Thursday Movie Picks-Over a Meal

How often do you have company come over and end up at the kitchen table? It happened all the time at my parents and often with us nowadays and it’s always fun especially when we enjoy the food we are eating. This week’s theme is all about dinner and there are more films than one thinks when it involves a memorable dinner or the chatter over dinner. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to see what everyone else have chosen, here are my 3...

1. TOM JONES-1963

I need to see this film again because it has been years since I fell in lust for  Albert Finney when he was young and lean and full of mischief especially in this great British comedy about a bastard rogue adopted by a squire. He falls in love with a beautiful, demure gal but is considered unworthy. He gets involved in many adventures including a very lustful dinner scene with a wrench. This scene, no one speaks, but that doesn’t matter because you are fully involved in their lusty style of eating and this scene has been mimicked in many other movies and TV shows since. This is a flat out funny farce that you have to see at least once.

2.  THE BIG NIGHT-1996

This is a hidden gem that I found after I listened to the soundtrack which I love and listen to..on a CD. This takes place in the 1950s about 2 brothers, from Italy, who open up a restaurant that serves excellent food but have hardly any customers because they serve authentic Italian cuisine unlike the very popular place across the street. The jerk owner across the street claims he wants to help and tells them a famous musician is coming to play at their restaurant. The brothers set out to create the best dining experience anyone could think of. This film is funny, sad, quirky and so much more along with terrific acting from Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini and more.

3. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY- 2013

Talk about one nasty family of misfits headed by the mom of nastiness, Meryl Streep, who is dying of cancer. Her husband, a truly nice man, commits suicide which brings all her children home along with their significant others including her sister who likes to berate her step-son. Julia Roberts plays one of the daughters who has some major issues and actually reminds me of someone I knew. She was/is full of anger, unpleasant and you never wanted to ask how she was doing because it was never good. Anyway, you learn about the family especially at the dinner table when everyone is talking, berating and it is funny. This is a an excellent film and one I was surprised that I liked as much as I did because it takes heavy issues and makes it funny. You feel for all the characters even the nasty ones. Worth taking a look.

So what 3 would you choose?

Busy busy

We got a dumping of snow on Remembrance Day...over a foot but it is slowly melting. To be honest, I thought it was pretty...don't hate me:). It has been crazy at work adjusting to the new amalgamation with Toronto and our internet not working one day. I was happy to make a few cards and hope you like them.

Pink and blue dye ink pad, silver pearl embossing powder, dye cut butterfly, distress inks in greenish and peach colour, happy birthday stamp, peach pastel, cotton swabs, glue, Pearls.

Butterfly Challenge- used peach, pear, periwinkle and pearls.
Happy Little Stampers: anything Goes with Dies


For my cousin who has a birthday coming up. I used peach and a lime green distress ink and spritzed with water, placing the white cardstock into it and drying it before I used the butterfly die cut to cut out the image. I used the butterfly background die cut on the greenish cardstock that has a shimmer which is the background. I took this big flower stamp and stamped it with pink and blue and embossed it with silver pearl and used just the blue dye ink for the saying and embossed it with the silver pearl powder as well. I took a cotton swab to place the pastel chalk around the saying. I adhered everything together to make the card including that pearl string.

Water, blue powders and white pearl powder, stickers, sleigh die cut, Crystals

Cute Card Thursday- festive
Alphabet blog- Quick & Easy
Sparkles Monthly- It's Beginning to look a Lot Like Christmas
Happy Little Stampers- CAS-Tis The Season

I had this sleigh in black velvet hanging around for a long time and finally used it. I took a white cardstock and had fun with these powders that you just tap the dust onto the paper and spritz with water and watch the colors explode, I was not injured in the process:). Once dried, I added it to other coloured cardstock, gold and purple. I glued the sleigh in place and took a star sticker on top of some scrap paper, cut it out and glued it on and stuck on more stars, the saying and glued some Crystals in the corners.

Angel stamp, glitter markers, sizzex machine, poinsettia die cut, stickers.

The Fairy and the Unicorn- anything Goes
Stamping Sensations- red, green & gold
Addicted to Stamps- markers
CHNC- Glitter

I hope this is ok for the Fairy and the Unicorn since an angel can be magical. I had this scrap piece where I had cut a poinsettia before and had the remains left around so I used it on this card and adhered it to the upper left corner. I cut out a new poinsettia and embossed it with the cuddle bug. I stamped my Angel in gold, coloured her in glitter markers and fussy cut her out, placed her on the card with pop up dots and added stickers colouring the insides with red and green glitter markers. I love this angel stamp

2 types of Gold metallic paint, white pearl paint, black and white paper pieces, cuddlebug, embossing pad, Angel stamp, brush, gold dye ink, stickers, glitter.

