I've just been informed that Patrick Swayze has lost his battle with cancer. I say battle, but really cancer is a bigger adversary than most of us can take on.

Much like with Michael Jackson, when I was a young kid, too young to like someone so much older, I had a huge crush on Patrick Swayze. No, not from Dirty Dancing or even Ghost, but I started liking him after I saw North and South. I remember pasting my head over his wife's in pictures and telling kids at school he was my boyfriend. That's how young I was, so young I didn't even realize how stupid that was.

He just always struck me as a genuinely good person. He was one of only a handful of gentleman left in Hollywood. He will be missed.

When looking for party ideas, I came across a lot of cool HP things that I didn't have time for or weren't right for what I was doing.

For one thing, it's important to know the house colors. MuggleNet explains why the colors are what they are. They pretty much have anything else you'd want to know as well. Their media section is definitely worth checking out for downloads and recipes.

There are just a ton of cool HP crafts at The Leaky Cauldron and I do mean TONS!!! Everything from how to make Death Eater's Masks to Cornish Pixie dolls. I especially wish I'd had more time to look over these for my party. I think you have to register to see them though.

Wizard Store has some cool stuff but my favorite idea is a monster book.

Potter Parties has a bunch of ideas, but not enough pictures for my liking. With just a little more work, this site could be great.

For potion/ingredient lists, I liked HP Encyclopedia the best. They have a big header section, but scroll down for the info.

For food ideas, try Harry Potter Lexicon. It doesn't have recipes, but it has all the info you need to plan complete HP meals, with snacks and drinks.

Scholastic has some good downloadable posters and bookmarks, etc.

Here's a pretty good tutorial on how to make a golden snitch. I was going to use gold x-mas bells as an easy alternative, but decided against it. I also thought of hanging a old key for use in scrapbooks with wings.

At Harry Potter Wall Art, there are a lot of clear images of all things Harry Potter.

Beads and Beading has some tutorials on making HP Polymer Clay charms along with Luna Lovegood's Radish Earrings.

For us bloggers, Icon Archive has some HP icons that are worth checking out.

If you were planning for a younger kids party or even just for fun, here are some links for printables:

HP Teacher's Edition -has printables sorted by movie

House Badges and whole party plans at Amazing Moms

Now, if I'd had more time, I would have loved to have followed Photo JoJo's tutorial on how to make moving pictures like in HP. That, and I even looked up how to make holograms to possibly hang on the walls. I still might do this because that's just awesome.

I'm sure my fellow obsessed Harry Potter fans have already seen the movie, so they know. For those who aren't so enthused that they could actually stand to wait to see it, I'll say this, hopefully you didn't make the mistake I did of re-reading the book right before you go.

While I'm sure I'll appreciate it more the next time I see it, the first time around was tainted by the humongous holes in the storyline. Now, I realize these are long stories and need to be edited for the big screen; but, at the very least, an extra 30 minutes could have been added to the movie to make it 3 hours, not unlike similar movies of such grand nature. Secondly, a scene that was added could have been cut to include scenes that actually existed in the book, scenes that were much more important than the scene that was added for absolutely no reason.

I had originally thought the added scene was done in order to add more action to a story that didn't include a lot of fight scenes. This theory, however, was blown to pieces when I realized that the one big action scene the book did have was cut. Why? Can someone explain this to me because I can't understand their reasoning?

This, on top of cutting so many of the memories that Dumbledore shared with Harry, leaves me wondering how J.K. could have approved this. It seems to me that these were very important things to include, especially for people who haven't read the books and don't know what's going on.

Not just for the sake of those who hadn't read the books, but for those who had, so many of the things that would have made for a more interesting storyline should have been added. For instance, I think that one of the most important parts of this book was getting to know more about Tom Riddle's back story. That, and I think that the end fight scene, along with the reactions to what has happened, at the end, were some of the things I was looking most forward to.

On top of cutting things and adding others, they changed things for no reason. Luna played a bigger part than she was supposed to. Not that I don't like Luna, but I didn't understand why she was in scenes she had no place being in.

