friday list: make gabrielle cry

I'm a sap. It's true. If there's a moment with an emotional rise of music and some reuniting or some death, or...um, anything! I cry. It's true. Here are some (and honey, you know there's more!) of the things, however small, really...REALLY get me...veclempt, tender, gives me goosebumps, or just flat out NIAGARA FALLS of tears!:

1. "Maybe I'm Amazed"
2. "Bell Bottom Blues" by Derek and the Dominoes
3. Once
4. The English Patient
5. When Harry Met Sally - an explanation of love: ""I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. "
6. Johnny Hartman's voice
7. Black Coffee by Ella or Peggy Lee
8. "Clair de Lune" by Debussy
9. When Lloyd Dobler holds up the radio playing "In Your Eyes" in Say Anything
10. Sense & Sensibility
11. "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul, & Mary
12. "Addio del Pasto" aria in La Traviata
13. e. e. cummings
14. Pride & Prejudice

10 blankets + 1 towel = toasty security and bliss

I never had a “blankie” as a child, but I did LOVE to surround myself with myriad sentimental ones. I had this torn up old quilt my mother had made out of scraps. I had a few ridiculously hideous afghans that weren’t even that soft, but you know, they’re blankets, so you cuddle up. It seems some of this desire for warm coziness has seeped into my daughters’ souls.


This is all of the blankets they would like to have on their bed – every night. Here is the recipe for happienss:



“Dukes of Hazaard” – Ryan’s beloved blanket from his childhood. Well-loved and tattered now. The girls call it the ‘car blankie’. Charming, really.

Character blanket 1 – Purchased by Ann, and came with Hannah’s toddler bed. It’s small and flimsy, and honestly if there was one that was going to mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night, it would be this one!
Ladybugs – My mother in-law, Ann, got two of these for the girls, I believe. Maybe they came from the Dollar Store or something. Inexpensive, but PERFECT for dolls, and for covering little arms.
Ridges – This bedspread is borderline hideous (but also, in some bizarre way sentimental because so many old bedspreads are like this one?), in my humble opinion, with those weird fringe ridges. Not my style, but Hannah ADORES it! ADORES! She calls it her ‘fuzzy’, but it’s not fuzzy, it’s weird. It came with the bed from the inlaws with a truly FUZZY blanket underneath, which of course, is also included in this pile.

Character blanket 2 – Purchased by Ann, and came with Hannah’s toddler bed. It’s small and flimsy, and honestly if there was one that was going to mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night, it would be this one!
Made by Pam - Most of you recall Pam knitting this blanket that was in the second Stitch N’ Bitch book. She made this for little Clementine. It’s incredibly warm, and when it’s not on the bed, it’s often in the van to keep little legs warm on trips to school in the morning.
Made by Janella – Dear dear, Janella knitted this for baby Hannah. It’s quite little and is often used for bundling a herd of ponies as they lay nestled in between two little girls.
Fuzzy – See above for origin. It is synthetic and fuzzy and soft, and weird, but I’m not going to lie, it’s COZY!
Character blanket 3 – Purchased by Ann. Fuzzy and soft, and an adequate size, this one is a real keeper -- because it's a SPONGEBOB blanket. :)
Super soft green – I believe Pam purchased this originally for Hannah’s naptime at school, but it wasn’t as long as Hannah likes them. It’s one of the best. SO soft, it’s chenille-esque, with this delightful blue trim. This blanket is often the ‘snuggle toys’ blanket.

Made by Aunt Sandy – This blanket is our only crocheted item in the house – pretty much. It was made for Hannah when I was pregnant with her. Ryan’s Aunt Sandy made it, and it’s incredibly warm, and will often be found pushed off the bed due to its heat.
And finally the Towel – Yeah, I know, weird, right? They LOVE towels though! They’re always wrapping up in them, using them as capes, or as blankets for their dolls.

my love affair with woody allen (pt. 4)

The Horrors of Adultery

I was really going to take a break from all this Woody talk, but I can’t. I’m just not done yet. There are too many things that need to be said about his movies. I’ll get back to my drivel about art-making and parenting, and listings of love --- trust me. For now though, I can think of little else than movies, and when it comes down to it, my obsession with film truly arose out of loving Woody Allen’s films.

Today’s topic: CHEATING! It’s almost as if Woody thinks it’s as natural as sneezing. This is an inevitable feat. Men do it unconsciously. Women do it too, out of a need to be fulfilled. As an adulterer himself, it should not be any surprise that a good 10 of his films deal extensively with the subject, while still more have it incorporated into particular subplots.

Sometimes it tears someone up when they’re cheating (like in Manhattan or Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Others of course, it does not. What’s fascinating to me is the amount of times the adultery is NOT discovered. In Mighty Aphrodite, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Hannah and Her Sisters, while the wives could suspect their husbands to be running around on them, Woody decides to cut the relationships off have the wedded couples reunite and let the secrets stay just that. Is this what happens in life?

In both Alice (1990) and Husbands and Wives (1992), the adultery is discovered and a huge confrontation occurs. Alice a fantastic, although often overlooked Allen film centers on Mia plays a woman who had high hopes as young woman to ‘do something’, but instead married (VERY) well. She goes a bit crazy being a good wife and mother and getting herself from massages to hair appointments. A friend of hers sends her to a Chinese herbalist (who has a shop on Doyers St. in Chinatown --- my FAVORITE restaurant in the world – Vietnamese Restaurant in on that street!). He gives her various herbs – ones that make her invisible, ones that make her say how she really feels, and ones that will make men fall in love with her. It’s quite a riot! Husbands and Wives is shot primarily on a hand-held and has a documentary feel with its interviews in therapy sessions, etc. It’s all about temptation, and youth, and hope for the perfect partner. I find it difficult to watch, but of course, quite entertaining!


