Best Movies of 2011

by LeeAnne on January 23, 2012

With the Oscar nominations scheduled to be announced tomorrow, it’s time for me to close the books on 2011 and name my favorite films.  I love watching movies—especially in the theater—and I caught 45 new flicks in 2011.  Whenever I see a new movie, I insert the title into a running ranked list.  Then, at the end of the year (actually, a month or so into the next year, as many new releases are scheduled over the holidays), I make adjustments based on how strongly the movie’s story still resonates.

I’m going out on a limb this year by choosing for the top spot a film that was mostly deemed average by critics.  Some bristled at the audacity of another 9/11 movie; others found the main character—a child with borderline Asperger’s—annoying.  I have no idea what these people are talking about. There should be no limit on artistic response to tragedy.  This is one of the most powerful purposes of art.  Through the voices (and brushstrokes and chords) of artists, we heal, we honor, we expand our understanding.  Artists make us feel in a way no textbook or news report ever can.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was profoundly moving—a meditation on pain and healing that uses 9/11 as a catalyst but quickly becomes universal, as young Oskar meets hundreds of people in New York City.  I am thankful for the story (based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel).  I’m also grateful for an atypical protagonist, who I found quite endearing, with his honest struggle between fear and courage, methodical approach to problems, and calming tambourine beats.  I highly recommend this film.  Here’s my full list…

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
2. Midnight in Paris
3. The Artist
4. 50/50
5. The Help
6. Like Crazy
7. Bill Cunningham New York
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
9. Moneyball
10. Bridesmaids

Honorable mentions: The Tree of Life and Higher Ground (for bringing beautiful and complex meditations on spirituality to the silver screen), Beginners and The Descendants (for having such memorable characters), Mission Impossible 4 and Crazy Stupid Love (for being so ridiculously entertaining), Hugo and Super 8 (for giving adult appeal to children’s movies), My Week With Marilyn (for Michelle Williams’ incredible performance), Page One (for putting faces to everyone I follow on Twitter—hehe—and offering good food for thought), and Jane Eyre (for moody, smoldering awesomeness).

What I wish I hadn’t wasted time on: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Larry Crowne, Something Borrowed, and anything starring the robotic January Jones.

What I didn’t get around to seeing but wish I had: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Drive, and Cars 2.

Now it’s your turn. What were your favorites? Please share them in the comments!

P.S. – I’ve been making movie-related top 10 and best-0f lists for a long time. Here’s where you can find them for 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, and 2003 (though the last several are restricted for most readers, sorry). And, I also have a Top Movies of the Decade list.

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Winter Mix Tape

by LeeAnne on January 22, 2012

Something I haven’t written a lot about here is music, which is kinda crazy considering how much I love it. I’m not a frequent concert goer (too expensive!) but I enjoy finding new songs/artists and creating “mix tapes” for family and friends. So, I thought I’d give you a peek at what’s currently in heavy rotation on my iPod. Most of these songs are from 2011, though a few are older—often because I heard them recently in a movie or TV show. I’m very intentional about the order: I like to start playlists with upbeat tracks (dubstep, dance) and move into quirky electronic ones, then ballads and folk, and then ramp back up the tempo with pop and rock. (I’m not into rap or country, so that’s generally absent.) Following each track listing is a link to iTunes or Amazon, where you can listen to a preview. I hope you’ll find some new songs to love!