Oh well, you can't please everyone. I don't think I was the only one who felt this way though because usually people always clap at the end of Harry Potter. This time, there was only like 2 people. I'm pretty sure those are the 2 who haven't read the books and didn't know to be upset. Mind you, this all being said, I do plan on seeing it again while it's in theaters. I think I always feel this way after I first see it. I'm still a huge fan!

Here are some photos from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, to be released in 2010:







The cast will also feature Alan Rickman (Snape from Harry Potter) as the The Caterpillar, Christopher Lee as Jabberwock, Stephen Fry as Cheshire Cat and Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts.

My husband and I went and saw Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. For anyone who doesn't know, it's about infamous bank robber, John Dillinger, back in the 30's.

While it follows both Dillinger and the agent trying to stop him, Melvin Purvis (Bale), it is mostly told from the "bad guys" point of view. Thus, we get to know Dillinger and begin to root for him. Of course, this being a true story, you know it doesn't end well. However, you can't help hating the people who take him down.

It took place during the depression, when regular people cared little about businesses getting ripped off. In fact, the public routed for Dillinger much like the viewers do.

J. Edgar Hoover was in charge of the FBI at this point and when Dillinger became the Public Enemy #1, fleeing from state to state, national laws were put into place where none had been before. So, in a way, it changed the way crime was done and how it was punished.

I thought the movie had an interesting cast, with all kinds of familiar faces popping out of the woodwork. Johnny did great, of course. This wasn't his typically, off the wall movie, but it was solid.

Personally, I love watching movies about this time. Tommy guns and gangsters, that's good stuff. If you agree, then I highly suggest checking out PBS's site on the facts about John Dillinger's life.

My husband, a super-huge Transformers fan, and I went and saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen last week. Without wanting to offend too many people, I will say, I cannot stand Michael Bay. I think he's a sell-out who doesn't care about the Transformers fans.

Yes, the movie looked good with lots of good effects; but the story, like the last, had gaping holes in it for me. Mind you, I am a girl and wasn't big into Transformers as a kid, but holes are holes. I don't even need to know the history to know things didn't make sense. Thus, I can completely understand why my husband and other real fans would have been disappointed.

small SPOILER ALERT: The girl "robot" looked like something from Terminator not Transformers. She had flesh, how does that transform?

The twin robots were offensive in many ways. I know if I were black, I would have been offended at the stereotypical garbage that was spewing from their mouths. As a parent, who would have brought my son if he'd been older, I am offended by the fact that they were using unnecessarily vulgar language.

Okay, now here's some of my personal beef:

I CANNOT STAND action movies that try to be love stories (aka Speed). If my life is in danger and I've just been through hell, I'm not making caddy jokes at the end about love or anything else for that matter. If I'm there with my parents and a girl who I can't even tell I love you, guess who I care about at the end? My parents. I mean it's pretty obvious by the fact that he wouldn't let his dad come because he didn't want him to get hurt but he tells her, yeah come on.

I also don't like set-ups, like the one with John Turturro making a big deal about going to the pyramid for no reason other than to set up for the line about robot scrotum.

On a POSITIVE NOTE:

There were funny moments. The "I'm not talking to you for 10 seconds" thing was good. I wish the guy tagging along would have been more comical. As it was, there wasn't a lot of reason for him to be there.

I guess the biggest pro for me is Bumblebee, though my husband didn't like that he's treated like a pet. Optimus Prime's pretty B.A. too.

If you're one of the few who haven't seen it already, here's the Twilight New Moon Trailer. Now, here's what I have to say about it: I liked Jacob better than Edward in the books, but was skeptical that the actor, Taylor Lautner, would be able to pull off such a sexy character. That is until I saw the trailer. Just see the pic below and know that my doubts are gone.


Now, that being said, I am super surprised that they show Jacob turn to a wolf in the trailer. In the book, this was something that was supposed to be a surprise. Glad I read the book first because I liked not knowing what was going to happen.

