Wednesday, August 31

Childhood Wednesday Part X

(The picture is from e-vint.com, they have the cutest vintage pictures around. check them out!)



~Instead of posting Wildcard Wednesday posts I want to try a new series of postings. Don't worry Wildcard Wednesday won't be gone forever, but I want to try this. Lately I've been thinking a lot about my childhood. My childhood was far from perfect, but without what I experienced I would not be the person I am today. That's the same with all of us. Without our experiences as kids, we wouldn't be who we are today.
With this new posting series, I want to explore what highly influenced me as a kid. I sort of base this from 'Top Ten Tuesday' and the '30 Day Picture Challenge' from Facebook~

Today is the last Childhood Wednesday posting! Oh no! I'm a little upset about this, but all good things must come to an end...or so they say. Well, it's been a lot of fun posting posts about my childhood. It felt great to revisit my past and relive my youth. It's been a tough few weeks, because that's just how life is. If you're feeling a little down just remember your childhood and for some reason it'll help.

Well, this week I'll be sharing my top 5 list of female Disney characters that inspired me to be who I am. Disney was a huge part of my childhood and these 5 women shone a lot in my eyes. I wanted to be these women, secretly.:

5) Cinderella from 'Cinderella'. I loved Cinderella as a child, even though I find her a little weak now because she didn't stand up for herself and she waited to be rescued. BUT as a child I thought she was doing the right thing, because if he truly loved her like he said he would fight for her and find her, so she taught me what true love was. She also taught me to be kind and loving and it's okay to dream.




4) Pocahontas from 'Pocahontas'. Pocahontas taught me to love with my whole heart, love nature, love my Native blood, and look past physically appearances. She is one girl that every little girl should look to for inspiration. 




2) Mulan from 'Mulan'. As a child I only seen this movie a couple times, because my mom didn't like me watching movies with a 'war' theme or massive fighting. However, my mom did prefer me to look up to Mulan, because she stood up for herself and taught me the meaning of honor. Mulan should be who everyone looks up too. She installed in me to love myself and to do what is right, even if it may be wrong.



  
1) Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid'. She was number 1 in my heart since I seen the movie for the first time. I still catch myself humming her songs. She taught me follow my dreams and to never let go of those dreams even through the tough times. Also, she taught me that it's okay to think differently then others and be myself and not care what others think. I loved her so much my named my first pet (a rabbit) after her. All my childhood I wanted to be a mermaid, but alas, I'm still human. That's why Ariel is #1. 




This is a little sad, but all good things must come to an end. Just like the simple life: childhood. I hope you enjoyed my postings! Click here to visit last week's posting. Feel free to post this series if you're interested!


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<3CR

Tuesday, August 30

Apologies & News


I must first say....I am sorry. I have neglected to post anything for a handful of days and I lied about telling you my big news on Sunday. However, life got in the way. On Sunday I spent all day with Anee and baby Issac (we dyed her mama's hair too); I went home and crashed because I had work that night. On Monday I helped Sarah bring her car home from the car doctor and then I helped her move into her dorm (sad, I know) and got home at 9pm and watched Family Guy. Plus in between social time I was taking care of the news I had to share. Which brings us to the news..........ready?

I got a new car! ^.^ Yayy! He's a blue-purple 2007 Pontiac G5 4-door from Canada. GM in Canada is the only place that made a 4-door G5. He's so cute! I named him Pierre, because he's French. The insurance is a little insane because I'm 19 and he's technically a sports car even though he has 4 doors. Whatever....but he was only $9000 plus change. Pierre is my baby but without the crying and diapers part. Here's some pictures of Pierre:



My Tiger Smile Ball. =) So when I'm beeping my horn at you and passing you you'll get at least one smile.






Along with that news I wanted to let you all know that I received my movie Shinobi - Heart Under the Blade. So expect a Movie Review from that soon. Other than that I have no more news to report. Again, sorry for not posting certain posts. Well, in honor of Music Monday, I'll post a couple videos...


First, is a video about Lizzy and Mr. Darcy from 'Pride and Prejudice' featuring the song Apologize sung by OneRepublic. This was created by txaggie321









Next is 'How 300 Should Have Ended' by HISHEdotcom:






Have a great Tuesday everyone!




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<3CaroleRae









Saturday, August 27

Next Movie of the Week....

First of all...happy Saturday! I have exciting news to share (well, you may not think it's exciting, but I certainly do) and I'll share it, PLUS pictures, tomorrow.