1. Intro – The XX (iTunes)
2. Wanna Get Hype – District 78 (iTunes)
3. Cinema (Skrillex remix) – Benny Benassi featuring Gary Go (iTunes)
4. Take Over Control (Dutch radio edit) – Afrojack featuring Eva Simons (iTunes)
5. Without You – David Guetta featuring Usher (iTunes)
6. Hello – Martin Solveig and Dragonette (iTunes)
7. Tonight – Lykke Li (iTunes)
8. Cosmic Love – Florence and the Machine (iTunes)
9. Icarus – White Hinterland (iTunes)
10. Try – Bugge Wesseltoft and Sidsel Endresen (iTunes)
11. Stupid (Mark Bell remix) – Sarah McLachlan (Amazon)
12. Safe and Sound – Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars (iTunes)
13. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri (iTunes)
14. Belong – Cary Brothers (iTunes)
15. Can’t Help Falling In Love (Live at Daytrotter) – Ingrid Michelson (iTunes)
16. Poison and Wine – The Civil Wars (iTunes)
17. Mirror – Amber Rubarth featuring Jason Mraz (iTunes)
18. The Only Exception – Paramore (iTunes)
19. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall – Coldplay (iTunes)
20. Not Over You – Gavin DeGraw (iTunes)
21. Set Fire to the Rain – Adele (iTunes)
22. Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat (iTunes)
23. You and I – Lady Gaga (iTunes)
24. Paris (Ooh La La) – Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (iTunes)
25. What You Want – Evanescence (iTunes)

I’m trying to resist the temptation to share in detail why I love each song; I know this would turn into a very, very long post! So, I’ll let you listen and experience without expectation. Let me know what you think, and please share some of your favorite winter tracks in the comments!

 

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Christmas Craft Party and Cookie Exchange

by LeeAnne on January 22, 2012

I’m finally getting caught-up on my blog following the holiday and Hawaii craziness! First up, some snaps from the Christmas Craft Party and Cookie Exchange. I invited over 16 lovely ladies for a festive workday. They brought their sewing, knitting, greeting cards, gifts to wrap, and even papers to grade, and we all worked away for hours while listening to Christmas music. Then, we swapped some cookies. I’ve always wanted to host a holiday cookie swap—it’s even on my Life List—and it was such fun!

1. There were so many different types of cookies for the swap, from jam thumb prints to angel fingers to peppermint pixies—even cranberry bliss bars and chocolate-dipped pretzels. These spritz cookies from my good friend Melody were one of the most beautiful contributions: bright, perfectly formed, and sparkling with sugar.

2. Charissa, one of my sisters-in-law, samples some of the cookie bounty. I picked up cake-size baker’s boxes from The Container Store for everyone to box up their treats, which worked out very well.

3. My Auntie Nette makes amazing quilts, and she brought over a current project to work on. Plus, she snagged the most comfortable spot in the room!

4. Melody and her mom, Sharon, with their bounty.

5. Vicky, a longtime friend, worked on finishing holiday orders for her Etsy shop. Random tid-bit: She and her husband recently purchased a new home, and she has a room dedicated to crafting, with shelves full of yarn and an inspiration board. It’s amazing.

6. For my cookie contribution, I turned to my blog roll and the pecan pie cookies I’d seen drooled over on Bakers Royale. I did a test run the week before the party and wasn’t satisfied with the cake-like consistency I got. Naomi, the blogger/recipe creator graciously gave me some tips over email. After a couple tweaks (I think I creamed the butter way too long), my subsequent batches turned out sublime. I love the hint of cardamom in the filling. Can’t wait for an excuse to make these again!

7. As the hostess, I didn’t really sit down long enough to get much crafting done, hehehe. But I did crank out one Christmas card using kraft cardstock, scrapbook paper swatches, embroidery, and a little bling.

8. My sister Erin worked on several projects, including writing in her Christmas cards.

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Last-Minute Gift Wrap Idea

by LeeAnne on December 23, 2011

I love giving gifts, and I love wrapping them. It’s just so fun and special presenting someone with a beautiful package put together with lots of love and care. On some Christmases past, I spent much more money (and time!) than I should have—nearly as much as the gift itself. One year, I followed a Martha Stewart tutorial, crafting intricate snowflakes out of white and silver pipe cleaners, and that was just for the ribbon “ornament.”

In recent years, I’ve toned it down while keeping the same spirit. One of the best ways to create cheap, time-saving yet beautiful wrapping is with brown paper. Michael’s sells a giant 100-square-foot roll of kraft paper for only a few bucks, and you can find it in most office-supply stores as well. Or, you can even re-purpose brown paper grocery bags. Turn them inside-out, or just incorporate the holiday motif already printed on the outside, like in the top right photo above. Then, get crazy with decorative flair. Add yarn, ribbon, doilies, twine, washi tape, stamps, tags, washers, felt, scrapbook paper scraps… the possibilities are endless. Raid your craft stash!

