So I love my birthday, not because of the gifts, but because it means my friends (from all the different parts of my life) get together and it is lots of fun. I have had some friends that have been in my life for a long time so we have lots of birthday memories together (LOVE!). This year has been no different very memorable...
niece, sister, nephew and I
First lets go back to last Friday when I flew to my mom's house in the desert of California. We have had a very long winter here in Boston so it was nice to pull out my summer clothes and feel the very warm sun on my skin. Though it was mother's day my mom treated me to mother daughter pedicures and the woman giving me a pedicure asked "you're so pale where are you from?" "Boston," I said though being of Irish and English descent I will never be dark. My mom basically spoiled me for the week treating me to good dinners out and one of my favorite meals (Stuffed green peppers). She bought me some new cute shoes and a relaxing week (a massage, a few strawberry margaritas, and other treats). While the treats were good it was great to spend the week with my sister, niece and nephew. Also my Grandma made me dinner at her house and bought me my favorite cake (German Chocolate). So thanks mom and step-dad for the awesome treat of that week...
Awesome auntie time
with step-dad
Then when I got back to Boston I had a great dinner with some of my good girl friends where I got a some
bookish things and a Starbucks gift card. Then today I received a one year subscription to Netflix. Books, coffee and movies... my friends know me so well. Okay, I know I started out this post saying I don't care about the gifts and I really don't...a co-worker asked me "what I wanted?" and I couldn't think of anything. I feel so blessed that I can't think of anything I want. It is not about the gifts it is about having friends and family that I know that will love and support me.
However, I don't want anything materialistically my friend asked me at dinner "What is one thing I want to do this year?" And my answer is to finish my thesis and FINALLY graduate grad-school. I can't imagine my life not being a student but I sure would like to.
Here are some memorable birthdays since moving to Boston...
From top left down:
21st birthday dinner with friends and Dad, then getting baptized the next day... great to have dad for both occasions
Going to my first Red Sox game and it being Lester's no hitter
Graduating college a few days before my 23rd birthday.
It wasn't really for my birthday but my bible study went to Rochester, NY for the Lilac festival and it was around my birthday time so I remember it as my 24th birthday
Doing Karaoke for my 25th birthday
Birthday party to help me raise support to go to Honduras
Last year going to Newport with my mom and seeing the beautiful mansions.
Now that school is over I got some time to watch movies, and do a little catch up on normal life. My budget isn't very big so most of my movie watching comes from checking out DVDs from the library, even if I have to be a long waiting list... patience is a virtue right?
The first film I saw was Austenland, it came out late August, but I couldn't find it in theaters near me. I thought I was going to like it, a friend even mentioned that it was a movie made about me. It is about a girl, Jane, who is OBSESSED with Jane Austen. She spends all her savings to go to an Austen style retreat in order to act out a Jane Austen novel. But discovers she doesn't want this fake style of love but instead she wants real love. However she will discover which man truly has her heart's interest.
What I liked- The premise of the story is great and personally I would love to go off to an Austen style resort. I also really like JJ Fields, who has played Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey, and he plays the snooty resident Mr. Darcy well. And though he is the resident Mr. Darcy, you can tell he has a bit of a soft spot...in the end he turns out to be a history professor.
What I didn't like- the sexual innuendos, if this was a real Jane Austen experience it wouldn't happen because they didn't happen in Austen's time. Also in one scene Jane, Keri Russell, is talking about how couples didn't even touch before they were married and then in the next scene is making out with a guy. I thought that was a little hypocritical, since she wanted the Austen experience.
Overall- Glad I watched it once since I was intrigued by this movie, but I don't feel the need to watch it again. My heart will always will remain with Jane Austen, but I don't like when people try to remake her work. Also if I want to watch JJ Fields as a Austen hero I will watch him in Northanger Abbey.
Here is JJ Field in Northanger Abbey
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The other film I watched was Pitch Perfect, and I really liked it. When it came out and when all my friends were talking about it, I was hesitant to see it, I don't know why... I love acapella music.
Its a story about Beca, Anna Kendrick, reluctantly going to college when her real dream is to move to LA and become a professional DJ. Through an agreement with her dad she joins the Barden Bellas and actually ends up liking it. Through out the film the club is controlled by a tight fisted girl, who is so focused on winning that she can't actually get past her own view point. However, at the end the girls work together to make a good acapella performance. It is PG-13 so there are some sexual references but nothing I thought over the top.
What I liked- There is a love story, though I wouldn't say it takes center stage to the plot. Jesse, Skylar Astin, is cute and he pursues Beca even when she is kind of mean to him---but he still stands up for himself when needed. There is singing, which is awesome because life should be more musical. They reference The Breakfast Club, which works in the plot. And the girls work out their difficulties (with no cat fighting) and learn to appreciate their differences.
Clip: "Just the way you are"
What I didn't like- The head girl, Aubrey, has two incidents where she vomits and they just make really over the top, unnecessary and gross. Also in the movie Jesse is really focused on the endings and without giving any spoilers away I thought the ending fell flat (after such a good performance).
The Bella's final performance
Over all- Cute movie, I can see it going on my list of movies to watch when I feel blue, because musicals always cheer me up and it is nice to have modern day musicals.
Classes are over, and I know I have to work on my thesis, but I'd rather be working on my story, but I believe writing as always kept me sane so I feel like that justifies me spending some time getting in some fun writing.
As I wrote on my last post I find inspiration for my story on Pinterest. Over the last couple of months when I have not been wanting to work on my thesis I have been working on re-writing my story of Mattie Harrington. I have shared the first paragraphs of this story in my "Beginning Again". However, right now I am jumping ahead...
One of the changes I have made in this story is changing it from a first person perspective story to a third person perspective. Through this I have been adding little details and also remembering details. One detail of my story is that Southerton does not keep horses so whenever Mattie wants to go riding she has to go to Cranston Court, which allows for lots interactions with Kelby. However, when I was originally writing this story I had written that Mattie had snuck out of the house early and went for a ride and in that she has an accident. I realize how can she get in a horse accident when she doesn't own a horse. If she went to Cranston to borrow a horse, Kelby would have gone out riding with her and this would prevent the accident... so I was stuck. What to do?
Then a few days ago I found this picture on pinterest and it was like a light bulb came on... she can easily crash a bike. Now I have to figure out the details of how to get the bike into the story. (I think Daphne will bring it back from London). I also have to figure out why Mattie goes for a bike ride, usually when she wants to clear her head she goes for a walk, why would she chose a bike that day?
Here is a few lines I have written for Kelby and Mattie in 1921, I will have to see how to fit into my story...
"Do you remember the day you got this," he stroked the side of her forehead feeling the scar beneath his thumb
"Yes I fell from that blasted bicycle."
"I knew then. As soon as I saw you fell, and thought you could have ded. I knew then, I ran to you faster than I had ever ran. I came to you and I called out, 'Mattie, Mattie, sweetheart'. It was foolish but then again it wasn't. You are my sweetheart and I felt from that day on I could not do without you."
He kissed her scar and she wanted to melt in his arms. "I guess I owe that blasted bike to letting me know of my affections," he whispered. Mattie giggled at joy in this moment.
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Sometimes these moments of inspiration are like a puzzle that you have to put together.
To follow the progress of my story just follow the label "Grand Days" (that is my working title of my story)
{pic}
Yes it is Joey and Pacey from Dawson's Creek but I thought it was good for Mattie and Kelby.
Sorry link no longer works but this pic was too good to pass up on.
