Top Five! Movie Musicals

Recently we bought tickets to see The Book of Mormon when the national tour comes to Nashville in November. We saw Wicked earlier in the year and at some points I had a hard time understanding what they were singing so I decided to go ahead and listen to the Broadway cast recording of Book of Mormon. And oh my gosh it is HILARIOUS. I was crying laughing in my car listening to it the first time. I can't wait to see it in a few months! Here is a clip of the opening number when they performed it at the 2012 Tony's.

I have always loved musicals, and now that is all I want to listen to! We drove to Missouri this weekend and all I took were musical soundtracks (Thankfully Travis loves musicals too. We really belted out Les Miserables). It gave me an idea for a new little series. We'll see if I keep up with it. Every once in a while I'll talk about my "top five" something or other. So let's start this off with my top five movie musicals!

It was REALLY HARD for me to narrow it down to five. The more I thought about it the more movies I thought of that I have seen over and over. Then I asked Travis and he named a few I hadn't even thought of! Here is what I finally came up with:

Little Shop of Horrors: This one was easy, because it is my favorite movie of all time! My grandparents took me to see the play when I was about 4 years old and I was traumatized! All you had to say was "Feed Me!" and I would freak out! But now I love it. If you haven't seen it ,you NEED TO SEE IT. It is the story of a dorky young man who finds a man-eating plant from outer space. It is set in the 1950's and the chorus is three girls named after some of the best girl groups of all time (Ronette, Crystal, and Chiffon). I love all the music, I love Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn (if we ever had a kid you can almost bet I'm naming him Seymour), and Steve Martin plays a sadistic dentist! The play is better of course (and has a completely different ending) but I could watch the movie every day for the rest of my life. Here is my favorite part, "Suddenly Seymour." Which you could probably guess since I have a pretty huge tattoo of Audrey 2 (the flesh eating plant) with those words under it.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: I didn't see this movie until I was 19. We went to one of Travis' friend's house to watch it and I was totally blown away. I bought the dvd the next day and watched it every day for a week! I feel like everyone has seen it, but if not it's another weird one: newlyweds Brad and Janet are traveling to visit their science teacher and take shelter in a strange castle because their tire blows out in a storm. Tim Curry is incredible as Dr. Frank-n-Furter who is a mad scientist transvestite trying to create the perfect man in a lab. The music is so good! We've been to see it at midnight a bunch of times and I'm hoping we'll be able to this year on Halloween.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch: This show is getting lots of press this year because it is on broadway staring Neil Patrick Harris. I would love to see it on stage, because the movie is amazing! John Cameron Mitchell plays Hedwig for the movie and is perfect. The movie is about a rock band fronted by East German transexual Hedwig. It is about Hedwig's journey to find herself. It's really beautiful and makes me cry every time (I love movies that make me cry!). The music is all kinds of glam rock inspired, my favorite songs are Wig In a Box, Sugardaddy, and Wicked Little Town (the Tommy Gnosis version).
The Sound of Music: This one had to be included on the list because it is a family favorite. My grandpa recorded the soundtrack onto two cassette tapes for me, and my dad had the piano book and loved to play pretty much all of the songs from the movie. This movie is a classic and I'm sure you have all seen it. Julie Andrews is the most perfect musical star and I think this is my favorite movie of hers. I don't own this one yet, I think I need to remedy that.
West Side Story: I can vividly remember the first time I saw this. My dad rented it for me from a little gas station near our house that rented movies called the Rapid Pak. It was summer and I was probably 10 and I sat in our papasan chair and watched it while everyone was outside in the yard. I was totally blown away and was obsessed with it for the rest of the summer. (Are you sensing a pattern? I can never just like something, I always get totally obsessed!) This one is set in the mid 1950's in New York and is based on Romeo and Juliet. Instead of the warring families it involves to rival gangs. The final scene makes me cry every single time, no matter how many times I've seen it. They are performing this soon at the symphony center downtown (as in the symphony is playing the music over the movie!) and I'm regretting not getting tickets!


And here are some titles that narrowly missed being in my top five! A local theater troupe is doing Jesus Christ Superstar next week and we're definitely going to see it!

