Fantabulous Friday

Long story short:  I'm back.  And what better way to return than with a chicka chicka yeah...

FANTABULOUS FRIDAY! Whoop!

My current obsessions (because they're fantabulous, obviously):

Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors"



I would so cheat on Hubs with this dude.  Although technically it wouldn't be cheating because he's on the List...

JT's new album The 20/20 Experience is a funky, fun, cool bunch of musical gems, but "Mirrors" has me captivated.  I've been listening to it on repeat for two days.  The man has a voice like melted buttah!

(Side note:  If you haven't seen JT's episodes of Saturday Night Live, make some time to watch them.  He's hosted 5 times, and he's brilliant.)



                                             Downton Abbey

I know, I know, I'm always the very last person to jump on a bandwagon (think Twilight, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones), but when I do finally jump on I'm gung-ho about it.

I just LOVE this series.  It's beyond fantabulous.  The characters are brilliant, the storyline is captivating and I cannot get enough of that adorable Matthew Crawley (yes, I know, but not everybody does, so hush).  I especially love how soap opera-ey the servants are.  Those people have some serious issues.  Except for Anna and Mr. Bates.  Swoon.

If you haven't caved in and watched this series, DO. IT. NOW.  I'll wait.





Not really, because three seasons is like 30 hours of tv.  I ain't got time to wait for you.  Do it later.





Smash

Yes, it's getting some bad reviews.  People either love it or hate it.  I LOVE it. Seriously, who doesn't love
musicals?  If you don't, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?  Granted, the first season had some not-so-good characters (Ellis - yuck.  Dev - skeez. Frank - boring sap), but the story line was, for the most part, pretty good.

Season two has proven much more interesting.  The introduction of Jeremy Jordan's angry, defensive  character Jimmy and his insecure pal Kyle was a pleasant change.  Also, I think Katharine McPhee is just adorable. Plus Derek (Jack Davenport) is kinda hot.  Hello, British accent!



Well those are my fantabulous obsessions!  Happy Friday, y'all!

Fantabulous Friday

I love when I'm walking aimlessly through a store or across campus - or anywhere, really - and I pass someone with a totally awesome t-shirt on.  

It makes my day just a little bit better.

I am a collector of vintage/funny/fantabulous t-shirts, and currently own several Chris Farley and Will Ferrell shirts, as well as Ferris Bueller, Ghostbusters, Christmas Vacation, Rolling Stones, etc.  I love them, and I love those moments when I encounter another cool t-shirt person and we have a shared moment of, "yeah, we're awesome."  It's like we're part of a totally rad t-shirt club.  In fact, I have decided just now to initiate the Official Totally Rad T-Shirt Club.   Oh, and I'm the president. 

You're super jealous, right now, I know. 

Don't be discouraged, my dear blogging buds, for you, too, can be part of the Totally Rad T-Shirt Club.  All you have to do is own a minimum of five (5) fantabulous t-shirts.  Just in case you're not completely sure of what falls into the category of fantabulous/awesome/totally rad, here's a few examples:   

 Anything Goonies related is awesome. 

 Likewise, shirts pertaining to any and all of the National Lampoon films would qualify.

Witty, humorous and sarcastic phrase shirts are definitely on the list.

(Remember, though, profane and/or sexual shirts are NOT,

because we never know when we may encounter children.  Wear responsibly, folks.)

 Any and all awesome band t-shirts are welcome.

Even better are lame band shirts, like Menudo and Milli Vanilli.

 We all know 80s educational shows were cheese, so why not celebrate it?

 Awesome movie quote shirts are some of my favorites. 

Great one-liners should be shared with the world, and it is our job to do so enthusiastically.

 Mixing 80s/90s pop culture like Inspector Gadget and Vanilla Ice is just brilliant.

I'm probably going to order this shirt today. (Don't tell Hubs.)

 Another movie quote t-shirt.  It's easy to determine whether or not someone is friend quality based

on their ability to determine which movie your shirt is quoting.  This is a priceless gift, people!

