A Round of "Awws"

Paul Newman's letter to his wife on their wedding day. Sweetest. Thing. Ever.

Fashion Friday: Monday Edition

So, as the title of this post indicates this post should really come on a Friday, but I was simply too excited to keep this gem of an article to myself for that long.



Do you ever find yourself pinched by a twinge of jealousy when watching old movies with those glamorous icons of style and elegance *cough* Audrey Hepburn *cough* Grace Kelly *cough*. 'Scuse me. If you are a bloke you will be thinking I have gone a bit dodgy, but if you are a lady you will, I hope, know what I mean. They always looked so polished and elegant regardless of the role they were playing or the place they were going.


Every inch the lady, even on a motorcycle.

In this modern world we live in getting gussied up like that seems too hard and time consuming. However, popping on a one piece outfit, like this strange a wonderful thing called the dress, can be and often is just simple an outfit to shimmy into in the morning as the old reliable jeans and t-shirt. A simple dress can be adapted to nearly any occasion or season just by experimenting with a few accessories. A well matched skirt and blouse can be just as easily adapted for the office, home or special occasion.

Dressing in this way gives the wearer a polished professional look with hardly any more effort than it would take to pull on their sweats. Why should we sacrifice elegance for ease when dressing with style can be so simple?


Who ever said mom's can't look great on the go?

Vive La Revolution!
Apron Revolution - She Sews for the Whole Family

Live Like We're Living

(^Best C.S. Lewis quote ever. So I thought I'd start with that. Because if you like nothing else in this post, you're gonna come away with at least something. :))

I popped in to check in on our blog today. Why? Because I should be reading The Iliad. But I'd rather blog. And as I wandered through all the posts that I have half-written, I decided not to post any of them.

But rather to post this, a charming and moving little video that I discovered this morning, because it's been on my mind the whole day. Because it warms my heart, and makes me want to dance for joy. Because if we all lived like this, we'd all smile a lot more, and laugh a little louder. Because living each day, finding the joy and the impeccable beauty in every single moment, is awesome.

I know I've mentioned the Book of Awesome multiple times. But I think it bears repeating. It's truly beautiful. It's a little reminder that today we've been granted 86,400 seconds to spend as we please. And it's a challenge: How are you going to spend your 86,400 seconds?

God's given us those precious seconds, He's given us 86,400 opportunities to immerse ourselves in the dance of life, to love someone, to make them smile, to laugh, and to seek out the beautiful and awesome.

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful." --Mae West.

(^ And I end, as I began, with a quote. Clive may have had better morals than Mae, but this sassy lady said some wickedly hilarious (and insightful) things. This quote explains why I listen to songs like this on repeat. Can't get enough of it. :) )

King of Anything

I have actual blog posts coming up...I promise...

But here's a song I discovered recently that strikes my fancy. Sara Bareilles is one amazing songstress. Like Love Song, it's got some angst and some bite to it, but the music itself is so cheery and bubbly. It's awesome possum.

Awesome Things

Some things are just plain old awesome.

For example:

The feeling of the outdoors right before a storm.
The feeling of the outdoors right after a storm.
Swinging.
The feel of mud between your toes.
Finding the last item of clothing in your size (SCORE).
Finding something you were desperately searching for.
Sunbeams shining through the clouds.

Listening to The Man Who Can't Be Moved on endless repeat.
Staying up ridiculously late for no reason whatsoever.

For more awesome things, check out this wicked awesome blog.

We discovered the book: The Book of Awesome Things while we were browsing through an incredibly quaint and fantastic used book shop on Saturday morning.


Author's aside:
It has come to our attention that these Catholic Pickup Lines are also fantastic beyond all reasoning. :) Definitely giggle-inducing.

Some personal favorites:

"Confess here often?"

"What's a nice girl like you doing at a First Saturday Rosary Cenacle like this?

"Dinner. My Place. Tomorrow. Don't argue; it's a feast of obligation."

Check 'em out! You'll get a good laugh, I guarantee.

Drums, Faeries, & Magic

*drumroll*

Here is a teaser trailer for the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream that I've been rehearsing for!! They "premiered" it for us tonight at rehearsal, and then asked us to send it out to everyone we knew. Actually, they asked us to post it on our Facebook pages, but since I've sworn off of Facebook until I finish all my schoolwork... ... ...

I've decided to share it with ya'll!

(it looks prettier full-screen, so for optimal viewing satisfaction, we recommend full-screen)

The drum circle you see in the trailer is how we begin and end the show. It's wild, adrenaline-filled, and and absolutely magical.
And now you see what I've been sacrificing pie night for. :)

On Chuck Norris and Mr. Darcy...

I've officially created the most cosmic title ever, and I don't think this post will ever be able to live up to it.

Nope. Not a chance.

Anywho, to get on with it:

I love me some Chuck Norris.

And I'm an Austen freak/a teenage girl/a Romantic with a literary bent, so I think all you intelligent gentlefolk can gather what my sentiments are concerning that literary hero known as Mr. Darcy.