What is your favorite musical? Do you think they are too cheesy? Did you ever have a part in a musical? I always regret not trying out for one in high school. 

My Favorite Vegan Treats!

Travis and I have been vegan for about 8 months now, and we're still loving it! We mostly eat "whole foods", you know, veggies and fruit and grains and stuff made from scratch. But there are some processed treats I really love. I thought it would be fun to do a little post about it! All of this stuff can be found at Whole Foods (and a lot of it at conventional stores) but most is of it is also available at Vegan Essentials.

So Delicous Coconut Milk Cultured Yogurt // I bought a package of this to make this bundt cake and boy am I glad I did! It tastes like delicious vanilla pudding! It is probably the best yogurt I've ever had. It is great in a smoothie, or you can make a fruit parfait. I don't buy it often because I know I would eat it non stop!
Vita Coco Coconut Water with Pineapple // It took me a long time to get on the coconut water train. Travis always drank the plain one, and it wasn't sweet enough for my sweet tea lovin' palette. But I can't get enough of the pine apple variety! I always get Travis to buy me one to sneak into the movies!
Ciao Bella Sorbet // I got a pint of the coconut variety once at Target because it was the only non dairy ice cream I could find. It is my favorite now though! It is creamy and amazing. The coconut is my favorite, but the other flavors are good too.
Go Raw Chocolate Super Cookies // These little things are addictive to me. And Travis doesn't like them, which is great because that means they last me a long time! They make a few varieties, but I always get the chocolate ones because they are so good.
Justin's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups// Another every once in a while treat. The peanut butter in the middle is really salty and goes perfectly with the dark chocolate! They are expensive though (a buck a cup) so I just get them occasionally when I need a treat. Justin's almond butter is my favorite too! They make little packets of nut butters which are great to throw in your back for a filling snack.
Earth Balance Vegan Popcorn // I'm not big on chips, but I LOVE popcorn. The Earth Balance bags are so delicious! There is a butter flavor too.

Barleans Omega Swirl // We sell this at my job, and I am so good at getting mom's to buy it for their kids! That omega swirl tastes SO GOOD! It is like candy! And the great thing about it is the emulsification process they use to give it the creamy smoothie texture makes it even easier for your body to process! Mmm, I could drink this stuff right out of the bottle (and sometimes I do!) but it's good in a smoothie too.
Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon // I felt like a big dummy when I realized how cheap bouillon is compared to buying the pre-made veggie broth! Duhhh. We use this Rapunzel at least a few times a week because I make a lot of soup. I like that it doesn't have a ton of salt but adds great flavor.
Hemp Hearts // Another delicious source of omega 3s! Hemp hearts taste really good, kind of like a peanut. If they were bigger and easier to handle I would eat them as a snack all the time. I usually put them in my oatmeal in the morning. Yum.
Amazing Grass Green Super Food Chocolate Chip Coconut Bar // I go through cycles with different bars and this Amazing Grass one is my favorite right now.
Gardein BBQ Pulled Shreds // These BBQ shreds are SO DELICIOUS and all the places near me that carried then have stopped! It bums me out so much! I always loved BBQ sandwiches when we ate meat and this Gardein version is a great alternative!
Beyond Meat Chicken Free Strips // We don't eat many meat alternatives, but this new kind by Beyond Meat is really great! It is made with mainly soy protein, pea protein, and amaranth. They have three flavors but I like the lightly seasoned the best.

So there you have it! Do you have any vegan treats you really love that we need to try?

Vintage Inspired Halloween!

I don't usually do posts like this, but I have seen so many cute vintage inspired Halloween things lately I couldn't resist! First up, have you seen the things that Magpie Ethel makes? I'm in love with how she uses little vintage bits that she picks up at estate sales to make all new creations! Look at these!

This was my favorite one! I sadly missed it when she updated her etsy shop. She has a few Halloween creations left. I'll try to be faster next year! I can't wait for her Christmas update!

