I frickin' LOVE you, Julie Andrews!

I've been chillin' on my sofa watching The Sound of Music on blu-ray, nagging my husband by naming all of the movies I love Julie Andrews in, and just how awesome she is in general.  I finally decided to leave him alone and get on here to bug y'all instead.

Seriously, she rocks my socks off. To prove my point, I'm giving y'all my favorite roles of this fantabulous lady:

 

Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins)

I could watch Julie and Dick Van Dyke sing and dance around for hours.

Maria von Trapp (The Sound of Music)

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE her in this.  The kids are adorable, too!

Queen Clarisse Renaldi (The Princess Diaries) 

Only Julie Andrews could get away with "knighting" a streetcar driver and police officer to get out of a ticket.

Queen Lillian (Shrek films)

Even in cartoon version, she rocks.

Victoria Grant/Count Victor Grazinski (Victor Victoria)

If you've never seen this (many people haven't), GO RENT IT NOW.  I'll wait.

.....................

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Did you get it?  (I'm assuming we all have Netflix, of course.)

Last, but not least:

Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein)

The only Cinderella better is the Disney version, and she was only marginally better.

 Did I miss any?



Fantabulous Friday

I'm in the midst of studying for finals, so I don't really have time to dedicate to an actual post. However, whenever I've taken breaks from studying this week, this video has been my favorite. It's the wedding scene from Glee the week before last. It's reminiscent of that wedding dance video we've all seen a thousand times on YouTube and Facebook. I've probably watched it about 30 times now. It's fantabulous. Trust me. Check it out.

Oh and don't expect to hear from me all weekend. It's gonna be a busy one in the college football world. Of course, I'll be studying as well. At least 70-30. That's the plan anyway. Probably more like 80-20.

The Sing-Off Returns

Last year the hubs and I started watching the extremely short (it was only a few weeks long) TV show The Sing-Off on NBC because some friends of mine went to Lee University and knew a guy from the Voice of Lee, one of the groups singing on the show. I'm a huge music fan, and have been singing my entire life. Church, plays, school events, weddings, karaoke - you name it, I'll sing it.

Anyhoo, on the first night, all of these a capella groups sang for an hour, and it was musical heaven to my ears. I loved it! We watched every single episode, and although I loved all of the groups, hubs and I ended up rooting for NOTA because of their personal situations. The young Beelzebubs, who were delightfully entertaining - and adorable - were my second choice, but they were all young, charming college-age guys who had a plethora of options after the show.

Well, all of that is beside the point. The show is starting up again next week, December 6th, and I CANNOT WAIT! I'm so excited to see the new groups that will be on and what songs they will cover. Now (for at least a few weeks, anyway) I'll have Glee AND The Sing-Off! Yay!

Here's a clip of one of the groups from last year, the SoCals (USC's glee club), singing a Journey medley. I picked them and this video because you can't go wrong with a Journey medley. Ever.

The little lights aren't twinkling, Clark.

Hey guys.  I'm back.  I've really missed writing on my blog and following my blogging buds, keeping up with you guys.   I am trying to get back into the swing of things, so bear with me.  Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me. 

I'm sharing a post from last year with you to get the ball rolling,  and will (hopefully) soon have some new stuff for you!  Cheers!





Well y'all, it is officially the most wonderful time of the year:

CHRISTMAS.

This is - by far - my most favorite time of year.  All of the Christmas specials on television, Christmas music playing endlessly on radio stations, those people dressed like Santa with bells outside Walmart.  The tree, the lights, the window decals.  The PRESENTS.  Ah, Christmas, I think I love you. 

Not to mention - and those of you who are not people of faith, don't get angry - the celebration of the birth of my Lord, Jesus Christ.  I am a Christian, and as such believe completely in the birth of Jesus to Mary, coming to earth in the form of man to later be sacrificed so that we all could be saved.  Some of my readers are athiest or of different faiths, and that's cool.  I think it's great that we can all be blogging buds and accept each other's similarities AND differences without offending each other.  So yay for bloggerhood.  (I hereby claim the rights to the word "bloggerhood."  All use of the word will be credited to me, Jess. Please and thank you.)

So anyhoo, for Movie Delight Mondays this month I will share my most favorite Christmas movies in all of their fantabulousness. I'll pick three or four each week since there are only four weeks in December and I obviously have more than four favorites.  Now that I think of it, we should petition Congress to make December eight weeks instead of four.  We could do away with August.  I mean, really, what's good in August?  Nothing.  Who's with me?!

Okay, I've rambled enough.  For today I'm going to share my three MOST favorite Christmas movies, simply because I love them so much and don't feel like waiting until the week of Christmas to write about them.  I won't be giving actual reviews because I'm assuming that we've all seen these movies at least once in our lives.  Here we go.....

Christmas Vacation

If you've never watched this movie starring Chevy Chase as the hilarious Clark Griswold, Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie and a plethora of other awesomely funny talents, then it is my suggestion you either watch it immediately or be flogged.  (I don't really even know what that means, but I hear it's bad. I'm assuming it's similar to being tarred and feathered.)

I spend ALL year waiting for Thanksgiving day, just so I can start watching this movie.  As a rule I do not watch it at all from January 1st until Thanksgiving Day.  It makes for a very exciting Turkey Day!