I wrapped up these Christmas 2011 pretties last night with kraft paper, doilies, and red yarn, and I just love how sweet and homey they feel. I hope my family and friends will enjoy their gifts as much as I enjoyed finding and wrapping them. And I wish all of you out there a very Merry Christmas!

Top photo credits (clockwise from top left): A Creative Mint, unknown via Lowes Creative Ideas, A Creative Mint, Grey Likes Weddings, Joelle Hoverson’s More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts via STC Craft, and Design*Sponge.

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Glass Beach

by LeeAnne on December 17, 2011

While we traveled for our first and second wedding anniversaries, Paul and I opted for a “staycation” for our third, in November. We relaxed, caught up on house projects, and took a couple NorCal day trips. On my to-do list was Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. For many years, the beach was used as a public dump, and although the practice has long since stopped, it continues to yield some pretty cool treasure in the form of sea glass. Over time, shards of discarded bottles churning in the water have been smoothed and polished by the rocky shore. Pieces of green, amber, and clear glass glitter among the sand and pebbles.  (Paul took the photo above with his iPhone. Isn’t it gorgeous!?)

Glass Beach makes for a great day trip from the Bay Area. Take US-101 North to CA-128 West (an occasionally very curvy mountain road) to CA-1 North. Once in Fort Bragg, turn left on West Elm Street and continue to the water. Free public parking surrounds the beach access. We climbed down a small bluff into the cove just south of the access trail and found a lot of glass there. Postings on some online message boards suggested that you’ll find even more glass in coves further south.

If you go, check tide tables and time your arrival just before the lowest tide (on our visit, that was 3:45 p.m.). The less water in your way, the more glass you’ll see. And after some exploring, you’ll get an extra treat: front-row seats for the sun setting over the Pacific.

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InstaFriday No. 7

by LeeAnne on December 2, 2011

Hello! Well, I’m at home on a Friday night because I wanted to get in some good prep time for a Christmas craft party and cookie exchanged I’m hosting on Sunday. But, of course, I want to put off cleaning for as long as possible. So, I thought posting some iPhone photos from the past few weeks would be a very good idea. ;) As always, do join in the photo fun over at Life Rearranged.

1: You know that scene from 500 Days of Summer, when Tom and Summer are pretending to live in IKEA? (“Darling, I don’t know how to tell you this, but there is a Chinese family in our bathroom…”)  Well, I don’t think Paul and I have done that, specifically, but we sure do love to goof around in that store. It’s hard not to have fun when there are big barrels of finger puppets. Hello!?

2: I’ve been playing with paper and embroidery combinations for making Christmas cards this year. I just love how those look together.

3: My sister Erin and I caught The Civil Wars at the Fillmore, and it was amazing.  Seriously amazing.  They are so talented and funny and sweet.  And they just scored two Grammy nominations!

4: If you’re craving a warm, comforting soup for winter, I can vouch for the yumminess of Pioneer Woman’s recipe for beef stew with beer and paprika.  It’s even better as leftovers the following day!

5: On the week of our third anniversary, Paul and I enjoyed a little Bay Area staycation.  One day trip was a visit to Mrs. Grossman’s Stickers in Petaluma.  We took the guided tour through the factory, seeing all the machines in action and collecting sticker freebies along the way.  Mrs. Grossman’s son has branched out into the wine label business, so we got to see some laser-cut labels being made there as well.  It was very interesting, and I picked up a bunch of stuff at the company store, where many sheets of stickers were on sale for 25 and 50 cents!

6: After the sticker factory, we kept heading north to Fort Bragg, taking some very beautiful—and often very winding!—mountain roads.

7: We arrived at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg with only a few minutes of sunlight to spare.  I heard about this place via Pinterest.  The beach used to be a dumpsite, and over many years, the pieces of broken glass were smoothed by the waves and rocks.  We were aiming for low tide at 3:45, but the road there took longer than expected.  It was a beautiful sunset, though.