Crafty Creations- anything Goes
Penny Black- Christmas
Dream Valley Challenges-Your favourite Colour Combo

My mom loved gold, black and white so I thought of her when making this card since this was her favourite colour combo. I stamped the angel in gold and embossed her in gold embossing powder and coloured her with gold and white pearl. I took all those strips of papers and used the embossing folder, glued them in place and brushed on the gold to make the embossing stand out. I have no gold paper so I took 2 types of gold around the edge for a frame...all sone!

Thursday Movie Picks- Politics

Politics and religion are 2 areas one should not talk about...unless you are my husband who strikes up a conversation while waiting in the grocery line. I decided to go with 3 films starring 3 men that I love and would easily swoon for. Man, I sound like I just got off some Gone With The Wind set. I realize there are some political films I still have to see like All The President’s Men and there are many others that could be considered escape thrillers, spies or horror, but I tried to stick to politics so let’s see what happens when we visit Wandering Through The Shelves. Here are my 3...

1. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON-1939

Yes, I love Jimmy Stewart who is brilliant here as a young, naive senator who learns, the hard way, how the senate and the house really work. The people who made him a senator thought they were getting a stooge, boy, did they underestimate this man with truth, honour and conviction on his side. A great film led by Stewart, Jean Arthur as his jaded secretary, Thomas Mitchell as a jaded reporter with Claude Rains as a puppet senator ruled by the money man, Edward Arnold.

2. DAVE- 1993

I love..lust..love Kevin Kline who plays the doppelgänger of the President of the United States for some quick functions when the President would rather play footsies with some secretary. When the President suffers a severe stroke, the young, idealistic doppelgänger is asked to play the President for a lot longer. This guy decides to finally balance the budget and set some acts in motion which will only help the peopled of the United States. He has no idea how some in the white house ant to manipulate him to do their own bidding but they, equally, have no idea what a decent, honourable man can do to them.

3. LINCOLN-2012

This stars, be still my heart, Daniel Day Lewis as President Lincoln, my favourite President, who is dealing with the senators and the House while also dealing with the Civil War. He is not naive but he is idealistic and has great honour while trying to circumnavigate all the political double dealings and corruption. Brilliantly acted by Lewis who can out-act Meryl Streep with his little pinky and this is just one more film where he shows how great an actor he is. Love this film that also has Sally Fields as Mary Todd Lincoln and Tommy Lee Jones as the upstart Thaddeus Stevens.

What 3 films would you choose? Hey, Bro..Have you seen Bulworth yet?

Thursday Movie Picks- Scientists

I am feeling better!! Yippee ta ya yeah.... I am still being cautious but amazing what a tooth issue can do. This all seems to be geared to science which is the topic this week from Wandering Through The Shelves....scientists actually. So, without further adieu, here are my 3 which I may have chosen before but, who cares:)...

1. THE INVISIBLE MAN-1933

I actually saw the horrible remake before I saw this gem that stars the great Claude Rains as a scientist who invents invisibility but becomes insane due to this invention. His girlfriend, played by Gloria Stuart, of the blecchhh Titanic Movie, is beside herself while the cops are trying to capture him. This film is quite funny actually and the effects are really very good considering when it was made. Claude Rains became a star after this film was released even though you never see him until the end. He is one of my favourite actors.

2. JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH-1959

This is one of my all time favourite movies that I watched every time it came on tv, this and "What’s Up Doc" which is another of my favs. It stars one of my favourite actors, James Mason, as a professor who comes across a find from an old scientist who made it to the centre of the earth. He decides to find the way as well so, along with his assistant, played by Pat, "white shoes", Boone they head off to Iceland. A colleague Of his, who trying to take the credit and one up the good Professor, is murdered. This does not stop the man's widow from wanting to go along with them so they head towards the volcano along with their right hand man, Hans, and his pet duck, Gertrud. Unbeknownst to them they are followed by a descendant of the long dead scientist. The music is excellent, not Pat Boone, but Bernard Herrmann, The art direction is excellent and gotta love those lizards representing dinosaurs.

3. THE IMITATION GAME-2014

This is an excellent film based on the real life event and a man who is one of the main reasons the second world war ended in victory- Alan Turing. This film does not contain super heroes like Ironman or blow ‘em up flicks like Fast and furious 54, but it involves a difficult but gifted man who is the reason for the modern computer and the reason the Nazi Enigma code was cracked. He has a great team that help him, despite their issues with him, and end up respecting him. Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as Turing and he should have won the Oscar instead of that irritating Eddie Redmayne. You want to see an intelligent film, that grabs your attention from the get go, see this film.