Now, for the main event: the announcement of the next Movie of the Week. This is a little delayed, because I was waiting for the movie to actually come to my house. I didn't want to announce this because I could only get this movie through Amazon.com and what if something happened? Because if for some DUMB reason Amazon couldn't get it to me, I would be at a loss. None of the movie places in Imlay City or Lapeer have this movie and neither does any Library in the Eastern part of Michigan. You see why I wanted to wait before I announced it?

Anyways, the next movie of the week is......Shinobi - Heart Under the Blade!






I couldn't resist when I found out what this movie was about and knowing me I can't resist a good fighting/ninja movie. Pah-leeease. And it has romance AND it's set in Japan. C'mon, even I knew it was a hopeless cause when I heard about this movie from other movie reviewers.  Here is a trailer:




I can't wait! Look out for the future review of this movie!

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<3CaroleRae



Friday, August 26

Book Review: House Made of Dawn

Author: N. Scott Momaday
Title: House Made of Dawn
Genre: Historical Fiction, Cultural, War, Classics
Pages: 198
First Published: 1968
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)


 
"The magnificent Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of a proud stranger in his native land.

He was a young American Indian named Abel, and he lived in two worlds. One was that of his father, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, the ecstasy of the drug called peyote. The other was the world of the twentieth century, goading him into a compulsive cycle of sexual exploits, dissipation, and disgust. Home from a foreign war, he was a man being torn apart, a man descending into hell."

This is the first novel I've read by N. Scott Momaday and probably not the last. I've heard mixed reviews about this, so I was ecstatic to read it and form my own opinion.

When I first began to read I found myself in love with the scenery that Momaday showed. Well, I had already a deep love for the scenery since I went out to California last year. I felt very connected with the world he described and showed me, however that was the only thing I could connect to.

I felt very distant with the characters and the plot. I was confused a lot because the book wasn't in chronological order, which really bugs me. It's hard to follow a story where events are happening WAY out of order. I'm a fast reader, but I had to slow myself down so I could try to place the events in order. I don't know why Momaday wrote it that way, but I know he probably has a good reason (or so I hope). Also, the way he presented the characters seemed like they were far away. I had a hard time connecting with them. The only character that I truly understood was Angela, who was a little nuts.

Besides for the oddly placed events and the distant characters, I really liked this book. It has a good, deep meaning about self-discovery and finding your place in the world. Abel is not only a man who is lost in his world, but he's also a War Veteran who is tormented by the war. I felt so bad for him, but through him and his life Momaday shows that anyone can find their way to self-discovery and enlightenment.

It took me a while to read, but I'm glad I read it. There may be some major issues that  are hard to ignore (at least for me), but I found Momaday's writing style to be like magic. He wove such a wonderful story with beautiful scenery. It's a good book and I'm glad I own it, because I might re-read this in the future. I wish I could give this 5 stars, but I can't. I have to give this 4 stars; it would be 3.5 stars but I don't give decimals. 


Favorite Character(s): Milly and Abel
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Angela
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<3CR

Wednesday, August 24

Childhood Wednesday Part IX




~Instead of posting Wildcard Wednesday posts I want to try a new series of postings. Don't worry Wildcard Wednesday won't be gone forever, but I want to try this. Lately I've been thinking a lot about my childhood. My childhood was far from perfect, but without what I experienced I would not be the person I am today. That's the same with all of us. Without our experiences as kids, we wouldn't be who we are today.
With this new posting series, I want to explore what highly influenced me as a kid. I sort of base this from 'Top Ten Tuesday' and the '30 Day Picture Challenge' from Facebook~

Oh no! Childhood Wednesday is nearly over! It feels like I just started this 5 weeks ago, but we are on week 9. Sigh. I don't know about you, but I've enjoyed visiting my childhood memories and asking my mom a million questions about what I liked and didn't like. I think she was getting a little annoyed...oh well. For this week I'll be sharing my Top 10 favorite songs as a youngster. What songs were you addicted to as a kid? 

10. Family Portrait by P!nk (2001). It's a depressing song, but I loved it because I could relate to it. 




9. Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne (2002). This was the "it" song for a few months at school and I'll admit it, I really did like it too, but I pretended to hate it. Kids, eh?

 

8. Dirty Pop by N'Sync (2001). Fantastic song! I'll admit it, once in a while I'll pop this on. Ha, I'm so witty today. 

 

7. I Turn To You by Christina Aguilera (1999). It's been a really long time since I've heard this song and I still remember the lyrics! It's a beautiful song. 