I hadn't see this shop until recently when Heidi posted about it, but I am in LOVE! The shop is called Meaicp and she makes the most beautiful corsages! It is like vintage corsages, which I love, x1000! Look at these halloween ones! So amazing. I know a few of you are Christmas corsage collectors. You should check hers out! Again, I LOVE how she is making something new from cool vintage stuff.

I've mentioned her before, but I am a big fan of the Vintage by Crystal shop! Her Halloween update did not disappoint! I got an owl, thought not one of the cuties above! Her little ladies are great too. I love their crepe dresses and pointed hats.

This isn't technically Halloween I guess, but she would look great framed in a Halloween display! She is by Amanda Atkins. This print is on my Christmas wishlist for sure, if I can resist that long!

And of course I have to mention my best friend's shop, Olivia Frankenstein! She has so many perfect Halloween goodies! Her Ouija board purses are pretty amazing, but right now I'm into this vintage cat wallet! Her wallets rule. I have one of them. Though I wouldn't say no on with a glitter background like this!

Gratitude

Kaelah posted a list of things she was grateful for today and I thought it was a great idea. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the things that aren't going my way, that I don't appreciate all the things that are. For the past few weeks I have been making an effort to not dwell on the negatives. It is actually working and I am feeling pretty great. So here is a list of things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful for this guy. Even though he shaved off his sideburns that I loved so much. He works so hard for our little family and never complains and treats me so well even when I don't deserve it. He also indulges me and drives around to find a restaurant with an open patio. The weather has been AMAZING the past few days.

I am grateful for meals that end in banana pudding, and making a conscious effort to eat better.
I'm grateful for how amazing estate sales have been lately! It will get me through the long slow winter.
I'm grateful for these little nuggets who bring me so much joy every day.

My buddy Thomas! We have been hanging out a lot since he bought his house and I love it! I'm also in love with my deer. Sorry if it creeps you out. 

I'm grateful for our home. Travis and I have been making a big effort to clean up after ourselves every day, so the mess doesn't get overwhelming. It has been working for 2 weeks and I'm kind of amazed how much better it makes me feel! And most things only take a few seconds! Like hanging my purse on the hook on the back of my door instead of setting it somewhere and not being able to find it when I'm ready to leave. I was taking to my mom about this one the phone and she said "My baby is finally growing up!" Haha!

I'm grateful for my job, even though sometimes I have to get up before 5 am (this is a self portrait at 4:45 am). Really, once I'm out the door I'm fine. And then I get home early and have the rest of the day. I've been trying not to take work so seriously and not get so bent out of shape. I'm not totally successful yet, but I'm getting there!

I'm grateful for these shoes I won over at Love, Elycia! I always want to get some new fancy shoes but have a hard time picking. I really love these oxfords! I don't know how I have such good blog giveaway luck.

I'm grateful for Parks and Rec on Netflix. Tom Haverford makes me laugh SO MUCH. We went and saw Celeste and Jessie Forever last night and it was good, and Rashida Jones was so beautiful! There are a few movies coming out soon that I can't wait to see! Like Frankenweenie and the Perks of Being a Wallflower. And Breaking Dawn part 2 of course.

I'm grateful for kitties basking in the sun.

I'm trying to get Travis to go on daily walks with me now that it isn't so hot. I guess we shouldn't bring the dogs because they aren't really walkers. I was trying to get an action shot and they both just kept laying down.

This is how they prefer to walk. That is a real lens flare by the way, don't they look majestic?
Phyllis made it two blocks. I'm grateful for her sweet little face! I had a lot of fun making this list! Not that I'm ever really negative on this blog, but I'm really pretty grumpy in real life. But I'm putting my mind to it, and I'm going to cut it out. My life is too great and there is to little time to waste on being bummed!

Top 20 movies!

here is a list of my top twenty favorite movies of all time! not the movies i think are the best made/acted/directed but the movies that i watch over and over again because I just can't get enough!