What 3 films would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks: TV Edition-Horror

Ooh..boogedy, boogedy, today is Halloween and I am going to see Carrie on the big screen this evening and, strangely enough, I’m looking forward to this. It is supposed to be a cold and rainy night so quite sucky for the kids but I hope it won’t be as bad as the weathermen are saying. We used to get tons of kids but now we get less than 40 so I expect even less this year. Now, on to TV and horror of which I watch little because I am just not into a lot of negativity which seems to be the in thing nowadays and I am one for some hope. Wandering through the Shelves comes up with a different theme each week so head on over to see what everyone else has chosen. Here are my 3...

1. THE ADDAMS FAMILY-1964-1966

Ahh... we are talking one strange family who delight in all things slightly evil from enjoying pain, having a dead garden and and letting a disembodied hand almost steal the show. Gomez, very wealthy and weird, loves his beautiful wife, Morticia. He gets lustful whenever she starts speaking French. Their 2 children, Wednesday and Pugsley are not the type of kids who like cuddling especially since Wednesday tries to kill her brother. Uncle Fester is loveably insane while Grandma likes to boil things. Lurch, their butler, rarely talks but looms over everything as he groans. You have Thing, the hand, Cousin It...a hairy being plus other strange nuts. It was a fun albeit creepy show that spawned a successful movie and sequels and now a new animated film.

2. THE MUNSTERS-1964-1966

A hardworking man, Herman, takes care of his beautiful wife, Lily, who, on occasion, sings some beautiful songs, and their young son who deals with school. Her father lives with them who brings Herman into some hair-brained schemes because the dad, although sweet isn’t the brightest knob. Their ugly cousin, Marilyn, lives with them and so does their pet in a moody mansion. Oh, yes, the dad is Frankenstein, his wife and her dad, vampires, their son is a werewolf and their ugly cousin is actually a beautiful blond who looks like the rest of us. Oh and their pet, who lives under the stairs is a prehistoric beast that breathes fire. This is my favourite which I loved more than the Addams Family even though The Addams Family gets more recognition. This family was loving and sweet and had no idea they were different plus who doesn’t love their kick ass car as well as the opening music from this show. They made a movie, in colour, which was just as hokey but I love it.

3. GRIMM-2011-2017

I guess this is my most horrific tv show pick but I really enjoyed it because, despite some ugly scenes, there was humour and a sense of family and hope. There is a detective who finds out he is a Grimm, someone who can see the real life “monsters”  who live among us. His German ancestors used to seek out these monsters a kill them using all sorts of tools but he decides to understand their side and not just whack off their head. He gets help from a wolf in human clothing who has sworn off his bloody ways and is a vegetarian and, together, along with Det. Burkhardt’s partner, investigate all sorts of strange murders. The detective has a loving fiancée, an understanding boss, who hides his own demons, plus other characters that help and hinder his life throughout the series. I love fairy tales and enjoyed how they brought in many old stories and tales like the 3 Bears, witches and even the chupacabra.

Now which 3 would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks-Rituals

Oh yes, the rituals where our minds immediately go to the dark side but rituals can be anything from satanic to going to church every Sunday. Even the methods of the church follows rituals whether it be Catholic, Lutheran or Gospel. Heck, we, as individuals, all have rituals from having to put our socks on a certain way to having the same breakfast...which would be me...I love my toast and honey. Ok so this week Wandering Through The Shelves decided on Rituals and we are to choose 3 films that work this theme. Here are my 3....

1. THE EXORCIST-1973

This film scared the living crap out of me( how can crap be living? That’s just gross) and I could never get past the head spinning 360 degrees before I would turn the channel to The Love Boat. This is about an actress who, with her young daughter, move into a Washington D.C. flat. Soon the daughter starts showing odd behaviour and I don’t mean that she starts eating her brussel sprouts and going to bed on time, I mean saying really bad words and walking down the stairs  like some Cirque de Soleil acrobat. The mother finally contacts the Catholic Church when regular doctors can’t figure out how to help. Enter the great actor Max Von Sydow as an elderly priest well equipped to deal with the ritual of exorcism and green pea soup. A young priest, with doubts, is his apprentice and together they try their best to strike the demon out of her.  It is one frightening film but well acted especially the young Linda Blair as the demonic gal. The demon voice is Mercedes McCambridge who received no credit as the demon which was very unfair. Oh, I remember that many people had to leave the cinemas out of fear and literally throwing up. The poor clean up crew.

