands down, Rosamund Pike deserves the Oscar nom. She plays one batshit crazy nutbar which you would never ever want to meet. Oops sorry a bit of a spoiler alert there. This is one tense film and it's amazing how often Ben Affleck can play someone dumbfoundedly stupid but he can pull it off (hmmm maybe he is playing to his type..just kidding...maybe). It was a little long and I didn't care for the ending because it does make one feel they may do a second film, but it is worth watching.

5. CHEF- Yup, another one about food. this time a man frustrated with his job and his idiot boss who decides to finally listen to his ex-wife and have his own food truck. It is written and directed by Jon Favreau plus he plays the lead. His ex-wife is the luscious Sophia Vergara who I even want to see naked and I am straight as can be. I found the film a little long and I found the actor a little long-winded especially when he starts to talk about his profound thoughts on food to his son. If I was the son and he started to preach to me like that, my thoughts would be going to the nearest chocolate I want to buy. This film is nice but I was expecting more.

6. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY- Talk about one nutty movie! I loved it! It is fun!! The special effects are great-It would have been cool to see it in the theatre. The characters are well developed and Vin Diesel never acted so well (I am Groot). You have the green chick who came from some Star Trek set, The cool dude who still loves his tapes, this man who looks like some big rock and Rocky Raccoon...ok it is not Rocky but he is one ass kicking raccoon. Actually I just would have loved to pick him up and cuddle him but he probably would slapped me silly and knock me out cold. The humour is great and it is well written. You know there will be a second and I can't wait.

7. JOHNNY GUITAR- Never saw this coming eh? This is an oldie that I never saw before, starring the nutbar hanger in hand mom Joan Crawford. One just has to see this film  and then wonder if you didn't take some mind altering drugs. This is a film where the men are definitely second...it's all about 2 women even if Johnny Guitar is played by a man. No one cares about Johnny Guitar, he is just the  boytoy of Joan Crawford. She owns a saloon which will bring in oodles of money once the train tracks are built. The nearby town doesn't want the train because it will bring in the nasty settlers who will put fences up and screw up all the cattle men. Mercedes McCambridge plays the woman who is out to get Joan Crawford and they actually end up having a showdown. Apparently Mercedes gave quite the speech and the crew all clapped and gave her an ovation much to Ms. Crawford's dismay. After that, Mercedes noticed her part being cut back and she could not find work for a few years. She believed it was due to Ms. Crawford and her jealous ways which is not far off. I say watch this film-it is quite amazing and has much to offer.

Have you seen any of these films? Do you agree or disagree? Just a wondering. So there! I am grateful for the films I love to watch.

Angels and Bells

Green, dark red, kraft, champagne paper. Angel and music notes stamp, Dark red embossing powder, Tombow Markers, embossing plate, Gold stickers, lighter.

Crafty Hazelnut Challenge-Upcycle, Recycle, Repurpose, Use Something Free
Crafty Creations- Something Old/Something New
Craft Your Passion- Always Anything Goes
Christmas Cards All Year Round- Anything Goes

Black, red shimmer cardstock, Bell stamp, Pearl powders, Gold glitter, leaf punch, stickles, red crystals, Gold stickers.

Holly Jolly- Lots of Sparkle
Dream Valley- Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge #2- Anything Goes always
52 Christmas Cards- Bells

I am going to try to showcase cards I create once a week (we shall see in April when I am neck deep into A To Z land). I felt angelic...felt, that is, because to quote an old movie.."I'm no Angel" (That ship sailed long ago:). Now the top card was inspired by a song (duh) which I then decided to write the actual song title in gold stickers. I coloured the angels (something new and free) in tombow markers and adhered them to the kraft colour (kraft is a special name for blah burlap beige) that I stamped and embossed in musical notes. To have a little fun I tore the paper (old and laying around like my dog) all around and then I set the edges on fire for some fun. Yes! That's right...I played with fire and enjoyed the moment. I took my sizzex machine and embossed the dark red cardstock and adhered all of it to the green paper. I added the gold stickers which I love and use often and..Voila! The card is done.

The second card was using my Bells stamp which I embossed in gold and coloured it using pearl powders. I added gold sparkle to the ribbon. I then punched Kim Kardashian's ass and watched it deflate..Ooops that was a dream,... I punched out the leaves from various left over green cardstock and created a frame around the bells. I finished it off with stickers, stickles and red crystals.

I am not happy with either card. The first one I wish something more unique could be done and the second card..one can't see the ribbon too well and the picture doesn't quite capture it. Frustration is setting in as I wish I was a true artist like my mom or my hubby, but I should be happy with an Ok card. I really want to release my frustration and blow something up like some video game I used to play back in the 80's.

On a last note, don't you wish you had a big pin and could go around all those twits who have huge asses and stick a pin in their butt and watch it deflate like some balloon?  Just saying...