T-shirts that share plots of films are pretty cool, too.  

Any t-shirt referring to Saturday Night Live qualifies.  I recommend multiple shirts like this.

Taking a serious quote from a film and turning it to be funny is another priceless gem.  

Another educational shirt.  Ah, memories.



Gotta have a Bayside shirt.  Well, that or a Jesse and the Rippers shirt.  Either will do. 

I'll be making Totally Rad T-Shirt Club membership cards soon, so let me know if you're in. 

Together we can educate young people everywhere. 

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.

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!

Book Four of the 7 Fantabulous Re-Reads: American Psycho

First let me say that this novel is not for those who are uncomfortable with graphic violence and sexual content.   This serial killer is WAY out there.

In American Psycho, author Bret Easton Ellis introduces us to Patrick Bateman, a well-to-do Wall Street businessman who hangs with other equally boring yuppies and has an affection for Peter Gabriel and Huey Lewis and the News.  Patrick is engaged to Evelyn, a woman who he doesn't really care for, and who he suspects is having an affair with his friend.  Patrick, Evelyn and their friends spend their nights trying to get into the newest clubs and restaurants, flaunting their wealth and snorting cocaine in bathrooms.  While to others Patrick appears to be just another rich guy enjoying life, he spends his nights as a serial killer and having obsessive compulsive tendencies to be absolutely perfect in every way.

It takes a long while before the actual murders start, but throughout the first half of the novel Patrick makes comments to his friends about being a psychopath, but his friends always misunderstand what he's saying or think he's being funny.  Patrick has affairs with random women, and it's with these women that he acts out his sick desires, including toture, cannibalism and mutilation.  As his ability to keep his public and personal lives separate, Patrick begins to lose control.  

I think maybe I'm in too jolly of a mood, and because of that I sort of just robotically read through the novel this time around.  I didn't really invest too much feeling in it, which is strange for me, especially since this story is so disturbing.  After publishing American Psycho, Ellis received a great deal of complaints, and "concerned" groups even tried having the book banned in various cities.  Although yhr novel contains some truly dark and awful content, Ellis' ability to create such a complex character is deserving of at least the same courtesy as Stephen King.

Up Next:  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Book Three of the 7 Fantabulous Re-Reads: Island of the Blue Dolphins

The first time I read this novel, about sixteen years ago, I loved it.  We had to read it for school, and I so enjoyed the story of Karana that I read it through three times before the rest of my class had finished it. 

The Island of the Blue Dolphins (so named because if you stand at the highest ridge on the island, the island appears to be in the shape of a dolphin) is a small island, inhabited by a tribe of Indians, the tribe of Ghalas-at, with the chief's daughter Karana as the main character.    Karana's mother died years before so she and her older sister care for their father and younger brother, Ramo.

The Ghalas-at tribe is peaceful, and are only cautious and weary when a group of men, called Aleuts, show up on the island to hunt otter.  Karana's father allows the men to hunt on the promise that they will share half of their catch before they leave at the end of the summer.  When the time comes for the Aleuts to leave, it becomes evident they have no intention of making good on their word, so the chief and the men of the tribe go to the beach to confront the men.  A battle breaks out, and most of the men, including the chief, are killed. 

A new chief is appointed, and he decides the indians need to leave the island.  He leaves to find a new land and promises to return with a ship.  The tribe waits for him for a long time, but he does not return.  After winter passes, a ship comes to take the tribe, as they were instructed by the chief.  They all leave the island, but in the process Karana is separated from Ramo.  As the ship is sailing away, she sees that Ramo has been left behind on the island, but the captain will not turn around so Karana jumps ship and swims back to her brother.  The ship sails away, leaving the two of them all alone.

Almost immediately Ramo is killed by wild dogs, and Karana finds herself alone, without weapons and unsure of how to make them.  She can't bear to stay in the village, so she burns it down and decides to find a new place to live.  She begins to learn how to make weapons and use them, build a shelter, mend canoes and fight off the wild dogs.