So, the movie finally came out on DVD yesterday. I was quite excited for it, even though I did end up seeing it in the theaters and was left with mixed feelings about it.

I don't know what I'd expected after reading the books. I mean the movie is pretty spot on. I think I just forgot how young the characters were supposed to be. I say "forgot", but I really mean "purposely pushed out of my mind". To my defense, I almost have to push their ages out of my mind, or I'm left feeling perverse and/or ridiculous for reading it.

If you haven't read the series then you may not understand because it isn't until the second book that things get really good. Read my reviews below to see what I mean.

You can read my review of the first book here.

Whereas the first book is all about establishing this unbreakable bond between Bella and Edward, in New Moon, the romance becomes more complicated.

A new romance begins between Bella and Jacob (you may have seen stuff with "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob". Well that's what that's about). Anyway, in the beginning, you can't believe the story is going in that direction. Again, the first book makes it seem impossible that anyone could come between the two. Half way through though, you are so glad. Jacob is everything Edward isn't. Then, by the end, a true love triangle has been created. Stephenie Meyer writes it so that you, yourself, are confused about what Bella should or will do.

Eclipse is a true continuation of the last book. In it, the love triangle really heats up. The fact that Edward is a vampire and Jacob...well, that he's different too really make for a more exciting twist than most romance books.

Meyer gives you just enough to keep you reading and hoping. She really is a good writer in that way. All the books were so hard to put down. All except the last.

Breaking Dawn was my least favorite. I didn't like how everything was wrapped up in a nice neat bow.

There was a shocking moment in the book, but it wasn't the ending I would have liked.

I actually got to see a movie in the theaters before everyone else in the world already had! It's a rarity lately so I have to mention it.

Although this was my husband's pick, I didn't fight him on it because it did look interesting. That and he assured me, after reading the "graphic novel", that I would like the psychological factor of it. He was right.

The movie was definitely more than a typical "superhero" story especially since only one character actually has powers. Nothing against typical superhero films, I usually like them too; but this is more than that. First of all, it's rated R and deservedly so. There's nudity, but there's also extreme violence, with some very disturbing subjects. It is not meant for children, to say the least. I mean I don't dislike violence and even I had to turn away from some scenes.

That being said, I really did like the movie. I liked the direction and although I've heard the creator wasn't happy with it, from what I saw of the book, it seemed to follow very closely. The one big difference, from what my husband tells me, is the ending. However, from what he told me of the original ending, I'm glad they changed it. I actually liked the movie's ending. It all came together quite nicely. Not in a tie it up with a pretty bow way, but in a way that you really couldn't argue with.

Now, I should say, I wasn't completely in love with the characters. I don't know how believable the idea of a meek, bird-loving crime fighter is (Nite-Owl). As far as the girl (The Silk Spectre), forget fighting in high heels, there's no way you're fighting like that with that hair. Believe me, I know, I could have played her myself. That's me below, looking pretty B.A. in my senior picture. Hey, don't underestimate a girl with a nose ring and wicked smile.



True, I wasn't exactly fighting crime with my long hair, but I didn't have to for me to know that would be a hindrance. I did like The Comedian character, or at least the actor (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Too bad he had to be a d*ck.

All in all though, I'd highly recommend this movie to adults. Again, please don't think that this movie is fit for kids just because it looks like an innocent superhero film. It's not!

Though I saw this movie when it first came out on video, I wasn't sure if I was going to post on it or not. The main reason being that I was embarrassed that I even watched it.

I have previously posted, on my blog, On My Lists, about my utter distaste for everything Woody Allen. Woody Allen being the director, there was an obvious moral dilemma.

That being said, I just had to see this movie because, as much as I can't stand Woody Allen, I love Javier Bardem. That man, wow! The decision was easier than it should have been, let's just say that.

This was really the first time I'd been able to see Bardem as a normal man, not made up to look older, or with a very heavy accent as he has in his foreign films. I liked his character alot, in fact. If I'm honest, I think I secretly hope this is how he is in real life.

