Happy Friday! This Friday Faves edition is all about movies. It's funny; I love movies but will go for some time without seeing any (schedule!) and then I end up seeing several in a short time. This past week has been like that.
Fiddler on the Roof I saw this movie first as a child with my family. I was young and mostly remembered the daughters' love stories and all the music. After reading the play for a book review last month (link here), I really wanted to see the movie again. I'm so glad I rented it! Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of Tevye, who drives a milk truck in Russia in the early 1900's, his wife Golde, and their 5 daughters. The 3 oldest girls are interested in love and marriage, and the story is about their lives, but also about the changes in tradition within the family. This 1971 movie was directed by Norman Jewison and stars Topol as Tevye. It is a beautiful, sprawling musical epic. I found the gravity of the story moving as an adult, although I still loved the light moments, and of course, the music. It is 3 hours long - a time commitment, but well worth it.
Into the Woods I've wanted to see Into the Woods since I first heard it was being filmed. I saw, and loved, the play a few years ago and only imagined how it would translate to the big screen. The movie adaptation far exceeded my expectations. Into the Woods is an imaginative retelling of several fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, interweaving plots: Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. It is beautiful, with fanciful set design and costumes. The Stephen Sondheim music was amazing. Standout performances included Meryl Streep (the Witch), Emily Blunt (the Baker's Wife), and Lilla Crawford (Little Red Riding Hood). It is a family friendly movie, produced by Disney, and I recommend it very highly.
Big Eyes I love Tim Burton's movies, and am fascinated by Mid-Century pop culture, so this movie intrigued me. Big Eyes tells the story of Margaret Keane (Amy Adams). She was a single mother in 1956 California, working as a struggling artist, when she met Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz). Walter Keane was all bluster and schmooze, and he claimed to also be an artist. Walter ended up taking credit for Margaret's work, and marketing her iconic "big eye" paintings of children and animals as his own. The film has a spectacular 1950's setting, including a glimpse of the jazz club where Cal Tjader played, galleries, the New York World's Fair, and the breathtaking Mid-Century home where the Keanes lived. Tim Burton had a less stylized look than usual for this film, letting the MCM design and setting stand on its own. I think this was a good choice. I found Margaret a compelling and ultimately inspiring character and have enthusiastically recommended this film to friends.
Netflix I won a year's subscription to Netflix. Hooray! I've wanted to try their streaming service for a while now, and am so excited to finally check it out. Although I may end up watching more classic tv shows than movies via Netflix, I had to add it to my Friday Faves list this week as well. (I'm sure some movies will sneak into my play list there!) Have you seen any of these movies? I would love to read your thoughts in the comments section? Are you a Netflix fan? Any recommendations there?
This is my first Throwback Thursday post here. I love retro nostalgia, especially 1960's - 1970's, and am excited about adding a blogging day dedicated to memories from the 1960's, 1970's, and probably 1980's, too.
Do you remember Fizzies? This was a candy tablet that you dropped into a glazz of water. It fizzed and made a carbonated drink. I never was a huge fan of soda, but for some reason I loved Fizzies as a kid.
Fizzies were first created in 1956 by the Emerson Drug Company, the inventors of Bromo-Seltzer. In the 1960's, they were sweetened with Cyclamates. Cyclamates were banned by the FDA in 1968 and they were no longer produced, although they were still on store shelves until the 1970's. I remember Fizzies as a little girl in the late 1960's. I recall liking orange and grape.
I had no idea that Fizzies were still around, but they are still made: Fizzies site. Who knew?! I enjoyed visiting the site and remembering this childhood treat.
I love goals. I love making new goals at the beginning of each year and creating an action plan. I prefer goals to resolutions. Resolutions, to me, are lofty aspirations. Goals are more pragmatic, with a specific action plan. I've found a few tips that help me achieve goals: 1. Make a small number of goals at one time, and if they are connected in some way, that seems to help. 2. Break goals down into specific steps. 3. Plan the week ahead on Sunday night, and always look at goals to make sure they have a place on the upcoming week's schedule. I especially have loved daily goals. Last year I read the Bible in a year with the Youversion app. This app (for computer, phone, or tablet) breaks the reading down into daily segments. In 2010 I set the goal to write a poem each day. I was just coming off a period of writer's block and thought this would shake some cobwebs loose. I loved writing a daily poem so much that I have kept it up. Some of the poems are ones that I would send out, while many others are little exercises in mindful living. But I love the process of writing them, and the way I look at the world differently when I write poetry.
This year I have four goals:
1. Get all my eBay work done on Mondays (writing and scheduling listings, creating new collections, and scheduling tweets). Spend the rest of the week getting my vintage items up at: Bonanza, eCrater, Etsy, Amazon, Alibris, Biblio. I love my eBay store, but sales have slowed there for me the past couple of years. I really feel this is something I need to prioritize now.
2. Spend a few minutes each morning doing work related social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and possibly Instagram, Stumbleupon, and Google+ as well.
3. Blog regularly! Make blogging a bigger part of my life.
4. Go back to work on my not-quite-ready-to-discuss-it-yet writing project, and also start sending writing out again. When I was in college and grad school I published regularly in literary journals. I've fallen out of the habit of doing this, and I find I miss it.
So there you have it - my 2015 goals. I'll touch base during the year and talk about some of these goals more here.
What are YOUR goals for the upcoming year? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section, below.
Happy Monday! I'm back in Music Monday mode here. I've missed talking music with you. Today's song is "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. This song, written by Prince, was a hit in 1986. I always thought the lyrics were perfect for the day: "It's just another manic Monday I wish it was Sunday 'Cause that's my funday An I-don't-have-to-run day It's just another manic Monday."
I was in college when this song was popular, and I remember dancing to this song at clubs and parties. Where were you in 1986? And what is your memory of this song?
