Had fun today

 

Color Throwdown- CTD775-Hot Pink, bright Purple, Emerald Green

Sparkles Monthly Challenge- New Beginnings

Inspire Me Monday- Anything Goes

I started making more cards since Christmas and this was fun…how could it not be! I already had cut out this peacock in the emerald green,paired it with this purply paper and added the pink for the background. I glued them all down and added some pink glitter to the body of the peacock. I got these wooden flowers for Christmas h plus many more wooden pieces) and coloured them in the hot pink. I added the sentiment that I cut out using my sizzex and, finally, added a little bling. I included this in Inspire Me Monday which can include anything creative from cards to cooking, you name it.

12 Months of Christmas- Die Cuts/ Embossing

CCAYR- Snowflakes

The 4 Seasons- chose Bird in the snow from the picture 

I am enjoying this new technique, well, new to me, where I took an embossing folder, enclosed white cardstock and pushed this through my cuddlebug. Using my stencil brushes, I took my distress inks in green, brown and red and coloured the image that is inset. Afterwards, I took black ink and placed the ink pad down on the card stock and lightly spread it onto the card until it was completely inked up in black. I glued it to this red glitter cardstock, added the sticker corners I coloured in green and Voila!

Thursday Film Picks-Best Actor 1957

 

This is not going to be one where you must guess who won but more like did they pick the right one. I’m only going to choose 3 to truly showcase with one not even nominated but that I love. Sometimes, it will be hard to truly choose which one deserved the Oscar but I will give it my best shot. I decided to choose the year, 1957, because it’s the year my hubby was born. I’m choosing Beat Actor because, as I often say, why not. The nominees, from the year, 1957, were Marlon Brando in “ Sayonara”, Alec Guinness from, “The Bridge On The River Kwai”, Anthony Franciosa from, “A Hatful Of Rain”,  Charles Laughton from “Witness For The Prosecution”,  and Anthony Quinn in “ Wild Is The Wind”. Alec Guinness won but should he have. 

There are a few actors not even nominated like Henry Fonda in “ 12 Angry Men”,  Andy Griffith in “A Face In The Crowd”, Robert Mitchum from, “ Heaven Knows, Mr. Alison,” Kirk Douglas from “Paths of Glory” and Cary Grant in “An Affair To Remember”. I’m just showcasing 3 movies but I would love to know your thoughts and if you would choose someone completely different.

1. ALEC GUINNESS FROM A BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI

Alec won the Oscar for his role as a British commander held in a Japanese POW  tasked with building. Bridge, that does actually exist. You see how he is a stiff, upper-crust soldier at odds with the Japanese commander  who must build this bridge in aid of the enemy. You see how he takes pride in the bridge and wonder why he doesn’t want to sabotage it. It is well acted and it is an excellent film that won many awards including Best Picture and soundtrack that is justly famous.

2. CHARLES LAUGHTON IN WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION 

I love Charles Laughton and this  is a fun film directed by Billy Wilder that also stars Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power and Laughton’s wife, Elsa Lanchester as his nurse. Laughton plays a famous defense attorney who has just been let out of the hospital after suffering a heart attack. He has been told to take it easy but that’s not going to happen when Tyrone Power strolls in as a man up on murder charges. He decides, against his nurse’s wishes, to take the case meeting the man’s wife, played by Marlene Dietrich. This is a perfect mystery thriller with some humorous moments thrown in and very entertaining. Highly recommended.

3. HENRY FONDA IN 12 ANGRY MEN

To say I love this film is an understatement and Henry Fonda really carries his role throughout this film with a number of character actors who all bring in their own personalities making this film a step above the average. It starts off with seeing the accused who, just by his scared look, you know is innocent but the jury must decide whether he is or not. All but one, Fonda, believe the kid to be guilty and all are pissed that Fonda wants to review the evidence. It’s a nail biter even though it takes place in one room and it’s a great character study. 

I do love all 3 and even Andy Griffith in a Face in The Crowd as a hometown folksy singer who is a real son of bitch behind the scenes but I’m going with Charles Laughton who just gave a stellar performance as the irritated but amused lawyer. I was ready to hand it to Henry Fonda because he’s brilliant in this but 12 Angry Men is an ensemble cast in many ways. I do love Alec Guinness in this role but I think Laughton does one better. What are your thoughts?