6. Baby One More Time by Britney Spears (1999). I loved this song, but the video confused me. How come her teacher let her wear that? Wasn't it against the dress code? Ahhh, the innocence of children.

  




5. Get The Party Started by P!nk (2001). I still like this song and I blast from my car when it comes on the radio. 






4.  Reflections by Christina Aguilera (1998). Such a great meaning and a great song too. I still love this song. 


 
3. Oops, I Did It Again by Britney Spears (2000). Classic song. If you didn't like this song, there was something wrong with you. Haha. I use to play this over and over again and sing it all the time.


2. Bye, Bye, Bye by N'Sync (2000). Another classic song that I couldn't get enough of. I remember myself dancing around to this song in my room and singing along with it. Memories. 



1. As Long As You Love Me by Backstreet Boys (1997). How could you not like this song? Especially being a little kid getting a new crush every other day. Cute song.





~*~

Hope you enjoyed my list! Click HERE to view part 8 from last week. 


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<3CaroleRae

Tuesday, August 23

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Never Reviewed

~Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.~


This week's topic is: Books you have never reviewed. So this week I'll be listing books I've read in the past and never had a chance to review because I didn't have a blog TO post a review. (Many of this list can be found in the "Old Booklist" section.)

1)  Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund. It's a pretty good book! It's one of the best books about Marie Antoinette that I've ever read....so far. 

2) Bookends by Jane Green. I really loved this book! One of my old friends gave this to as a random gift (I love random gifts *wink wink*, just ignore me). It was such a cute story about a group of friends.

3) The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres. It was.....an interesting book! Haha, its just one of those books that, well, stays with you.

4) Lord of Ice by Gaelen Foley. Great book! I loved this book!

5) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I read this in my senior English class...I had/have STRONG feelings towards this book. Many of my opinions may not be PG worthy, so I guess I'm glad I didn't get a chance to write a review about this. I know it would have been a super long review too.

6) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This was a book I was a little reluctant about reading, but I surprised about how much I loved it!

7) New Orlean's Legacy by Alexandra Ripley. Another book I have STRONG feelings for and some of my thoughts are not PG worthy. Mmm. I was forced to read this in a book club I once belonged to.

8) Nobody Comes Back by Donn Pearce. This was another book I was little worried to read about, but it turned out to be a fantastic book! It's one of the few books I've read from a soldier of WWII point of view. It's pretty epic, if you ask me. It was like reading Inman's story, but during WWII not the Civil War.

9) Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. The title oddly has nothing to do with the plot. Well, its actually a name of an article the main character's ex wrote about her, which sets off the story. I don't like the title, because it gives off the wrong vibe. The book is about a woman who is trying to find a way to find love for herself and find her true love. Great book.

10) Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn. Another good book that I adored. I've actually read this multiple times. It's just a story you can't get out of your head.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my list! ^.^ It was hard to only pick 10, but I managed to do it! Maybe I'll re-read this and write a review for them. We shall see. What books do you wish you could have written a review for, but never did?

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<3CR



Monday, August 22

Music Monday & News

Happy Monday everyone! I have good news, I've finally got the motivation to create a Facebook page solely for the use of this blog! Woot woot! I'm still trying to get myself to make one for Twitter (I don't even have a personal account for that). You can find the link in the 'Places I Go' section. It's still a work in progress though. I've added some pictures from the blog to there; I'll try to add more but I lost a lot of pictures, so I'll have to go back and copy/save them again *sighs*. 

ANYWAYS, let's begin on the musicing.....is that a word?

~*~

This one is a new personal favorite of mine. Its by broadwayfanatic124 featuring the song 'In My Veins' sung by Andrew Belle. The video is about the movie 'The Duchess' (a personal favorite of mine).



Yet another cover song by Boyce Avenue! Here Without You by 3 Doors Down, is the song this time. Not only do I love Boyce Avenue, but this song has been playing in my while reading 'House Made of Dawn'. I don't know why though. Perhaps it symbolizes Abel's confusion over life, maybe or maybe not; I don't know. Enjoy.