But I digress. Getting back to the movie, it was surprisingly good. Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson were both good. I was surprised to see that Penélope was not one of the two main women, but the part she did play was more fitting for her. She actually played the crazy, passionate ex. She inserts herself between Bardem and Johansson (Cristina), while Vicky pines for her best friend's man. Three women all desiring Bardem's affection, not a stretch I'm sure.

As always, with Allen's films, there's an examination of the dynamics of relationships between the characters. I don't know that there's ever conclusions made by him so much as he just allows us to make our own with what feels like open-ended, pointless story lines. I don't know maybe he's genius, but I just think he's lazy. I mean there should be a point to a story or why tell it? So, as far as the storyline goes, I wasn't overly impressed; but I did enjoy the cast and that was enough in this instance.

Put your kids face on the cover of Parenting Magazine. Step by step guide here.
















Note that you can do this on your own with photo software. I mention it because with Valentine's Day coming up, there are tons of things you could do with this.

To the right is an example of one I did for X-mas 2007.

Now, for the more thrifty giver, with less time on your hands, here are some tips on saving money on tickets to concerts, movies, etc.

Here are the new Redbox codes for FREE movies:

K6W3G4 (Monday Jan. 19th 2009 ONLY, ends at midnight)


MCDWNTR (McDonald's ONLY)


Redbox gives out these codes every Monday when you sign up at Insideredbox.com. You can look at what other codes are working for Redbox here.

Check out the new movie releases here.

-OR-

If you go to redbox.com you can views all their movies

-AND-

You can even reserve movies at the location next to you. So you don't have to feel rushed to make decisions with a line of people at your back. It's nice!

Wow! I don't know how many ways you can say awesome but it wouldn't be enough to describe this movie. I, honestly, do not believe anyone walked out of that theater disappointed with any part of this movie. The story was good, the action was good, the directing was good, the acting was amazing.

Heath Ledger, God rest his soul, deserves an Oscar for his performance as one of the most disturbing Jokers; and one of the most disturbing villains ever, for that matter, in any movie, comic related or not.

This, unlike most Batman movies, really revolves around the Joker more than Batman himself. It's not about the fancy gadgets or the well choreographed fight scenes. It really is about the insanity that is the Joker.

I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't know about Heath Ledger playing the part when I first heard it; and then, when he passed, I didn't know if I even wanted to see it because I thought it would be to bitter sweet. I am just so glad that I went, I saw and I was amazed. Just like with his performance in Brokeback, Heath proved that he is/was more than a pretty face.

I'm not sure what they're going to do with the 3rd movie, whether they'll bring in a new actor, or write the Joker out altogether. I just can't imagine anyone else playing it as well.


I don't love the Hellboy movies, but I think the first was better than the second. I liked the bad guy in the first better. They changed things in the second movie, for what reasons I don't know. Voices were different, the look was different. There were some cheesy scenes with Hellboy as a child.

I'm guessing that if you liked the first, you'll probably like this one too. I just thought it was okay. Nothing great.

So, I watched Across the Universe with it's interesting take on the 60's. I thought it was very well done. The director, casting, the actors, all did a great job. It was very Moulin Rouge-like in that it was a bazaar take on a musical.

However, the whole time I'm watching it, just like when I watch old movies, I'm wishing I'd been alive in the 50's. Having been born in the late 70's, I know most people my age would have wanted to experience the 60's with the whole sex, drugs and rock-n-roll thing, but not me.

I long for a simple time when family values meant something. A time when divorce rates weren't 50% and kids weren't killing kids. A time when people like Paris Hilton would be embarrassed of her behavior, not put up on a pedestal for young kids to look up to.

I want to know what it's like to live in a world where you can leave your door unlocked and pick up hitchhikers without worrying that they're going to kill you. I want to live in a time when men were men and women were women. I know that may sound strange because women fought so hard for equality, but did we win, really?