8: Despite the low light, we still found plenty of sea glass!  Stay tuned for a longer post and some beautiful photos from the beach—as well as some tips for planning a trip there! :)

9: Before the Thanksgiving feast (with 28 people!), the nieces spent some quality time with my sister-in-law’s chickens: Salt, Pepper, and Paprika.

10: Diablo magazine’s Gourmet East Bay party was a blast!  We sampled so much food, we became stuffed.  My favorites were the ceviche from Maria Maria and ropa vieja from Havana.

11. Lindsey, Brett, and I saw modern dance troupe MOMIX perform Botanica at the Bankhead Theatre.  It was incredible.  They create such beautiful images.  My favorite piece was a woman who appeared to dance with her reflection.

12: Handing out candy to kids is soooo tiring!  Haha.  I love this pic of Erin (as Hermione Granger) totally passed out on our parents’ couch.  (Kids actually trick-or-treat at their house, unlike our condo complexes!)

That’s it for now.  I should go clean something!  Have a great weekend.

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Dining Room Makeover (Part 1)

by LeeAnne on November 5, 2011

After two years in our condo, I finally got started on the dining room makeover I’ve been planning. While it’s hard to tell in this photo, the kitchen, dining room, and living room are essentially one big rectangular space that runs from our front door to the sliding glass doors to the patio. The only division is a breakfast bar and a little faux column section of the wall. I do like the openness, but I want to offset the dining room a little to provide more distinction between the areas. Additionally, I want to replace the table (which is a hand-me-down that is falling apart and has only three matching chairs!) with something more sleek and contemporary.

After painting a few small swatches of beige and light brown, and checking them out in different lighting, I chose “new penny” by Valspar. It had a slight red hue that went well with the dark cherrywood cabinetry in the kitchen. My little sis Lindsey helped with the first coat, and we mocked my painterly technique. I was handling the foam brush in the corners as if I was tackling a precise oil-painted landscape. Heh. Art major tendencies… Meanwhile, the cats were totally freaked by all the newness—especially the blue tape.

After a second coat and some touch-up along the baseboards (oops), it was finished. The color does indeed set-off the space while still retaining an open feel. I am a little bummed that it reads more “pink” than I thought it had in the swatches. I’m going to wait until I have the decor up before considering a different color, though. That could make a big difference. Crossing fingers…

Speaking of decor, I’m in the process of collecting ornate wooden frames for this project—some vintage, some new. I have a concept in mind (similar to this), which will involve painting the frames bright white and leaving most empty—save for a few, which I’ll fill with chicken wire, chalkboard, or fabric. Metal lettering may also be involved. I have the next week off work—Paul and I are celebrating our third wedding anniversary with a little Bay Area staycation—and I plan to work on this room some more during that time. I’m excited! I’ll post photos when I’m done, so stay tuned…

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InstaFriday No. 6

by LeeAnne on November 5, 2011

Happy Friday! On a Saturday! And instead of recapping my week in iPhone photos, I’m going to recap the last, oh, nine weeks! Because that’s how I roll. And maybe because I’ve been ignoring this blog a bit lately. So, let’s get right down to it. (Shout out to Life Rearranged, as always! Do join in the fun.)

1. Artichokes are pretty much my favorite thing ever, and I love that they’re in season in spring and fall. My preferred preparation: Steam 15-20 minutes in the pressure cooker, then dip the leaves and heart in melted butter. Mmmm…

2. Paul and I after surviving the NorCal Tomato Battle. We were wet, bruised, and super stinky! But it was an adventure. Full recap here.

3. October issue proofs along the walls of the hallway in the Diablo offices. We do this mostly for the ad production team, to check the pacing of ads and edit, but seeing the issue up on the wall does generate some excitement each month.

4. Small feet. Wide jeans. Rockin’ my most comfy pair of flats. I think I got these at Target last year. They’ve held up well.

5. Fifth row at the press night for Cirque du Soliel’s Totem! It was a great show, with lots of gymnastics influence, from rings to bars to beam. The costumes, especially, really stood out in Totem. Stunning. Wish I could have taken a photo during the show.