Winter Slop

 

It’s freebie week for Monday Music Moves Me and this week, we are getting rain, snow, freezing rain, ice pellets, rain etc… This Friday night into Saturday, we are to have another storm with more snow than rain in my neck of the woods. Today has been a big slop of a day starting with wet snow to freezing rain and now…rain. In the north, they got snow. So I decided to showcase 3 songs that made me think of  today’s weather.

1. HAZY SHADE OF WINTER BY SIMON & GARFUNKEL-1966

I love this team even if they don’t really like each other but they harmonized so well and this song is another great one from them tht seemed to fit.

2. YOU’RE AS COLD AS ICE BY FOREIGNER-1977

This song popped into my head this morning while driving to work. It was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones about a bad gal but I was thinking of the f$(@ ice pellets.

3. KEEPS ON A RAININ’ SUNG BY BILLIE HOLIDAY-1949

I love Billie Holiday who had such a way with a song and this song fits for the next 3 days. It was written in 1924 by Max Kortlander and Clarence Williams and was initially sung by Bessie Smith but I love Billie.

Given your weather right now, what song(s) would you choose?

What I Watched In November and December

 

I missed last month due to Christmas mayhem  so I’m going to do November and December together and here we go. I will do my best to make my comments short…

NOVEMBER 

1. THE MORTAL STORM-1940

Finally saw this film starring Jimmy Stewart who is a German and is not one for the Nazi Regime unlike his friends. It’s quite a good film and glad I finally saw it.

2. COUNTERPOINT-1968

Granite statue Charlton Heston plays a famous orchestra leader who, with his troupe, end up being held captive by Hubba Hubba Maximillian Schell as a Nazi General. Bad Nazis killing old people and women with some great music. Not bad even with the typical thin-lipped evil Nazi who can’t wait to kill them all. Will they die?

3. RKO 281-1999

Orson Welles makes a movie called “Citizen Kane” and we meet all the people who may be part of the film. We see William Randolph Hearst not happy with the making of this film. It’s good…not great but I do like the story since it is famous in film lore.

DECEMBER

1. LOVE, ACTUALLY-2003

2. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET-1947

Edmund Gwynn is the perfect Santa and this is a great movie.

3.  IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE-1946

What more can I say? My all time favourite 

4. HOLIDAY AFFAIR-1949

Janet Leigh is a war widow trying to earn money by sizing up the toys in different department stores. She meets Robert Mitchum who works in the toy dept. Hahahaaa..sorry, Robert Mitchum selling toys. Not a bad Christmas movie which is not as well known as the others but still quite nice.

5. A CHRISTMAS CAROL-1951

Love Alastair Sim as Scrooge…my favourite.

6. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS-2000

Jim Carrey plays the Grinch. It’s ok but I prefer the cartoon. I do love the dog.

7. GOING MY WAY-1944

I’m a sucker for this film about a young priest who is told to take over from the old priest when the church is ready to be foreclosed upon. Love the music, Bing Crosby, Frank McHugh and the great Barry Fitzgerald. Rise Stevens is the perfect Carmen.

I can’t think of any TV shows that I watched that 8n have not already spoke about,

Thursday Film Picks-New Year’s

 

So Wandering Through The Shelves has decided to no longer continue her fun blog about films but I’m going to keep going and choose my own themes each week just because…I can. Thanks for the inspiration Ms.  Wandering and I hope you visit on occasion. I have chosen movies with a New Year’s theme/moment in the film and, yes, I stayed away from the movie “New Year’s” because I haven’t seen it yet. I know I got the title wrong but ..meh…anyhoo, here are my picks..

1. HOLIDAY-1938

I need to see this film again because it’s an under-rated gem starring 2 greats, Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Cary is a man who has decided to take a holiday from work but just as he makes this decision, he meets a beautiful, rich socialite and they quickly become engaged. They go back to her rich family’s house which is huge and filled with her oppressive dad, alcoholic brother and her older, carefree sister, played by Katherine Hepburn. During New Year’s Eve, Cary realizes that his gal still wants him to work but his sis is just as carefree as him. It’s fun, with some darker undertones and it works becoming the gem we know today..or should know.

2. MADE FOR EACH OTHER-1939

This stars 2 more greats, James Stewart and Carole Lombard as 2 young people who meet, fall in love and marry all in one day but, unlike Earnest Borgnine and Ethel Merman who quickly parted ways after a drunken sodden night, these 2 make a go of it. He is a young lawyer who is having a tough time keeping everything together given their financial issues and his snotty mother. His wife, pregnant, is ready to leave but New Year’s brings true heart ache when their new born child becomes very sick and needs a serum to survive but it’s far away. They realize their child might die unless that serum is delivered. This is a roller coaster ride of a film with comedy, drama, sadness and tension all rolled up in a good film. Stewart loved working with Lombard and enjoyed her potty mouth for which she was famous. He said she made those words sound normal.