Sure, now women can work but it's not a choice so much as a requirement. Most households need two incomes to survive, leaving kids to be raised by babysitters in a world where you can't trust anyone. If you want to work, that's great; but think of all the women who'd like to be able to stay home with their kids and can't. It's sad.

I'm lucky because I do get to stay home, but I had to tailor my life to make that happen. I started working from home straight out of college so that when the time came that I did have children, I would have a stable enough position that I could stay home and still bring in an income.

As it is right now, I'm able to take a break from working so that I can focus more on my baby. In the meantime, my husband and I pinch our pennies, never living beyond our means and we're okay with that. Our priority has always been family over material things.

The 80's were all about material things with yuppies and Wall Street. Personally, I loved being a teenager, living right outside Seattle during the 90's. Grunge made it cool to be poor in a sense. I didn't have the pressures of having to buy name brand clothes and $200 shoes.

Now, well now Bush is in office and this decades been a disaster. All I can do is hope for something better to come in the future. Still, I'll hold onto my dreams of living in the 50's.

I don't know what to think of this movie. It comes off as a comedy in the previews, but it takes a strange and unexpected turn. I say unexpected, but the truth is I don't know what I did think would happen in the movie. I guess I just thought maybe I'd get some laughs out of it. The previews show the funniest parts though so don't go if that's what you're wanting. Again, I don't know what to tell you is a good reason for seeing it. It's not that it's bad, just different.


I'm a huge Mike Myers fan and so I had high hopes but I was left very disappointed. First of all, I'm sick of Verne Troyer. Second, I could have done without Jessica Alba as well. That aside, I thought the jokes were unnecessarily dirty and redundant.

It's too bad because I think the character is a good one and I know Mike Myers can do much better. It won't stop me from seeing his films to come but let's just hope this was a fluke.

My husband and I went out to see a couple movies over the weekend, one of which I was very excited about, The Happening and one that was more for my husband, Iron Man.

I purposely hadn't listened to any reviews of M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening because I knew I'd see it no matter what. M. Night Shyamalan has gotten some harsh criticism in the past for movies like Lady in the Water, but I've always loved his stuff. In fact, he's 3rd On My Lists for best director. This movie, however, is the exception.

While there were many reasons why the movie sucked, I'd have to say the main reason I didn't care for it was the acting. Zooey Deschanel had already proven herself to be a horrible actress in the tv mini series, Tin Man; but I usually like Mark Wahlberg. This was the first time I noticed what an incredibly bad actor he is. The movie did have John Leguizamo, who I like, but he was only in it for a very short period.

After he was gone, we were left with some ridiculous excuse for a love story between these two horrible actors, given a horrible script and I started to wonder if M. Night did this on purpose. Surely, if one of his movies sucked, it's because he planned it that way. Maybe it's supposed to seem absurd, resembling some older absurd movies that he was fond of. I mean it's possible, right? I don't know, I just know that it was bad people, bad! I am so disappointed. Speaking as a M. Night Shyamalan fan, don't waste your money.


Iron Man, on the other hand, saved the day. This movie rocked! Robert Downey Jr. was made to play this part. I can't imagine anyone else doing it as well.

As far as the storyline, I didn't know much about Iron Man other than what my husband told me, so I just assumed it would be yet another superhero movie. To my surprise, it was pretty believable. Unlike a man getting bit by a spider or falling from another planet, a billionaire genius could build a suit that could fly and be used to defend our country. At least I thought so until I wrote it down. Now it just seems far fetched.

It really is good though. Contrary to how it may seem, I do tend to like the superhero movies, with the exception of The Hulk. Why they are making another one when they just made one five minutes ago that sucked royally, I have no idea. That aside, Iron Man was good just as an action movie, superhero aside, for those of you who don't like comic book movies.

It might surprise you to learn that I am a Battlestar Galactica fan. Typically, this would not be my cup of tea. I'm definitely not a huge sci-fi fan. I started watching it with my husband and, before I knew it, I got pulled in.