6. Pepper and Nomnom are BFFs. Sometimes.

7. Dressing room snaps at Old Navy. Gotta get a second opinion via text sometimes. Side note: This faux ombre hair thing is really working out for me. I picked a good year to grow out my highlights. So unintentionally trendy!

8. Habanero Carnitas Pizza from CPK Pleasanton’s soft opening. OMG. Why haven’t people been putting carnitas on pizza from the beginning? So good.

9. New glasses, ftw! I love this pair by Anne Klein. Wire in front, plastic on the sides, and super cute.

10. I took Paul to see Lord of the Rings in Concert at Oakland’s Oracle Arena. I guess I didn’t explain it well: He thought it would just be song selections from the soundtrack played live. Um, no. We watched the full movie projected on a giant screen, with the soundtrack played live by an orchestra and two choirs (an adult choir and a boys choir). It was different and fun. We especially loved the huge smile on the face of the percussion dude during the orc sections, when he got to make a lot of noise.

11. Steve Jobs tributes covered the front of the Apple Store in Walnut Creek during the week following his death. I have great respect for Jobs’ vision, tenacity, and commitment to beauty, and it was touching to read some of these notes from Apple fans.

12. This might be the oldest picture of the bunch. Over the summer, Yogurtland paired up with Hello Kitty. Cute overload.

That’s it for now! Have a GREAT weekend!

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Tomato Battle

by LeeAnne on October 6, 2011

My husband, Paul, hates tomatoes. So to lure him to the NorCal Tomato Battle—a giant food fight inspired by Spain’s La Tomatina, in which thousands of people throw thousands of pounds of tomatoes at each other—I convinced him that it was the perfect opportunity to take out his anger toward the evil produce, to “throw it on the ground!” Andy Samberg–style. I, on the other hand, needed no convincing to cross off this ridiculously messy but fun once-in-a-lifetime event from my life list.

We roped in my sister, Erin, and prepped for the battle by donning old clothes and cheapie swim goggles, safely storing our phones and cameras in plastic baggies, and leaving behind valuables such as wedding rings and eyeglasses. We tossed a few towels and a roll of plastic garbage bags into the trunk of my car (for the return trip), and headed to the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

The day-long event started at noon, with performances by local bands, costume contests, and beer. We arrived hours into it, roughly 45 minutes before the scheduled food fight. We signed release forms, took professional “before” photos, hung out in the shade, and got a preview of things to come, being downwind from the piles of tomatoes in the fenced-off battle area. It. Smelled. So. Bad. I knew the tomatoes were unsellable, that the Tomato Battle staff was quick to point out that food wasn’t being wasted, but rather food going to waste was being used (and on top of that, ticket proceeds are donated to local food banks and charities). I just didn’t quite understand that meant it was rotten.

[Above photo from Tomato Battle]  The food fight began several minutes early, when the chanting, probably drunk, crowd broke through a barrier into the fenced-off battle ground, as event organizers were beginning to explain rules and safety. We had been relaxing in the shade and had to scramble to pull on our goggles and run into the crowd. As we pushed our way toward the center, tomatoes painfully pelted our heads. One to the back of my skull nearly knocked me out. Another to my arm left an immediate swelling welt. Two more hit my left kidney, and I wondered how long I’d last. Rotten or not, those tomatoes were painful. Eventually, I stopped and stood with my hands near my face, trying to shield myself. I couldn’t easily bend down to pick up tomatoes to throw, since the crowd was so tight and unpredictable. Soon, my feet began sinking into a soupy mix of mud and tomato guts.

I think we lasted a grand total of 10 minutes on the battlefield before heading back out. But we got thoroughly drenched in tomato juice, and bits of skin and seeds were left clinging to our skin, hair, and clothes. I had tomatoes down my shirt and in my ears. We posed for an “after” photo and attempted to rinse off at one of several hose stations, but the water was crazy cold. We decided to walk to my parents’ house, only about a mile away, where we could wash off in their outdoor shower and jump in the pool (and at the same time, save my car from sure ruin.) The looks of passers-by were priceless, as we ambled down the sidewalk, dripping and stinking.