I was in the throes of some bizzare and strange mood, and I decided to type into the Google search engine: "Chuck Norris Vs. Mr. Darcy." Don't ask me what my impetus was. Some Sudden Fit of Madness had overcome my psyche and was pulling me down into the Vast Wasteland of Insanity, and all that sort of thing.

But, lo and behold, I struck gold.
(^Is that a Seussian sentence or what?)

I found an excessively diverting website full of "Mr. Darcy Facts"!!!


Be still my wildly beating heart.



But soft, what words through yonder computer screen break?



I never had known bliss until that sight.


A silent, girlish shriek of pleasure and delight sounded in my mind when I beheld these "Mr. Darcy Facts."
(You know...like Chuck Norris "Facts"?...see 'cause its Mr. Darcy-- instead of--it's all clever and...stuff)

Who was the genius who thought these up?

Who could possibly be cosmic enough to contain such monumental geniosity?

The answer to these questions was clear. It's the supreme answer to all questions:


Chuck Norris.

Oooohhhh yeaaaah.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and Mr. Darcy declared they were "tolerable."
(Oh no he di'n't! I can't decide if this is horribly blasphemous, or just plain amazing.)

Mr. Darcy was once accosted by a gang of ruffians. By the end of the tussle all involved had given him all they had, and gone out to get him more.

Mr Darcy made up the last digits of pi.

Mr. Darcy is the reason why Mona Lisa is smiling.
(PHF=100)(DCF=550)

Like Vin Diesel, Mr. Darcy killed a man with his teacup. Unlike Vin Diesel, Mr. Darcy had his pinky up.

These completely disarm me.

All I can do is laugh like a snurge and cry out: "More! More!"

P.S. This is a snurge.

Awesomest video ever

Watch it. Love it. That's all. (It's called Parisian Love)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU

Emma

"Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way."---Emma Woodhouse

Emma is airing on PBS. It's utterly magnificent. Here is a most thouroughly diverting quiz to pique your interest. :)

"Then let us walk about and quiz people. Come along with me, and I will show you the four greatest quizzers in the room; my two younger sisters and their partners. I have been laughing at them this half hour." Northanger Abbey, Chpt. VIII
'That is the case with us all, papa. One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.'" --Emma, Chapter IX

Craziest Day of My Life!

And that's saying something!

So, this morning I was doing my physics like the industrious student that I am,

*looks angelic*

when my mother came down and handed me the phone. It was the stage manager for Alice in Wonderland. She told me: "So...[the girl who plays the Caterpillar/Alice's Sister (who I'm understudying)] isn't feeling well today. They're going to try to get her better before tonight's show, but I just wanted to make sure you were prepared to go on." I was pretty much in a state of shock at that point, so I murmured my "Okays" "Mhhhmmms" and "Of courses" without thinking. As soon as I hung up, I recalled that this was the one night that I had a conflict with the show!!! I had to go to work!

*smacks head*

So, I called the SM back immediately, and told her I had to work(I'd told them about the conflict when I agreed to understudy, so that was all good). But, I promised I would contact work and see if there was any way possible to get my shift covered. I was pretty darn sure the answer would be no. They had told us at a meeting that we wouldn't be able to find subs for the Halloween event-they were short-staffed as it was.

Soooooo....yeah....

I finally got a hold of work, and instead of saying: "Sorry, NO." like I expected her to, my boss said: "Welllllll, I'll see what we can do..." We tried to work stuff out, but we couldn't find anyone who wasn't working that night who could cover for me. Eventually, I said: " You know what? It's okay. I'll just come on in to work as normal." So, I called the stage manager-she was completely understanding, but I could tell she was very, ridiculously, horribly stressed. I felt terrible, but I went off to work.

In the car, my cell phone rang-it was my work. They had decided to let me off, so I'd be able to do the show! So, I went in for the first hour and a half of my shift, then rushed off to do Alice. I've never heard anyone sound as relieved as that stage manager did when I called her to tell her the news!

So, then there was the small task of memorizing lines. Eep. The thing is, I only learned about a week ago that I was understudying this show. And the first and only time I've seen the show was on Tuesday. So, in the car, in between driving and practicing my lines, I was praying my head off. Today was one of those days that I totally felt that God had to be in control. Because I for sure wasn't.

Somehow, thanks to the wonderful, amazing cast, I made it through the show. I'm sure my guardian angel was having the time of his life helping me out! It was just crazy. There was this moment during the preshow when I was sitting on the stage reading a book, and I realized-this was it. This wasn't just pretend. I couldn't put the show on time-out, and run check my script really quick. This was the real deal, and I somehow had to get through the whole thing, no matter how badly I goofed things up. Thankfully, I didn't goof things up too horribly. It was crazy, wild and insane, but somehow God just guided me through it.