As time passes, Karana learns that she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to, and finds that although she is alone, she can befriend some of the local animals to ease the loneliness.  She tames a wild dog, catches birds, helps an injured otter and tries, but fails, to keep a fox as a pet. 

The story is one of great personal growth and survival.  It's actually based on a true story, which makes it even more interesting.  The novel is only 181 pages, and it's meant for young readers, so it's a quick and easy read.  I still suggest it to anyone and everyone, because Karana is such an endearing character.

Next up:  American Psycho!

Book Two of the 7 Fantabulous Re-Reads: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

First off, I have to make a confession with this one.  Usually I insist on reading novels before ever watching a film, but it was reversed this time.  The movie Fried Green Tomatoes has been one of my most favorite movies since I was very young.  My mother, aunts and older cousins all watched it all the time, and it soon became a beloved to me as well.  It wasn't until my preteens that I realized the movie was based on a novel, and of course, I had to read it then. 

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg is more a favorite novel because of the movie, I think.  The novel isn't absolutely fabulous, or even very captivating.  I love it because it gave me more insight to the characters, and specifically, it let me see deeper into the relationship between Idgie and Ruth.

The novel is one of those odd works that continually flashes from the past to the present, and all over the place, so it takes a few pages before you adjust.  Evelyn Couch is a middle-aged woman, afraid of death and afraid of life.  She's in a loveless marriage, and constantly confused by the way people act.  On a routine visit with her mother-in-law at a retirement home, Evelyn meets Ninny Threadgoode.  Ninny is another "guest" at the retirement home, and her ramblings about the old days soon catch Evelyn's attention as she learns about life in the 30s and 40s in Whistle Stop, Alabama.

The Threadgoode family is one of the largest and most well-known in town.  They treat colored peopel fairly and are the most generous people around.  Their home becomes the favored place for picnics, weddings and celebrations.  People meet and fall in love at the Threadgoode home, and Ninny's stories mostly revolve around young Idgie Threadgoode, the tomboyish baby of the family.   After Idgie's older brother and best friend Buddy dies, Idgie refuses to get close to people.  This goes on for a few years, until a young woman named Ruth comes to stay with the Threadgoodes for the summer as a church youth aid.  Young Idgie immediately becomes infatuated with Ruth, and an odd relationship begins between the two.

The novel takes us simultaneously through Evelyn's personal crises and the war, depression and everyday life of a small Alabama town.  The more Evelyn learns about Idgie, the more confident she becomes.  She begins to think of herself as having an alter ego, Towanda, whose only goal is to right wrongs and take down evildoers.  It's hilarious, really.  She almost seems as if she's going off the deep end.

At the same time, we see Ruth move away to be married to a Georgia man named Frank Bennett, and Idgie is heartbroken.  Ruth's devil of a husband is abusive, and she eventually gets the nerve to leave him and rejoin Idgie in Whistle Stop.  Soon after Ruth's return, she realizes she is pregnant.  Ruth and Idgie open a small cafe and after Ruth's ex-husband comes sneaking around, he mysteriously disappears.    Investigators suspect Idgie and her hired man Big George, but no body and no evidence leads them to drop the case.   Years later, though, Frank Bennett's truck is found near Whistle Stop, and Idgie and Big George are charged with murder.

While reading the story, Idgie and Evelyn become similar characters in your mind, and you root for them both fervently because they're such wonderful characters. 

Although I enjoy the novel, I have to say that this is the one and only exception where I love the movie more than the book. 

Next up:  Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Book one of the 7 Fantabulous Re-Reads: The Other Boleyn Girl

On Friday I told y'all that I'm attempting to re-read seven of my most favorite novels in order to make the time between now and November 26th pass faster.  Well, book one was a partly-historically-accurate-and-partly-malarky novel about the Boleyn sisters Mary and Anne, and their affairs with England's King Henry VIII.