After an outdoor rinse, a fully-clothed swim in the pool, and real showers with several rounds of soap, we returned to the fairgrounds for my car—and Paul snapped this photo of the empty battlefield.  Even though the event had another hour scheduled with more live music, all but a few dozen participants had left, leaving behind an empty parking lot littered with abandoned stained and soiled shoes. I’m not sure who won the battle—but it wasn’t the tomatoes!

From what I understand, the NorCal event was the biggest Tomato Battle yet, and organizers plan to return next year. Maybe I’ll see you there!

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Remembering 9/11

by LeeAnne on September 11, 2011

My mom occasionally tells the story of when she first heard President Kennedy had been assassinated. She was in elementary school, and it was announced over the P.A. system, “The president has been shot.” The daughter of the PTA president was in her classroom and panicked, thinking her mother had just been murdered.

Everyone remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing during times of great tragedy. It’s as if time freezes and for several moments we’re afforded total clarity. Even if the event is far from us—geographically or relationally—we still connect with it on a very personal, emotional level. It touches something deep, and the details of that day remain with us forever.

Of course, the day that will stick with me forever is September 11, 2001.

It was the first week of classes during my final year of college at Azusa Pacific University. Sometime around 6:30 a.m., my phone rang, and it was my good friend—and student newspaper editor—Plunk. Without saying hello, he asked with an alarming seriousness, “Are you watching TV?” I was confused and barely awake, but I dragged myself out of bed and into the living room, fumbling around for the remote control. “What channel?” I asked. “ANY channel!” he said, exasperated. I turned on the television, and there was a close-up shot of the side of a skyscrapper, smoke pouring out of the windows. I got off the phone and watched, in horror and disbelief, for a couple hours as the station repeated footage of the second plane flying into the World Trade Center, and breaking news of the destruction at the Pentagon and the wreckage in Pennsylvania. It was almost cinematic. The reporters gave the impression that other rogue planes could be anywhere in the country. I was sad and terrified. I didn’t want to leave my apartment, but I forced myself to shower and head to campus for the first session of my Rhetorical Theory class.

Somber-faced students filed into the classroom without saying a word. Our professor took attendance and then dismissed the class, saying, “It’s more important right now that you’re with your families, or watching television, or praying with other students.” A girl near me, obviously confused, turned to someone and whispered, “What’s going on?” The guy next to her chimed in, matter-of-fact, “Oh, you haven’t seen the news? Terrorists are crashing planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and other places.” The girl turned pale and muttered, “My brother works at the Pentagon…” Then she burst into tears.

As my classmates and I walked through Wilden Hall back to our dorms and apartments, we passed by the open doors of other classrooms. Every room and lecture hall was playing the news, most with the lights off—the harrowing images dancing across the stunned faces of my peers.

I didn’t leave my apartment for the rest of the day. I flipped back and forth between television channels, grasping for any new information and trying to comprehend the significance of the events unfolding before my eyes. I was overwhelmed by sympathy for the families of the victims but also touched and comforted by the gestures of solidarity from around the world. Surely, I haven’t perceived the world in the same way since…

Today, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was affected by this tragedy—the widows, children, brothers, sisters, friends, and coworkers of those killed—as well as our nation as a whole.  I pray that as wounds slowly heal with time, we also never forget.  I pray for wisdom for our policy makers.  And I pray that you will hug your loved ones tightly and tell them how much you love them, today and every day.

—

“Whether it is serving in the military, doing volunteer work, or simply helping your neighbor, it is our responsibility as citizens of the greatest nation in the world to ‘do something.’ The heroes of 9/11 weren’t created that day. Their actions were the result of virtues practiced over a lifetime. The most fitting memorial we could build would not consist of marble, glass or fountains. It would be a living memorial—carved in our hearts and actions by faith, courage, and integrity.” —Deena Burnett Bailey—widow of Tom Burnett, who died an American hero on Flight 93—during a speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention

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