See my card at Vidya Sury's Blog

Fairytale Stampers-Flowers
Glitter and Sparkle- Include some Pink

I made this card for a wonderful friend for her birthday. My blogfriend Vidya Sury, whom I met during the A to Z Challenge, wished to spotlight how I create a card. In typical me fashion, this should have been up yesterday and it went right out of my head. I wonder if my brains don't seep out of my ears. Vidya is a wonderful writer of positive thinking, she takes beautiful pictures and I feel, this all relates to her beautiful soul.  I enjoyed creating this card and really went to town. If you wish to know how I created this card, just head over to Vidya's site and all the explaining is there.

Why not have flowers in the middle of winter? I think we could all stand to see some of that and some of the flowers have some deep pink! I don't consider myself a pink kind of girl (I use to abuse my Barbie's) but pink is fun and bright:)

I still can't believe it went out of my head...humble apologies!!

Yippee-My first card of the year...well shown here:)

White glossy card stock, dark blue shimmer cardstock and basic dark blue card stock. Aegean silver embossing powder, new deer stamp, midnight blue and bright blue dye stamps, water, glue pen, light blue sparkles, fancy scissors and edging. Entered this card in:

52 Christmas- all about the blue
Dream Valley Challenges- Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut Challenge #2- Anything Goes
Simon Says- Something New
Crafty Creations- Brrrr-The Blues
Christmas Cards All Year Long- Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge- X for X-periment
ABC Christmas- Anything Goes and/or Antlers
Sparkles Christmas Challenge- Christmas Critter with a splash of glitter

I plan to create allot more cards this year. I have no idea what happened last year..oh yeah-sickness, Shingles and no craft room for 2 months but now I have my very own razzle-dazzle craft room that my hubby made for me:) Now I am all about the blue ( not that bass) and I used something new! I got the reindeer as a Christmas present and I love it, as so much can be done with this deer. I stamped and then embossed the deer, I shall call him Gaylord as he seems to be prancing and may have a thing for Prancer. The Aegean silver is really cool glittery embossing powder. I used my fancy scissors to cut  him out (he is vain so that is why he has 3 images of himself-he is all about the selfie). I edged the paper with light blue glitter. I took my glossy cardstock and experimented with something new to me....I placed the colour on some plastic and sprayed water on it and then laid the card down and pressed it into the colour. I used a dark blue and bright blue. I have no idea if I did it right and I did not use the distress inks as I only have 1...I know something is wrong with me. I added some more sparkle to the blue background because I can and then I mounted the reindeer on the background and that was mounted on a nice shimmery dark blue paper. I added some sticker border and I am done!

I still have some Christmas décor to take down but I wanted to make a card and I started another one! Now off to watch a movie....

IWSG Post-Happy New Year!!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is here to help people overcome their fears and frustrations and discuss their triumphs. Alex J Cavanaugh created this and it has been most beneficial to many including moi who does not write for a living but loves to write whatever I want and create & show my cards here.

Another year and what will happen in the new year??? Will I find my willpower against the decadent temptation called chocolate? Will I move my wide-angled butt and do some dancing? Will I understand a mother's desire to eat Brussel Sprouts? Will I organize my cabinets (Ok that sounds down and dirty as those cabinets don't need organizing)? Will I be pretty? Will be rich? This is what you said to me...Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be.....oops sorry, my mind wandered off into Doris Day territory.

Some have already released their next book like Stephanie Faris whom you should pop over and look at her latest accomplishment-her new book "25 Roses". (I hope you don't mind that I mentioned you here Stephanie:) Others have already published some works last year and yet more are in various stages of the next book.

This year will be full of triumphs, frustrations, disappointments, accomplishments and so much more. We will see the world change through major events both natural and very unnatural. We will hear of famous people die and others who will marry, break up, have sex scandals, have babies, have plastic surgeries, boob lifts, butt lifts, face lifts, botox, detox, and every other stupid thing out there and that is just in that insipid family called the Kardashians. Just remember, you will accomplish all, maybe not at the pace you want...but you will!

I hope to enjoy each day even when I am miserable and want to bitch slap the first dumb ass who thinks it's OK to call me Bagel, Baguette, Bruschetta, Beaches, Beernut, Butgut, Beergut, Deidre, Margueritte, Gretel or Ingrid (Yes I have been called all those names by various clients-today was Peaches-How the F$#! do they get Peaches from Birgit??). Please, can some of my clients knowhow to use soap or deodorant? Please do not show me your surgical scars or your colostomy bag..I would not like to see any of this in 2015. Did I veer off again??

Now let's all say together...let us all be grateful for the past year-the good, the bad and the ugly. Let us all look forward to this new year and may we all pray that some smart chap takes Justin Bieber over his lap and spank the dickens out that little snot. A girl can dream:)