I love this novel because despite some of the inaccuracies, you feel like you're really getting a glimpse into what life was like for a 15th century courtier and life among royals.  Growing up American, we have no real appreciation or understanding of the history of pride in a royal family, or living under the rule of a king or queen.  The whole concept of a royal heirarchy and birthrights and all of that is just an alien idea, and that's mostly why, I think, I enjoyed this one so much.

Author Philippa Gregory introduces us to young Mary Boleyn at the young age of 13, having just been married off and starting out in the service of Queen Katherine of Aragon, aka Henry VIII's first wife.  Mary belongs to the Howard family on her mother's side, and the Boleyn family on her father's side.  The Howards have great ambitions in regards to title, wealth and station.  Her uncle, a Howard, is the most ambitious of them all, and the head of the family.    When Mary catches the eye of the young, attractive king, her uncle orders Mary away from her husband to seduce and bed the king in order to advance the Howard family. 

Mary's older sister, Anne, returns to the court from France soon after she's caught the king's eye, and as Anne is witty, beautiful and smart, it becomes Anne's job to keep the king interested in Mary and away from all other girls vying for his attention.  Anne is resentful of her orders because she considers herself to be much better than Mary, and the two are bitter rivals. 

Mary is young, unsure and afraid, but she does as she is told, and thus becomes a favorite of Henry and soon finds herself in love with the king of England.    After much effort on the part of Mary, Anne, their brother George and the rest of the Howard family, Mary ends up mother to two of the king's children.  Despite Mary's good nature and obvious fertility, the king begins to lose interest in Mary, thanks to Anne. 

Mary soon learns that Anne has her own agenda, and it is to take Queen Katherine's place as Queen of England.  It is clear that Anne is determined, will stop at nothing and will do anything and everything she must in order to take the throne. 

As the lies, risks and gambles of the Howard family become more and more outrageous, Mary tires of life in the court and wishes for nothing more than to be left to her children and love. 

This book is a delicious read, not only for the saga of Mary and Anne Boleyn and their fight for the throne, but also because it's packed with good humor, some wonderful romance and, of course, an actual love story thrown in as well.  Mary's eventual true love interest is a good, honest man and you find yourself rooting so hard for Mary that you really want Anne to lose(which, as we all know, she does). 

I don't know if the real Anne Boleyn was anything like she is in this novel, but if so, I don't blame Henry for having her beheaded.  The woman was a snake.  Awful. 

I told the hubs it's a good thing I wasn't living during that time, because I'd have been one of those stubborn women who refused to do as she was told.  The hubs laughed and agreed with me.  Yes, indeedy.


Next up:  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Historical Day: Cades Cove

Hey, y'all!  Hope your weeks have all been fantabulous.  My brain is on reserve at the moment, since I just finished (yay) a huge Geography paper due Monday.  Since I'm in school mode, I decided to share with y'all the paper I wrote earlier this semester on my most favorite place in the whole world:  Cades Cove.  It's located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Not to brag (but totally to brag), I made an A++ on this paper.  Yeah, I did.  So anyhoo, since today is usually Fantabulous Friday, and I think Cades Cove is fantabulous, here's y'all a little piece of history:

Located in what is now the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in northeastern Tennessee, Cades Cove is a glimpse into the lives of a community of yesteryear.  Having spent half of my life living in Tennessee, my family took many trips to the cove.  As a child the wildlife was what attracted me the most:  black bears, deer and various other animals that roam the park.  The animals were what drew Native Americans, then later European frontiersmen to settle in this valley tucked safely between the “Smoky Mountains” which create a beautifully wooded view from all directions.  

There isn’t much cultural evidence of the Cherokee Indians’ time spent in the cove, but there is an abundance of evidence from the settlers who came later.  The Indians chose the cove for the bountiful wildlife easily hunted within the valley.  The settlers, who first began moving into the cove in the early 1820s, preferred the cove for many reasons, two of which were the protection offered by the surrounding mountains and the fertile soil of the valley floor. 

Since the land was excellent for farming, the settlers were able to grow multiple crops that could supplement them throughout the entire year.  A few of the barns and storehouses used for farming are still standing. 

