2014 Week 12: IKEA-Argh!

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Leigh

Hedgepacks

This week: IKEA & Yuzu with Jen S. Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association Meeting/drink @ Sportman’s Club. Jen L.’s Bday @ Winchester/Rainbo. Sold at Blue Buddha Boutique’s Spring Trunk Show – met some neat makers and sweet customers. Dropped off 6 bags that I had cleared out from #40bagsin40days at Brown Elephant. Tackled my taxes and am nearly done getting all my numbers together.

Doing great with the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge. Z is saying I am overly-organized now. It is a really great feeling having a place for nearly everything now. 🙂

Films watched 12th week of the year:

End of Watch

Weirdest thing ever to have only watched one film in the week since I was so busy. This was much better than I had ever imagined with a very unexpected ending.

2014 Week 11: Veronica Mas Attacks!

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Leigh

Stephanie & Me pre-VMARS

Longtime overdue lunch with Linsey @ The Winchester. Dinner @ Quesadilla. Veronica Mars Movie! Grand Budapest Hotel/lunch @ Urban Vegan. Veggie Sushi-making.

My 40 bags in 40 days challenge has been feeling really good. I’m doing a little something each day and it is feeling so good. It’s manageable doing it this way and I’m so happy to be doing it!

Films watched 11th week of the year:

Veronica Mars
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Martyrs of Life ** [ Czechoslovakia ]
Upside Down: The Creation Record Story *
The Butler

* documentary

Veronica Mars has owned my life for the last month and finally seeing the film was SO PERFECT. I have gone to the opening night of Harry Potter, the newer Star Wars, The LOTR trilogy, all that, but never have I felt a crowd more excited than this one. When the film started and ended, everyone clapped. There were squeals of joy and an incredible buzz in the room. LOVED IT! So exciting to see it and I know I’ll be seeing it once more in the theatre before it leaves.

The Grand Budapest Hotel was enjoyable, but I was spoiled with Moonrise Kingdom, which I think is my fave WA film.

2014 Week 10: The new romantic comedy…40 bags in 40 days!

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Leigh

Cadbury Mini Egg Brownies, recipe by Bakeaholic Mama from Pinterest (duh)

Katniss turned 4 and for her birthday, Z and I set up her new house, which we bought after seeing friends Christina & Shaun’s fancy hedgehog condo set-up! Katniss still acts just like a wee hedgehog, but she’s just entering her old age. The chart here shows she’s nearly 70 in people years. We love our little tripod so.

This week: Finally figured out how to pay my Ohio taxes even though I had cancelled my account. Dropped Bean Baby onesies @ Paper Doll. Takito Thursday with Stacy, Elisse, and Jen L. Gave Eliza a pile of old glasses to bring in to a place that donates to Lions Club. Dinner with Stephanie @ Chicago Diner. Lunch with Stephanie & the boo @ Handlebar. Dropped off expired meds at the Chicago Police Department. Dropped off a bag of clothes @ Township for the 12+ Size Clothing Swap in a few weeks at the Burlington. Dropped off Bean Baby onesies at Neighborly. Chipotle. Kohl’s. So much Veronica Mars-cramming; getting ready for the movie coming out 3/14.

Speaking to all that purging going on above, my friend Paige linked this 40 bags in 40 days post and it sounded like exactly what I needed to jumpstart my “spring” cleaning. I jumped in feet first and have been tackling something every day, even though you’re supposed to give yourself Sundays off. I flipping LOVE organizing, but I’m also a collector, so there is always something further I can tackle. There is also a 40 bags Facebook group of really supportive women (I’ve been on it about a week and I have not yet seen a post by a man) here. It’s really flipping cool to see a community with zero trolls, where everyone is cheering one another on.