I think these are the days that I live for. This is why I love theatre-it's messy and imperfect and ridiculous, but somehow it all works out, and something beautiful is created. It's kind of like life-somehow God makes a work of art out of our confusing, lovely, and often crazy lives. We just have to trust Him and be not afraid.

If Music Be the Food of Love...

...then by all means, stop the music, burn the pianos, and shoot the composer.

We all have those moments.

When we just feel like breaking down...

When we just want to cry our hearts out...

When love (ha! Love. PUh-LEEZE.) is not helping. It's just. not. helping. It's just tearing your heart to shreds and making your eyes red with tears.

When those times hit, these are what I listen to:

NB: You may notice many of these songs are in the form of Pride and Prejudice fan videos. You will remember my previous comments about my *ahem* extensive researching...

S Club 7! British pop group...I love this song so dearly.


I first heard this when I was performing in PostSecret at Stages. I absolutely loved this song-it played at the dramatic climax of the play, and it fit so well. Ingrid Michaelson is an awesome singer/songwriter-I'm officially a fan.


This song makes me cry with joy. Some music has the power to reduce you to tears-and this is totally one of them!


I do dearly love Leona Lewis-these are my two favorites of her songs:



Hooray for North and South! I will admit that I love this more for the video than the music sometimes. XD

Ummm...what more can I say? This is the ultimate heartbreak song. Again, I listened to this a TON during PostSecret, since the director mentioned to me that this was one of the songs that reminded her of my character.

(P.S. I very, very much enjoy the Disney video that goes along with this song. :D)

Guilty Pleasures...

Let's admit it.

We all have out guilty pleasures.

What is a guilty pleasure? Merriam-Webster defines it
Main Entry: guilty pleasure
Function: noun
Date: 1907
: something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt.

No duh.

So, finding that entry unhelpful, I betook myself to that noble lexicon of modern slang:

Urban Dictionary.
This is how Urban Dictionary defines a "guilty pleasure":
1. Something that you shouldn't like, but like anyway.
2. Something that you love to do, but you just cannot admit that you do it.
Guy 1: "DUDE, you still watch Pokemon?"
Guy 2: "WHAT? NO! Ok, I do, its my guilty pleasure.
4. Keeping a secret collection of ABBA and Carpenters and listening to their albums when no one else is around.


So, yeah, I think we all get the general idea. (Here's when you're thinking-"Renee, get to the point already!!")
So, what's my guilty pleasure?

Avatar.
Avatar-The Last Airbender.

Laugh all you want. I see you all rolling your eyes. I can't help myself-I love my Avatar. I discovered this delightfully delightful television series at the beginning of the summer, when I began working at NU. Our first training sessions were "character research days" where we watched the shows of the Nick characters that the park owns.

Did I ever mention what a physically demanding and taxing job I have? Riiiiiiigggghhht.

One of my fellow trainees was flabbergasted when I mentioned that I'd never heard of Avatar before. Honestly, I've never seen someone so disturbed. So, we watched an episode of Avatar. I was seriously unimpressed. However, I fit the Aang costume, and I'd probably have to cohort Aang, so I figured I should probably be somewhat knowledgeable about the series. Thus, in the spirit of being a good, well-informed employee, I reserved the first few episodes from the library. While I watched them in the comfort of my living room, a quiet, sneaky little thought stirred within my mind- "I'm actually kind of enjoying these," it whispered. I laughed superciliously, and quickly quashed that queer qualm.

And then promptly reserved the rest of Season One.




(Or, rather, I should say "Book One." Avatar seasons are called 'books,' and the episodes are called 'chapters.' Random Avatar fact you probably didn't want to know...but now you do!)

Anyhow, over the summer, I've fallen more and more in love with Avatar. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry (no joke. I don't kid about these things! :)), and it's made me practice my earth-bending moves on my long-suffering and ever-patronizing younger brother.

The series main premise is such: it takes place in a fantasy world, where there are four nations, named after the four different elements: air, earth, water, and fire. Certain people can be trained to 'bend' the elements; bending is a martial art-not magic. Nickelodeon's adamant that it's not magic(I learned this by reading the big blue folder at work that is filled with all sorts of inside information about Nick shows-they call it the "Nick Bible.") Anyhow, the basic plot is that Aang (that strange, hyper, bald kid with the random blue arrow on his forehead) has to master all four elements, defeat the power-crazed fire lord, and save the world.

Oh, yeah.

He's twelve.

No sweat, right?

When I was twelve, all that was expected of me was that I make my bed, do my school, and not pick fights with my younger siblings.

Moral of the story is that Avatar=EPIC. (I know you hate that word, Cordelia, but it's the only one that does it justice! :)) I just finished the the series, and I was on the edge of my seat with excitement at the end. My brother rolled his eyes.

But he was watching intently.

Here's betting that he'll be ordering some Avatar episodes from the library soon.

Emma On BBC One

"Friendship is constant in all other things, save in the office and affairs of love."

~Claudio, William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

Here is the official promotional trailer for BBC One's new adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, which premiered last night in the United Kingdom.