As more people moved into the area, homes were built across the valley.  These buildings were small homes, with tiny rooms for sleeping and slightly larger rooms for cooking and eating.  Every home needed a fireplace to warm the people during frigid winters that often brought snowstorms. The settlers created their own road so they could visit one another easily.  The road used now to tour the cove is the same road created by the early settlers.  Eventually two churches were built as well, one Baptist and one Methodist.  The Baptist church later feuded and split, resulting in the building of a second Baptist Church.  

As more people settled in the cove, businesses were built to meet the needs.  Because the nearest town was an entire day’s trip away on horse, Cades Cove became a self-sustaining community.  A general store was built, along with a blacksmith shop, smokehouses and even a boarding house for travelers.

The people of Cades Cove depended greatly upon two crops: corn and chestnuts.  The corn was used to feed the livestock and could be used in various ways as food for the people (cornmeal, grits, cornbread, hominy).   The residents of the cove would take chestnuts into nearby Maryville to sell or trade for other goods, food or medicines.

Once knowledge of water as a power source spread to the cove, a man named John P. Cable, using the water from Mill Creek, created a functioning mill for grains.  Other residents followed suit and eventually Cades Cove had several water-run mills, some for grains (to be turned into flour) and others for molasses.  These advances gave the residents more options for trading, and helped the community to thrive.   A post office was also built later as the rest of the United States began to grow and spread out.

Thanks to the flourishing crops and mills, population nearly exploded in the early years of the community.  In less than fifty years there were an estimated 700 people residing within Cades Cove.  Families were raising children, who would reach their teen years, marry and start their own families.  Children were taught in the small churches by the pastors or at home by educated parents (although most of the adults who originally settled in the cove weren’t very well-educated).  However, the majority of “education” taught to the children was the ins and outs of maintaining the farm (for the boys) and home (for the girls).

Eventually the great Western movement known as “Manifest Destiny” caught wind and many young families moved out of Cades Cove in search of a better life.  A few families remained in the cove, the last of which did not leave until well after the cove was included into the National Park.

Fantabulous Friday

I can't tell you how completely thrilled I am that Friday has finally arrived.  This week has been an exhausting one.  Some of the exhaustion was my fault (a Sunday adventure in New Orleans, the Britney episode on Glee - which caused much excitement at my house - a football game viewing at my Alma mater - which they lost. Embarrassingly badly), but most of it was school.  I have yet more exams next week AND the week after that.  I love school.  I love school.  I love school.  I love school.  Nope, still not working...

ANYHOO, on a much brighter -and much more entertaining - note, today's fantabulous topic is the brainchild of one of the coolest dudes in the blogsphere.  The totally fantabulous Cole Garrett over at Dry Humor Daily has thought up a pretty nifty idea, and I'm going to share it with you guys because I was immediately eager to jump on board and join in on something that is sure to catch on like syphilis....er...I mean....like something totally non-STD-related.  Yeah.  Like pogs.  Or the phrase "that's what she said." 

Now that I have your undivided attention, I can share with you Cole's awesomely titillating (that word always makes me giggle) invention.  Are you ready?

Are you?  REALLY?

I present to you:

The Blog Quilt

Obviously this isn't the quilt I speak of.  It's merely for

 entertainment purposes. Click the link above the picture.  Duh.

 

The Blog Quilt so cool, though.  You can add your badge for your blog to the page, then add the badge for The Blog Quilt on your personal blog to refer other bloggers to the quilt. (Hopefully that wasn't confusing, although I almost confused myself.)  The hope is that eventually we'll be a part of one awesome, gargantuan internet quilt.  We can all cuddle up together underneath it in our bond of Blogdom.  Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it? 

Warm and fuzzy like these ridiculously cute kittens

So, I beseech you (I've always wanted to use that word in a sentence!) good people to click the link, go see the quilt and join us!  Together we can make a difference!

That really has nothing at all to do with this, but I just had to use it.