This is my favorite song to boogie to (aka Dance like a fool)! It's Party Anthem by LMFAO:


Now here's the funny video of the week. This is 'Movie in Minutes - Final Destination' by Nigahiga...again! What can I say? He's a funny dude:




I hope you enjoyed today's selections and the news I gave to you! I hope the rest of your week is amazing. ^.^

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<3CR







Sunday, August 21

Sunday Ketchup



~'Sunday Ketchup' is a weekly meme created by me (Carole) which was inspired by The Muse in the Fog's 'Suddenly Sunday' postings. However, when I went to spell 'Catchup' I accidently spelled the wrong version of the word. I thought it sounded cute, so it stayed. Plus I adore ketchup, so it's extra okay. ^.^ If you want to join in the ketchup goodness, feel free just make sure to mention me.~

Past Week Posts:


What Came in the Mail/Store?:
Actually, the book I won came in! It came in on Monday! I was so excited I jumped around like a crazy person on crazy pills. The book is 'Queen By Right' by Anne Easter Smith. I can't wait to read it; I just put it on top of my Books-to-read list.



What's Going to be Posted this Week?:
Ummmm, I'm not sure. I might have a book review done sometime during the week. Other than that I'm not 100% sure and I don't want to promise anything.

Tim Horton News:
Sunday night is the last night of my 5 day vacation. I had a fun vacation, but it's time to go make money. Oh, here's a picture with me and a sassy smile cookie I made. Don't I look awesome in my uniform??



Anything New For the Blog?:
Well.............either this week or next week I'll be hosting a book Giveaway! *gasps* I'm really excited! I'll let you know as soon as a can.

Anything Else?:
During the week we gained a handful of new Followers! I just wanted to make a shout-out to them (you know who you are) and if I could hug you all I would. Other than that, that's it! Have a good week everyone!


Do you have any news about your blogs you want to share?

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<3CR

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes


Length: 128 mins
Released: 2009 (USA)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery
Rating: PG-13, intense scenes of violence and action, startling images and suggestive material
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Movie Gallery)





Sherlock Homles (2009) is a remake of the old adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his "side-kick" Watson. This version is a little darker then the old version. It has a more Gothic feeling to it and Watson and Holmes seem to be more partners in this version. They have equal (ish) screen time. The movie starts out with Holmes and Watson running the streets to find and save this young girl from being sacrificed at a Black Magic shindig. The movie follows Holmes and Watson trying to uncover a plot to destroy England and take over the world. Oh no! Can the witty dynamic duo save England from Black Magic?

This film is star-studded, which is one reason why I picked up this movie from the Movie Store. The always charming Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man, Zodiac, Richard III) plays the witty Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law (Cold Mountain, Enemy at the Gates, Repo Men) as the clever Dr. Watson, Rachael McAdams (The Notebook, Mean Girls) as the sneaky Irene Adler, Mark Strong (Tristan & Isolde, Oliver Twist) as the eeeeeviiiil Lord Blackwood, and Eddie Marsan (Hancock, V for Vendetta) as the cheeky Inspector Lestrade.

Like earlier stated this was a darker and more Gothic version of the lovable Sherlock Holmes. I was worried I wouldn't like this version, but I tried to keep an open mind. I kept myself from comparing and contrasting the two very different versions. In doing this I kept from being bias and I actually found myself liking this. I even like how Watson and Holmes had to stand up against "Black Magic" which *SPOILER* in it just turned out to be tricks and science, which I guessed to be the case. *SPOILER END*.

I also really liked how they made Watson and Holmes more equal. They are both smart and had about the same screen time. They didn't have Watson be just the "side-kick" who only had a couple smart moments. Holmes, however, was still a wee bit more clever in some aspects. They also were more friend-like then in the older versions, where Watson was just along for the ride. Along with this, I really liked the casting and the writing. The dialogue seemed a little off at the beginning, but once the story warmed up the dialogue warmed up too. This film was filled with wit and dry-humor. If dry-humor isn't your cup of tea avoid this movie.

There were a couple of things I didn't like. One, I pretty much guessed the ending and for me it was a little predictable. It is a talent of mine, so it isn't the movie's fault. Two, sometimes the story seemed to dry-up a lot and I found myself bored and I could have taken a nap. However, the story would pick back up.

All-in-all, it's nothing like the original Sherlock Holmes, but it's a good movie in it's own right. Before watching this, I do advice to watch this as if you've never watched the original, try not to compare and contrast. Out of five stars, I grant this one 4 stars. ^.^

Favorite Character(s): Watson and Holmes
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Irene Adler and Lord Blackwood


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~I completely forgot to type this up and post this Saturday. Sorry. I'm very forgetful sometimes.~

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<3CR