White Christmas

I actually didn't watch this musical until 2006 when hubs brought it home one night.  He had found it at the store and went on and on about how he couldn't believe he'd never bought it before because it's just the best Christmas movie EVER.....all the while I'm staring at him, confused, because we both know Christmas Vacation is the best Christmas movie EVER.   After a brief explanation of who Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby were I caved and agreed to watch it - especially after the realization that this is the movie Clark was referring to in Christmas Vacation.  LOVED IT.  This is such a classic, wholesome, good-natured, fun musical, and Danny Kaye is really funny.  I even developed a small crush on him. 

Even if you aren't a huge fan of musicals, it's still a pretty good watch.  Check it out!

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Toddler.  Kid.  Preteen.  Teenager.  Young adult.  Adult.  Old folk.  Doesn't matter what age you are, this movie rocks.  Every year I find myself wishing the film was just a little bit longer.  Thirty minutes of Grinch and Max just isn't enough.  P.S.  When in Home Alone 2 Tim Curry grins and then a shot of the Grinch flashes looking almost exactly the same....awesome!

The Jim Carrey version is just okay, which surprised me because I LOVE Jim Carrey.  Can't beat the original.  Sorry, Jim.

Check back next Monday for another group of my favorite Christmas films!  Comment and share yours, or blog about them, too!

Leslie Nielsen: Don't call him Shirley!

I have a vivid picture in my head of myself at around age twelve.  I was at my grandparent's house on a Sunday afternoon, and I walked back into my grandparent's room where the kids watched movies (because grandpa always watched football or some other sport in the living room). 

They were watching a movie about a cop who was always screwing up, was really goofy and at the same time completely endearing (no, I didn't know what that word meant at twelve).  

My older cousins thought it was hilarious, so of course I did as well.    After this, every time it came on television I watched it, determined to learn all of the funny parts so my cousins would think I was cool like them.  Somewhere around the 15th time, I started getting the jokes and I suddenly came to a realization: this guy was hilarious.

Thus began an admiration of one of the funniest silly guys in Hollywood:  Leslie Nielsen.  He cracked me up in Airplane!, then as Lt. Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun films (which many people don't know were based on a television series called Police Squad!).

After he became known as the spoof guy, he had small roles in tons of films, but his most popular were, of course, more spoof movies. There was Spy Hard, Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Mr. Magoo.  I was thrilled when he showed up in Scary Movie 3 and 4, too.  It was like Christmas!

Unfortunately, this awesome dude passed away this week at the ripe old age of 84.  Although I'm sad he's gone, at least I know he'll live on in film.  Love ya, Frank!

Book Seven of the 7 Fantabulous Re-Reads: Skipping Christmas

Yeah, yeah, my deadline was the 26th.  I actually did finish this on the night of the 25th, though, I promise!  I've just been busy, what with Black Friday shopping, three days of college ball and Sunday NFL!  Can't help that.

Anyhoo, the point is that I did finish all seven books, and just in time, too, because today starts the last week of classes before finals.  DUM DUM DUMMMMMM (think threatening theme music).   So, here we go with my review for Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

My first time "reading" this book was via audiobook.  I had an hour and a half commute to and from work, a one-year-old and a newborn at home, and very little time for reading, so I found Skipping Christmas on audio and figured I'd give it a try.  It was my first time using one, and it took me a while to get used to someone reading a book to me.  Very strange. 

Once I'd finished, I went to the bookstore and bought the novel because I wanted to read it for myself.  I felt like I had probably missed a lot of details since I was mostly paying attention to driving while listening to it.  So I read it through, and loved it.  I also have the movie Christmas with the Kranks, which is a really close adaptation of the book. 

Skipping Christmas is about Luther and Nora Crank, whose daughter Blair has joined the Peace Corps and will be gone for Christmas.  Typically the Christmas season is full of spending, decorating and parties for the Kranks, but with Blair leaving, Luther decides he just doesn't feel like getting into the spirit this year.  He gets the brilliant idea of skipping Christmas - they would save their money and go on a cruise instead.  The only stipulation is that they would have to skip everything involved with Christmas:  no tree, no decorations, no donations, no presents, no party, and especially NO FROSTY. 

Frosty is the Kranks' neighborhood decoration.  Each house on Hemlock has a Frosty, and every year each neighboor puts one on the roof, so that the entire neighborhood has the same decoration.  The self-proclaimed leader of the Hemlock neighborhood is Abe Fromeyer, who seems to know everyone, including the police chief and mayor.  When it becomes apparent that Luther and Nora are skipping Christmas, it becomes Fromeyer's mission (along with the help of Luther's nemesis Walt Scheel) to "free Frosty" and save Christmas in the neighborhood.

While Nora struggles with every piece of Christmas they refuse, Luther just becomes more adamant about his decision, and prides himself on being steadfast and determined.  The Kranks' cruise will begin on Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve morning they wake up, prepared to pack and get ready for the trip, when a surprise phone call reveals that Blair is coming home for Christmas - and bringing a fiance' with her! 

Suddenly the Kranks are in a hurry to pull off a Christmas miracle to give Blair and her fiance' a proper welcome home.  Of course, finding a tree, decorations, food for a party and guests to attend prove to be more difficult than ever on Christmas Eve for Luther and Nora. 

I won't ruin it and tell you whether or not they are able to pull off the perfect Christmas, but if you've seen the movies, then you already know.  Although, even if you have seen it, I still recommend you read the novel.  It's really entertaining, especially Luther and Nora's conversations. 

Well that's all of my Fantabulous Re-Reads!  Hope everyone has a great Monday!

P.S.  Next Monday I will resume Movie Delight Mondays, and it will be the start of December, which means I will be covering my favorite Christmas movies!  Yay!