3. LAST HOLIDAY-2006

I’m not quite sure why Queen Latifah got the Kennedy Center Honours when, I believe there re still others who deserve it more, but she is an accomplished actress and made this sweet movie fun. She stars as a woman working for a big box store who finds out she has only a few weeks to live. She looks at her scrapbook of possibilities and decides to cash 8n everything and take off to a very fancy hotel in the Czech Republic. She dresses in the finest and stays at the presidential suite getting the attention of some very rich people including the man who owns those big box stores, his mistress, a senator and the chef of the hotel. Soon, this man wants to one up her but can’t and wants to know who she truly is. You find out that she was misdiagnosed and is not dying so the man she loves, decides to go and tell her plus tell her he feels the same. It all culminates during New Year’s Eve. This is not a great film but it is a fun movie that is always nice to watch. 

What New Year’s movies can you think of?

Hello, Good-bye and so on...

 

Yes, I kiss my dog and he loves it. Not the best kiss but I love kissing him hello, goodbye and I love you. So another year over and on to the next. I'm joining in on Monday Music Moves Me and here are my 3...

1. AULD LANG SYNE SUNG BY THE CAST-1946

Ok, yes, I got "It's A Wonderful Life" on here again but it fits with the theme. This is an old song from Scotland with lyrics by Robert Burns, from what little I know. It's to welcome the new year and saying goodbye to the old. 

2. EVERYTIME WE SAY GOODBYE SUNG BY ELLA FITZGERALD-1944

I love this song and Ella sings it so well that I had to use her. This is a Cole Porter favourite.

3. HELLO, GOODBYE SUNG BY THE BEATLES-1967

I mean, this is the perfect song and the first one that popped into my head. I bet it will be popular today. Paul McCartney wrote it and it's one of their many hits.

What songs can you think of that sing of hellos and goodbyes?

Star of the Month-Donna Reed

 Donna Reed

BIRTH: January 27, 1921

DEATH: January 14, 1986

AGED: 64 years

DIED FROM: Pancreatic cancer 

REAL NAME: Donna Belle Mullenger

AFFAIRS: Lew Ayres and, maybe, Frank Sinatra but that’s just a rumour

MARRIED: 3 times

CHILDREN: 4 kids with 2 eldest being adopted

OSCAR WINS: Best Supporting actress for From Here To Eternity 

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: See Above

TALENT: Was pretty good in sports. She was quite good in Baseball so, when she threw the rock at the house breaking the glass, it was really Donna who threw that rock in the scene from “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

KNOWN FOR: Being wholesome although she won the Oscar for playing a whore. Co-founding the anti Vietnam war organization, “Another Mother for Peace”. Suing and winning her case for being fired from the TV show, “Dallas.”

How can anyone not love Donna Reed most famous for her starring role, opposite James Stewart, in the great film, “It’s A Wonderful Life” but also known a the most wonderful mom in “The Donna Reed Show” who epitomized the perfect mom. I still have to see that show but the kids who played her kids on TV never said a bad word about her and, in fact, Shelley Fabares considered her a second mom. She was a Republican but that didn’t mean she always agreed with the Party. During the Vietnam war, when her son could have been drafted, she co-founded “Another Mother for Peace” and worked tirelessly against the war. She also wrote to many GI’s during World War 2 when they wrote her letters because she felt she needed to. She was one of many actresses who were pin-ups during this time but she was more rare for actually responding to their letters. Later on, she played on Dallas, replacing Barbara Bel Geddes but was unceremoniously fired by the producers when Barbara decided to come back. For some reason, the audience never took to Donna Reed but , no matter, she sued the producers for breach of contract and won her case. Sadly, she died too young, in my opinion,  but will always be remembered for Mary, the woman who loves George Bailey.

FILMS

1. It’s A Wonderful Life-1946

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray-1945

3. The Were Expendable-1945

4, Green Dolphin Street-1947

5, Beyond Glory-1948

6, From Here To Eternity-1953

7. The Caddy-1953

8. The Last Time I Saw Paris-1954

9. Far Horizons-1955

10. The Benny Goodman Story-1956