Love, peace and chicken grease, y'all!

Fantabulous Friday

(Caution:  this blog could very well turn into a ranting session.  I apologize in advance.)

Yes indeedy, today was definitely fantabulous.  Personally, I had a great day.  If you had a bad day, here's a big hug from me to make you feel better:

Also, hopefully your day will get better due to the misery of others. 

Misery on Fantabulous Friday, you ask?  Surprisingly, yes.  However, misery for one Lindsay Lohan

makes for fantabulous entertainment for me (and you).  Plus, for once I'm proud of the judicial system in Hollywood. 

After failing a drug test a mere TWO weeks after leaving rehab, Lindsay showed up in court today most likely expecting a slap on the wrist and maybe the judge shaking a finger at her with a halfhearted, "Tsk tsk,"  before being released to rehab for another few weeks.  Much to her dismay, my new hero, Judge Fox, refused to set bail for Miss Lohan and ordered her back to jail until her next court date, over a month away.  My feelings on the matter are simple:

IT'S ABOUT TIME.

I'm sorry, but this whole special treatment for the famous bit is just ridiculous, and frankly I'm glad someone FINALLY put their foot down.  Time and time again these celebrities are given freebies for offenses that would land regular people in prison for months (or possibly years).  Hit and run?  No big deal, just don't do it again.  Arrested for cocaine?  Hey, it happens.  Just take a month off from partying and stay in a luxurious rehab.  Abuse dogs?  No biggie, just spend 21 months in jail, then get out and be paid exhorbitant amounts of money to play football. 

I am sick to death of this crap.  These people are given so many privileges as celebrities.  They have the money to do whatever they want, they can travel all over the world, experience so many things us normal folks only dream about.  Instead of doing something useful, contributing in some way or being a POSITIVE role model for the young impressionable people in the world, they think they're above the law and decide to dabble in drugs, sex tapes and every other scandal they can think of.  They assume they won't be held responsible for their actions because - let's face it - celebrities are hardly ever held responsible.

Don't get me wrong here.  I actually think Lindsay Lohan is talented.  I thought she was adorable in The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday.  I also LOVE Mean Girls.  The girl has a gift, and she insists on wasting it by spending most of her time high or drunk.  It's a sad, sad shame. 

Hopefully she'll actually learn a lesson this time. 

Fantabulous Friday

I made it through exam week! YES!

Now I can breathe.  And focus on important things.  Like my blog. 

It's Friday, and that means it's

FANTABULOUS FRIDAY!

If you're not into my topic for today, you can blame Ray J over at Point Me to the Sky Above.....I Can't Get There On My Own.  Yesterday she blogged about a few books, one of them being Abraham Lincoln,  Vampire Hunter. 

People have been reviewing this book quite a bit lately, and my curiosity finally got the best of me (thanks to Ray J's excellent review).

I went to the library, checked out the book, and within the first 25 pages I was captivated.  Once I realized the author, Seth Grahame-Smith, also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I had to put that on my reading list as well.

I googled to see if there were other similar novels to these two, and apparently I've been living under a rock because there's a bunch of them!  This is a newish genre, called "mashup".  It basically started with Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies being picked up by an independent publisher, which prompted other publishers to begin seeking more of this combination classic-modern pop culture.  Writers take a literary classic and rewrite it with genres from today's popular genres, such as vamires and zombies. 

Since 2009 there have already been eight more of these mashups done by various other authors that have been successful (many more were hurriedly published in an attempt to capitalize on the sudden interest, but most of those were poorly written and didn't sell).  I can only vouch for Vampire Hunter so far, but I will definitely be reading all of these sooner or later.

Here are a few of the best-sellers of this new genre (according to several websites):

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte & Sherri Browning Erwin

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen & Ben H. Winters

Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott & Lynn Messina

If any of y'all have already read any of these, let me know what you thought!  If you decide to go read any of them now, please let me know what you think when you're done! 

Fantabulous Friday

Oh, happy day.