I've been working on this post since the summer! It took me a week or two to decide which movies made the list. i was going to try and rank them from 1-20 but that proved too difficult so they are in no particular order, except of course, my favorite movie of ALL TIME.... wow these are long. i'm sure no one will read the whole thing. if you live near me, i have all of these movies on dvd. and i would love to let you borrow them so we can talk about them! Little Shop of Horrors This movie is so perfect to me. Singing? 1960's style girl group chorus? cute nerd protagonist? puppets? ridiculous story line? humorous murder? It has all of that and more! Steve Martin is amazing as the sadistic dentist. Not only is it my favorite movie, it is also my favorite play to see live. I've probably seen 15+ productions of it. It's just perfect. We had the love song "Suddenly Seymour" played at our wedding. And if we have kids, and have a boy, his name is going to be Seymour, Honest. I could watch this movie every day and not get tired. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix I just put this edition of the series as my favorite because it's the latest. Even before I read the books I loved these movies. They are so magical and interesting and a little scary. Voldemort is such an awesome villain name too. Now that I've read (and loved) all of the books the movies don't seem as perfect but I still love watching them. I cant wait for the half blood prince to come out this summer. The Nightmare Before Christmas. this movie came out on video when i was in elementary school and my grandma send it to me as a Christmas gift. my parents ended up having to hide it from me because i watched it over and over and that annoyed them. The animation is perfect and the story is sweet. It was my introduction to Tim Burton. I love the soundtrack and have it on cassette tape and vinyl and cd. I freaked out when i heard that Corpse Bride was coming out, but it was disappointing. it just wasn't as magical as Nightmare Before Christmas is. I really distrust anyone who says they hate this movie. I don't think it's really possible. Help! I think everyone goes through a Beatles phase right? I got this movie for my birthday and made everyone I knew watch it. It's a great ridiculous story. A girl sends a ring as a gift to Ringo. It turns out to be a ceremonial ring for a fake religion, and the wearer has to be sacrificed. So the story follows the Beatles as they try and save Ringo. With lots of songs of course. It's so funny good! I also really like A Hard Days Night, their first movie, but I have definitely watched Help! more times. I could never decide which one I thought was the cutest (and that is important for a teenage girl!) Sweeney Todd The only thing I knew about this story was that some of the characters did part of it in that Kevin Smith movie Jersey Girl. When I found out Tim Burton was doing it, with Johnny Depp as the lead, I freaked out with my bff Crystal and went to see it opening night, not really knowing what to expect. We LOVED it. I saw it in the theatre six times and we bought the soundtrack and sang it at every opportunity. I love the creepy story and the fake blood gushing everywhere. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are so wonderful and I wouldn't mind if they were the leads in every single movie Tim Burton makes. The songs are perfect and the costumes/sets are amazing. I remember gasping in delight when Johnny Depp has on that striped old fashioned bathing costume. So hot. West Side Story Can you tell I have a thing for musicals? I love all the dance sequences in this. Especially the whole opening with no words, just street boys doing ballet moves. I love the music but the dancing is really my favorite part. A great star crossed lover story that of course ends in tragedy and makes me cry every freaking time i see it! Anita was always my favorite, even though her boyfriend dies. I love juvenile delinquents. Cry-Baby I am a big John Waters fan and this is my favorite of his movies. It's really overacted and over the top and just perfect. Juvenile delinquents at their best! The "good girl" falls for the super cute young Johnny Depp. There are hilarious songs and great lines to quote with your friends. Also, the commentary is really good. I listen to it probably as often as i watch the movie itself. Other John Waters movies you can't miss: Pecker, Serial Mom.  American Splendor I don't know what it is about this movie that makes me like it so much. It's about underground comic legend Harvey Pekar. He is in the movie himself, and Paul Giamatti plays him. I love the strange narrative they use, it's really different from other movies I've seen. Harvey is really just a sad sack guy who writes comics about himself that other people draw. The first time I saw it, i popped it right back in the dvd player once it was over to watch it again. Something about it just pleasant to me. The Rocky Horror Picture Show I didn't see this movie until I was probably 19 and my reaction was "Why haven't I seen this before!!!!" It is perfectly suited to my taste. Songs and transvestites and weird story lines. I'm sure you've seen this, a young couple gets lost and ends up at the castle