For those who don't watch, it's a show about cylon machines vs. humans in space, trying to find earth. That's a very short summary but it's the best I can do. Odds are if you don't watch it, you probably don't care anyway, but I'm telling you, you missed out. It really is jammed packed, edge of your seat, what are they going to do next entertainment.

Edward James Olmos (not my favorite) and Lucy Lawless are probably the best known stars, but the whole cast is good. English born actor, Jamie Bamber plays American Apollo. This is something I don't understand. If you need someone with an American accent, why not hire an American? Yes, I'm referring to you too, "House".

To me, this is no different than when white men played Native Americans in movies or having John Leguizamo play a little person in Moulin Rouge. If I was a little person actor I would have been peeved about that myself. But I digress. Bamber plays a great Apollo, but it's just a quandary to me is all.

Another surprise, to me, is that I watched Hot Fuzz the other day, again for my husband's sake. Again, I found that I liked it. This is after seeing Shaun of the Dead, by the same people, and not liking it. Thus, I was sure I wouldn't like this either but I was wrong.

It is supposed to be a action movie spoof/comedy. I don't know that I thought it was hilarious or anything but it was entertaining. I would cut back on the gore if I were them. It's unnecessary. The movie was good without it.

I have been watching a lot, and I mean a lot of movies lately and this one held my attention which is more than most of the other garbage I've subjected myself to.

SEMI SPOILER ALERT: I hesitated seeing Cloverfield for a couple of reasons. First, I was thinking it was going to be another Godzilla. Didn't like Godzilla and don't want to see another. This was more like War of the Worlds, though it was never said that the creatures in this movie were aliens. In fact, it didn't explain them at all. Suddenly they're there and then we're following these people through the city, trying to rescue some girl, while everyone else, in their right mind, is trying to leave.

My problem with this is that they tried to make it seem like some love story about this guy who's about to leave the country and so he hadn't even had a real relationship with this girl, didn't care about her enough to take her with him, but then risks his and his friends lives trying to find her. Meanwhile, their families could be dead for all they know, but hey, let's worry about this girl; who, when they get there find she is only hit in the shoulder. The shoulder people. Somehow she was well enough to get ahold of her cell phone and call the guy but can't get out of the building because of her shoulder. If you can't help yourself in that situation, you deserve to die. If I had gone through what they did to find her there like that, I might have killed her myself. Of course, I wouldn't have been so stupid as to go after her.

Secondly, the movie was done by the producers of Lost. I am so frustrated with this show it makes me wish I'd never started watching it. Not only do I not believe that the writers even know what's going on, but they keep taking these huge breaks in between episodes. Is this show not hard enough to follow already? Out of principle I want to stop watching but I can't because you only watch this show to figure out what will happen in the end. So if I stop watching before then, all these years would have been wasted. That and I do enjoy watching Desmond. Forget Sawyer, he's good-looking, but I love an accent myself.

Don't even get me started on Hurley and Kate. Hurley, lose some weight. I get there's food on the island but not that much. You would have lost some weight by now. Kate, you're not B.A. so stop tromping along with the guys, acting like you are. It's ridiculous.

I thought I'd feel better if I got that out of my system, but nope, still don't.

I know I am behind in my movie watching. Again, I stress how hard it is to watch a movie with a 6 month old baby. Previously, I would have been in the theaters first thing for this movie, No Country, Atonement, etc. However, as good as all of these movies looked, I am left very disappointed with all of them.

There Will Be Blood depicts a man, power-hungry and paranoid, who essentially loses it, pushing everyone in his life away. I felt the movie was long and slow. Editing could have done wonders here. On top of that the story was vague. It eluded to things, then left you wondering until it eluded to something else and you had to then piece it all together.

I felt the violence was unnecessary. Mind you they would have had to change the title; but at the end, I felt the whole thing was pointless.

Now for the positive, Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano (Eli) were both amazing in the parts they were given. Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing in everything he does. I respect him a great deal as an actor. It's worth seeing purely for his performance.