It's CHICKA CHICKA YEAH Friday, y'all. School was great. I think I'm finally getting back into the swing of things (hey, don't judge, it's harder when you get old). Had my first test since starting back and ACED it like the genius my Mom thinks I am (love you Momma!). But enough of that...

I was pleasantly surprised to see stories popping up in the comments of my

post. I also received additional stories in my private email, and have had people asking if they could post a story in my NetworkedBlogs feed on Facebook. Before it's all over with I should have a plethora of stories to read to hubs, which is just FANTABULOUS. Apparently you folks like t-shirts. (But who doesn't?!)

So, although typically I'd make some sort of list of fantabulous things for y'all today, I have massive amounts of homework, studying and a project to work on, which will take up the majority of my weekend, so you'll just have to settle for this:

This dude - and I call him dude because he's obviously smoked something in his life - was out surfing with his buds and noticed

GREAT. WHITE. SHARKS.

swimming around beneath them in the ocean. So what does he do? Does he jump up and run across the water (which I think I might be able to do if I saw a shark - I fully believe Jesus would help me out on this one) to safety, never to return to the water again? Oh, no. Not this dude.

He goes home, rigs a camera to a pole, GOES BACK OUT INTO THE WATER IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT the next day and records the GIANT SHARKS (there's two) swimming around them in circles. For thirty minutes.

I'm convinced this guy is missing brain cells, because honestly, WHO does that?! Did he never see Jaws?

Anyhoo, the video is below, so check it out and form your own opinions of crazy dude.



Oh and hey, if you haven't submitted a hilarious first date story yet, go to my previous post and DO IT (like Nike, but without the cool check mark).

And have a FANTABULOUS weekend!

Fantabulous Friday

Wow. What a week.  New work schedule, started back at school, my youngest busted her teeth, my oldest hurt her foot, and on top of all that I stayed out entirely too late last night catching up with an old friend.  Sheesh.  I need a vacation.  Good thing it's

FANTABULOUS FRIDAY

Woo.  Hoo.  Although I suspect my brain cells are hiding somewhere deep in the recesses of my skull from shock, I'm going to attempt to find some inspiration for y'all.  Don't expect too much out of me today, though. 

I'm going to share the most fantabulous places that I've never been - but someday dream/pray/hope to see.

The Great Barrier Reef

Although I'm terrified of snorkeling and all things that involve going into the ocean - thanks, Spielberg - I think I'd be brave enough to risk a shark encounter to see this beautiful Australian wonder. 

The Louvre

Yeah, yeah, it'd be cool to see the rest of Paris too, but frankly I'm more interested in what's inside this place:  an art lover's dream come true.

New York City

Times Square.  BROADWAY.  Madison Square Garden. Central Park.  The Statue of Liberty.  This is one of my more realistic locations, so I know I will go soon.  Very, very soon (got that hubs?  SOON!). 

Ireland

Blame it on my heritage.  I really have no specific reason for wanting to go, but I always have.  Maybe it has something to do with Colin Farrell's sexy self...

Venice, Italy

Of course it's beautiful, but I mostly just want to ride a gondola. 

Hawaii

Who wouldn't want to be on that beach with a cool drink at this very moment?  I'd go right now. 

There are also a few more places in the U.S. that I'd really like to visit:  The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.  (I went to D.C. with my family when I was 18 months old, but obviously I don't remember it.) 

Where would you like to go/What do you want to see?

Fantabulous Friday

Well, it appears we've survived another week.

Barely.

In celebration of another week gone by, it's time to make note of the fantabulous, and today I'm going with videos. *All videos will be from Youtube.*




First up is one I'm "borrowing" from a gal's blog I follow called It's All Random (it's a really great blog, so you should go check her out and click the "Follow" button!). On Tuesday her post was entitled "Youtube Tuesday" (catchy, isn't it?) and featured two videos - one from television show "The Office" and another that it was based on. Although the video from "The Office" was funny, the original made me laugh - and cry, strangely - and I watched it at least three times. Then when the hubby got home I made him watch it too. It's simply FANTABULOUS.