of a drag queen alien who is making a sexy man and having a party the same night. Totally weird and totally awesome. Babe I think Bade is the perfect kids movie. My dad took me to see this in the theatre a bunch of times when it came out and we still watch it together. A great story, cute animals, just enough scary parts that you aren't bored to tears (a lot of kids movies are so "safe" that they are boring and patronizing). We have a border collie and when she was a puppy I used to watch this with her and point out the other border collies on screen. I like to watch it when I am sick, because it makes me feel cozy. I also like Babe 2: Pig in the City. It's super weird and creepy and some parts are disturbing! I would recommend it! I made Travis watch it and when it was over he said "that was messed up!" Hedwig and the Angry Inch Another movie that makes me cry every time. I love John Cameron Mitchell's performance as Hedwig. The music is SO good and the story is pretty original. And the COSTUMES! crystal and i have been obsessed with that bright red glitter lipstick since we first saw it. It's such a great story about finding yourself and learning not to always find your identity in others. Mean Girls One of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I think everyone is perfectly cast in this. Because of this movie I had really high hopes for Baby Mama, but it turns out Tina Fey didn't write that one, so it's not nearly as good. A look at the social lives of high schoolers. Lots of parts in this movie make me laugh out loud even though I've seen it a bunch of times. The Adventures of Pricilla: Queen of the Desert Drag queens with accents? Perfect. Story of three people on a road trip. And they are going to perform in drag. Guy Pierce and Huge Weaving are so good in this. Terrence Stamp too. The Tick/Mitzi story line about traveling back to see his ex wife and son was my favorite story in the movie. And the big musical number near the end makes me howl with laughter every time. Especially the lizard costumes. Eagle Vs. Shark Mostly, Jemaine Clement is in it. But I also really liked the story. Completely nerdy selfish weirdo and the shy girls who loves him. I love Lily's transformation in the movie. I love the style of it, and the soundtrack is the best one i've ever heard. It's probably the cd I've listened to the most in the past year. Pride & Prejudice I like Jane Austen and this was my favorite of her books. This movie version is just absolutely perfect to me. I love Keira Knightly in any kind of period movie (omg the duchess is so good too!) the guy playing Mr. Darcy is just perfect. It's so romantic and beautiful. I've tried to make travis watch this but we never finished it because he got bored. So, he is crazy. I love watching this movie when it's raining and I'm home alone missing Travis. My favorite romantic movie. Waiting for Guffman I like all of Christopher Guests movies but this is my favorite. The story of a small town putting on a play for it's anniversary. This movie makes me laugh a LOT. The actual production is probably my favorite part (the penny for your thoughts song is a highlight) but the whole thing is good. Mockumentary style. I really like Best in Show too, but the character of the director, Corky St. Clair is what edged this one into first place. Idle Hands there really is no logical reason why I like this movie so much. Crystal and I used to watch it over and over in high school and at one point we could recite the entire thing from memory. A kids hand is possessed by Satan and goes on a killing spree. Seth Green is in it, I love him. It's funny and a little gory and again, has a ridiculous plot. High Fidelity My dad rented this movie for me in high school and I thought it was weird. I saw it again a few years later and fell in love with it. The book is even better. A middle aged record store owner going over his relationship failures. So many good characters. Jack Black is one of my guilty pleasures (I feel like I shouldn't love him as much as I do). My favorite John Cusack roll. I think he does it just perfectly. The Secret of NIMH This movie has always captured my imagination. Mrs. Frisby, a feild mouse, has to go and ask for the help of some super intelligent rats to save her family. But as she finds out more and more about them it gets more and more interesting. There are scenes from this that are really sharp in my mind. The scenes in the medical lab and the creepy part where she meets the owl. The book was also one of my favorites as a child. I have always loved the idea that animals have little shelves and bedrooms in their homes. Not like the movies where animals live just like people. But the idea that they eat off some kind of plate, or hollow out a shelve to put their food on. I don't know why, but I've always really loved that idea. Party Monster I watched this because it had Seth Green in it. And i loved it. The story of 1990's party scene in new york. great costumes. cute gay boys. downward spirals. crazy sets. i love it. 

 Movies that almost made the list: RENT, Strangers with Candy, Shortbus, 101 Dalmations (the animated one), Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, Spirited Away, Detroit Rock City