In the midst of all my other goings-on, I started and finished Ready Player One. This was the best book I’ve read since The Hunger Games trilogy. I mean, it started off really solid, but by the end, I told Z I didn’t want to run errands because I wanted to stay in bed and read more. Like Bastian from The NeverEnding Story, I had a hard time pulling myself away from this book. If you grew up in and have any nostalgia for the 1980’s and pop culture, this is your book. One of the most positive endings I’ve ever read in post-apocalyptic fiction. It’s been optioned by Warner Brothers for a movie. I’ll go see it, but I bet they won’t do it justice, even if they somehow secure the licensing for all the video games, films, tv shows, and books name dropped in this book. Reading this book was an unabashed joyful experience for me. Read this flipping book, you guys, so we can talk about it! GoodReads people know what I’m talking about –> ^_-. Dear Author, Ernest Cline, my only complaint is that I wish this had been a trilogy because I *so* was not ready for this novel to end. Also, your website is awesome.

Films watched 10th week of the year:

20 Feet from Stardom *
The Mist
The Spectacular Now

* documentary

No films this week hit it home for me. The Spectacular Now…more like The Spectacular Meh.

2014 Week 9: Oscar(t)

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Leigh

Vegan Waffles, With Earth Balance, bananas, and maple syrup

Finally filed all my paperwork Wednesday for my passport. Fingers crossed that the paperwork doesn’t come back because I am smiling in the photo – the lady at CVS didn’t tell me not to, so think good thoughts, people! Took Z to Publican for his bday dinner. Vegetarians, take note – they can accommodate us – there is a secret delicious vegetable plate for $18, but it is truly only vegetables, so it’s kind of like getting a big plate of sides. Tiny Z bday celebration at Cleo’s. Went to our beloved Chiditarod. Brunch with LCB @ Bite. Music Frozen Dancing – yes, I saw Pie-a-see-a Planet @ Empty Bottle. 🙂 Movie with Eliza! Her @ Landmark and Yummy Yummy with the boo. Oscars @ Kimmi’s. Somehow this week I still made time to make those vegan waffles above and whipped up cadbury creme egg vanilla buttercream frosting to go on z’s bday cupcakes. Pat = back.

Films watched 9th week of the year:

Miss Minoes [ Netherlands ]
Cutie and the Boxer
Captain Phillips
Wolf of Wall Street
Her
Dallas Buyers Club

** foreign language

Cute award goes to Miss Minoes. If you even remotely like cats, you will love this movie. It’s something like the Dutch Amelie, filled with fun capers and twee whispering and a bad dude getting his due. OF COURSE I loved it. Cutie & the Boxer was also cute, but thanks to Noriko Shinohara and not sourpuss Ushio Shinohara. Come on you curmudgeon, let Noriko get her due!

Honestly, out of all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees, I had no interest in watching Captain Phillips, but on Friday night, I decided I would take a stab at watching the other 7 films I hadn’t seen. I watched this on Amazon on Saturday night, starting it and believing I would only watch the first half and then go to bed. WELL, that’s how I stayed up until 2am Saturday night. This film was incredibly riveting even though I knew that he lived. It was so tense. Highly recommend.

Wolf of Wall Street. Is it a result of watching so many films that this film barely had any shock value for me? Gruesome like American Psycho and with a story like American Hustle. Actually, the storyline is so much like AH that I keep confusing the two. Slime of the earth dudes swindling people out of their money and some terrible (and some great) outfits; both getting their comeuppance, but still winding out just fine in the end. Ahh, true stories.

I loved Her and Z thought it was OK because he doesn’t get that this is absolutely going to be a thing that happens. Like Lars and the Real Girl, there are some, I’d even go so far as to say many, people who are incapable of being in a relationship with another human, but there is still that longing for a connection that they will do whatever it takes to have one. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, but in a hopeful kind of way. Why is it strange that a computer would help a person become more human?

Great acting by Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club and a story that is unbelievable. You don’t hear many stories of homophobic dudes in this day and age, all of a sudden changing their stripes to help the LGBTQ cause, let alone the 80’s. However, I’m in the “cast a Trans Woman to play a Trans Woman” camp and I do not think Jared Leto deserves all the praise he is getting. Also, with the other nominees for hair & makeup, I am SHOCKED that this won.