2. AS GOOD AS IT GETS-1997

Ok, this has no demonic possessions, unless you count Jack Nicholson as one big demonic, possessed old fart. It has no witches, goats or Ruth Gordon but you do have a cute doggie, a gay man who loses everything, a working mom who struggles as a waitress and Jack as a mentally unstable, but famous writer who is the centre of these misfits. This man has serious issues and no one likes him for good reason. He suffers from OCD plus many other ailments and must maintain his rituals in order to get through the day. He can’t walk on the cracks of sidewalks, he must wash his hand often and use a different bar of soap 5 times each time he washes his hands, the same when he locks the door to his apartment, he must go to the same restaurant and he must bring his own utensils because he is trapped by his illness. The only one who will serve him is Helen Hunt which is how we get to see how these misfits fall in love...blecchhh. Ok I do like this film even though I find the love story unrealistic and trite plus I found Helen Hunt irritating as hell in this movie but I always find her slightly..no, just irritating. I love the dog and I love Greg Kinnear as the neighbour of Nicholson who is beaten up and must get help from his wealthy parents...enter Nicholson and Hunt where all 3 go on a road trip. It is a very good film although I am not sure this film should have won all 5 top Oscars but it is well acted and fun to watch. Nicholson nailed the way many people deal with OCD etc... it is worth watching. Oh, I watched Helen Hunt win the Oscar and she was married, at that time, to Hank Azaria( The Simpsons, The houseperson in The Birdcage)...do you think she could say his name? "I want to thank, that man over there, you..you are wonderful, my man,  you know who you are..." F*^%! Say his name! She never did and yes, they are divorced.

3. PRACTICAL MAGIC-1998

This is a romance, comedy witchipoo movie that is better than I thought it would be. You have 2 sisters played by Sandra Bullock, the sensible witch who is very powerful and Nicole Kidman the wild ass witch who brings trouble home. Sandra is a widow with 2 small girls who lives in the same home their family have owned for generations along with their 2 daffy aunts who go on a vacation.  Bullock ends up helping her sister when the sis brings home trouble. Enter a good looking detective with piercing green eyes( or were they blue??) and you have some fun happening. Of course there is a ritual that must be performed to save the day and it brings a greater understanding that witches are people too. If you want to enjoy a movie where the romance is not the main plot and you don’t want to be scared, watch this film and enjoy some popcorn.

Which films would you choose?

Update and a card

I have some good news! First, I went to the dentist on Monday which is not my happy place. If anyone says that is their happy place, they are slightly insane and probably have a man eating plant for a friend. Where was I? Oh yes, so after freezing, the dentist took some pliers of death and started twisting and turning. I could hear a bit of cracking and presto! A tooth was born with a deformed baby (dentist’s words not mine) attached to the one root. He said it had to come out and it did. This morning, I woke up to no major ear ringing ( I have tinnitus but it went nutso in July), I didn’t have to  blow my nose several times and, I have not felt dizzy. Now, I am cautiously optimistic since I feel a bit dizzy this evening but time will tell. I am hopeful...and feel stupid for waiting because I was out of coverage, but this is a learning experience.

I went for my biopsy results yesterday and had my hubby with me for support. It came back that I have a polyp on my uterus and it is benign! Yahoo!!! She said it is not like polyps one finds on intestines because they very rarely, turn into cancer and that is great news. She mentioned that I could have a D & C to take out the polyp  but I could also wait. She asked if I had any more bleeding and I told her that I did not, which is great news since I can wait and just keep going as per norm. Hubby agreed  that I am in no risk at all but if I bleed again, I can call her and get the procedure done. I told her about the extreme pain I had for the whole day when I had the biopsy done. It was not because of the biopsy but the medicine I took and she said it was abnormal to be in that extreme pain. Only 10%  have a bad reaction to the medicine which is rare and I am one of those rare ones so she made a note that I should never have that medicine and I have informed my drug store.

This is great news so I decided to create card for a young man who helped walk our nutty dog when hubby couldn’t  and here is the card...

Some really nice card stock pieces in shimmery purple, shiny black and mirror purple. Twinkling H2Os paints, Sizzex machine, "Thanks" die cut, powdered blue dust and water, Cat stamp, pastels, stickers, blue pen.

Animal Friends-A Cat.
Crafty Creations-Anything Goes

I bought these color blasts that shimmer so I tried it on the back blue card stock by flecking the dust onto the card and spritzing water onto the dust and watch the colour swim and form..pretty cool stuff. I had the cardstock pieces with the Twinkling H2O's paints and brushed some paint onto a glossy black card piece, added the purple mirror piece onto that and glued the "Thanks" die cut onto that. I stamped the cat in basic black and coloured him with pastels using cotton swabs. I added the stickers which I coloured with a blue marker and there ya have it. I was so happy to create this card for this young man and he really liked it.

I have to add this song because this is how I feel...