Next up is the chick who thought she'd surprise her husband with a self-installed stripper pole:

Here is the 100 Best Movie Quotes in 200 seconds. Not that I love all 100 of them, but they got the majority right!

Lastly, a collection of some of Jim Carrey's best moments. He's one of my favorite comedians. (My mother hates him, though she won't give me a straight answer as to why.)

Hope you enjoyed the FANTABULOUS videos!

Peace out.

Fantabulous Friday

That's right, baby.  It's FRIDAY (chicka chicka yeah)  yet again.  I'm psyched.  Are you?

Of course you are. 

My weekend plans are already fantabulous - despite a potential hurricane - and, as such, today is fantabulous. Expectation can be such a mood booster. 

So today (and every Friday, as per last week's post) I will present you with some of what I consider the most FANTABULOUS things/people/foods/places in the world. 

Are you ready for this? 

Here we go.

1.  Friends reruns

This particular episode depicted in the picture is one of my favorite episodes of Friends.  Ever. (The one with the embryos)

It doesn't matter how many times I've seen Ross, Rachel and Joey moving the couch up the stairs with Ross screaming, "Pivot! Pivot! PIVOT!"  I still laugh hysterically.  I've seen the series all the way through at least four times, not counting the hundreds of episodes I've watched on TBS (very funny).

Friends is also great therapy when you're having a bad day (or week).  It's hard to not be in a good mood after watching a few episodes.
 
Now that I've mentioned Friends,  I may have to blog about my favorite episodes sometime soon..... (Note to self.)

2. Pad Thai

 If you've never tried Thai food (or if you have and found it too spicy) I insist you try Pad Thai.  I was iffy about even going to a Thai restaurant, but last summer my bestie insisted I didn't know what I was missing.    Well, since my motto is to try everything once, I had no choice.  Mo recommended the chicken pad thai.  I took one bite, and it was magical.  The sky opened up and light shone down from Heaven.  Angels began to sing softly while little butterflies and fairies flew around sprinkling glitter on my head. 

Okay, maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but close.  I ended up going back again the next day. 

You can also buy the make-your-own boxes of it at grocery stores.  All you need to add is an egg, bean sprouts and the meat of your choice.  It's not too spicy, but still has the Thai flavor to it.  I could live on this stuff alone.  It's delicious.  Nay, it's FANTABULOUS.

3. Michael J. Fox

I started thinking about this eternal optimist yesterday after (finally) watching Teen Wolf for the first time - thanks Sara for recommending it - and how incredibly awesome this dude is. 

Of course, he's cool because he's been Marty McFly, Alex Keaton, Dr. Benjamin Stone (in Doc Hollywood, one of my favorite MJF movies) and even Stuart Little -the voice, not the mouse.

What makes him fantabulous is the way he's dealt with Parkinson's disease.  He's been determined to continue working, as well as raise awareness and money for research on his illness (See his Foundation for Parkinson's Research website here.)  He's got the warmest personality, and even if you've never met him, to watch him on television or in movies is to feel like you know him. 

Right on, Scott Howard.  Right on. 


4..  Demotivational Posters

From sarcastic to raunchy (and even sometimes really offensive), these pictures can keep you entertained for a good hour.  Even longer if you're at work.

I wish there was an iPhone app for these things.  (Maybe there is....I should get on that ASAP.)

If you get bored, search "demotivational posters" on Google. The best I've seen are "mooseknuckle" and anything related to Chuck Norris, emo or ugly.  Please check it out.  You won't be sorry!



I couldn't come up with more today because.....well, honestly, do you people think I have nothing better to do than write blogs? 

Okay, so usually I don't have anything better to do.  Tomorrow is an exception, though - going to see The Wedding Singer musical with three FANTABULOUS girlfriends of mine! - and I'm way too excited to think about much else.  You'll forgive me later, I know you will.  At least I hope so.  If not, I can always buy presents...