Deconstructing Harry (1997) is also painfully honest. It’s really the first film where Woody declares that it’s a true depiction of his own character, which is, let’s be honest --- scary! He’s a sex crazed lunatic, getting prostitutes and screwing over his wives and messing up his kids. He’s a writer, and his stories come to life. Some of them are ridiculously funny – Robin Williams literally becoming out of focus, Julia Louis Dreyfuss going down on her friend’s husband, Tobey Maguire playing a Woody-esque character, Demi Moore as a devout Jew. Mighty Aphrodite (1995) was also quite fowl in its theme, although I think it to be MUCH more fun! Mira Sorvino is classic in this movie! Woody’s character and his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) adopt a fantastic little boy. Woody is struck by his son’s genius and decides to track down his real mother which leads him to Mira’s character – a prostitute. You can just imagine the hilarity that follows.


Anything Else (2003) and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) are similar in that they revolve around responsibility-less people with little to do than sit and ponder love and sex. The former stars Christina Ricci and Jason Biggs. My dear friend, Mark, adores this movie because he gets all the esoteric references, but if you’re like me, then they’re going to go way over your head, and what your left with is a trite plot about unhappy couples sleeping with one another in hopes to rekindle life’s passion. In the end, I felt robbed. Vicky on the other hand, Woody’s most recent film, with heartthrob Penelope Cruz, Woody’s beloved Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem, takes us to new places: THREESOMES! Teehee! It’s remarkably classy set in Spain, filled with romance and drama, and just enough Woodyishness to keep me happy.

September (1987) and Another Woman (1988) are two of Woody’s most serious films. September deals with difficult mothers (another theme in his movies), and lost dreams. Mia Farrow and some friends retreat to a summer cottage only to find more heartache and disappointment. Yeah, it’s pretty uplifting, let me tell you. Another Woman, is probably just as happy, but shines much much brighter due to its gorgeous production. Gene Rowland stars as strong-willed woman in a dying marriage with Ian Holm. Gene Hackman stars as well. Relationships starting in adultery often end in adultery. Quite bittersweet, but with Sven Nykvist doing the cinematography, it is worth a look.



I have saved Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) for last because they’re two of my FAV-O-RITE films of all time. No, I did not name my Hannah after Mia's character Hannah, HOWEVER, I did get quite a little thrill out of subtly paying homage to Woody's films by choosing the name. Mia's Hannah has fantastic sisters! Barbara Hershey plays Lee, who's sleeping with Hannah's husband. Hannah's other sister, Holly (Dianne Wiest in an Oscar winning performance), is desperate to land this architect only to be blindsided by her catering best friend played by Carrie Fisher. Holly writes this scathing play to which makes Mickey (Woody Allen), Hannah's ex-husband, fall in love with her. So I gave the whole plot away, who cares, what matters about this film is the fantastic dialogue and the impeccable soundtrack. Truly, one of the greatest EVER! Crimes is much darker, involving a murder plot against the mistress (Angelica Huston) that refuses to go away. It's probably the most fascinating of his films. Alan Alda plays this ridiculous Hollywood producer that says these REDONKULOUS lines: Comedy is tragedy plus time.

Okay, last Woody entry to come: The funny, simple ones.

coveting

and everything else on Sarah Ogren's Etsy Shop! (yeah, i know it's creepy, but have you seen my bunny lamp?) ;)

Friday Listing! What I love about 'Annie Hall'

• The quote: That sex was the most fun I've ever had without laughing.


• The invention of the word ‘lurve’, which I use quite often: Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you.


• The love/hate comparisons between New York & L.A.


• Therapy scene – screen is split: "We have sex all the time, like three times a week" Annie says. "We rarely have sex, it’s like three times a week," Alvy says.


• The first time Alvy goes over to Annie’s place. They’re on the roof, and there’s these subtitles letting us know what they’re really thinking.


• Alvy’s previous girlfriends/wives. SOOO funny! Carol Kane and Shelly Duvall.


• It doesn’t have a fluffy ending, but it is SO endearing: After that, it got pretty late and we both had to go, but it was great seeing Annie again and I realized what a terrific person she was and how much fun it was just knowing her...and I thought of that old joke, you know, the, this, this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, 'Doc, uh, my brother's crazy, he thinks he's a chicken,' and uh, the doctor says, 'Well why don't you turn him in?' And the guy says, 'I would, but I need the eggs.' Well, I guess that's pretty much how I feel about relationships. You know, they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd and - but uh, I guess we keep going through it...because...most of us need the eggs. ---- We need the eggs! HA! It’s so great, you guys!


• The quote: A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.


• Christopher Walken as Annie’s crazy brother.


• The dinner scene at Annie’s parents’ house, where Alvy imagines them all to think he’s a Hasidic Jew.


• A VERY young, Jeff Goldblum telling his agent at a big Hollywood party: What’s my mantra, again?!


• Paul Simon wooing Annie.


• Woody talks to the screen at times, making me feel like I’m his friend. :)


• Annie’s fashion! I totally rocked the Annie look in high school.


• When she says ‘well la-di-da’

my love affair with woody allen (pt. 3)

Periods and Woody Allen

Nine of Woody’s films are period pieces. I’ve already written about Shadows and Fog, and Zelig, so they’ll just get honorable mentions. The only thing that gets Woody out of the modern world is his muse period: the jazzy, the sexy, the fashionable 1920s-1940s. Two exceptions: Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (set in the 1900s) and Love and Death (set in the early 1800s).

Love and Death (1975) really feels like Woody’s homage to all the great Russian novelists and their existential relationship to love, class, and death. The film is quite campy. There’s a romp in a castle where Diane Keaton has a chastity belt, which Woody (playing a ridiculous jester) painstakingly tries to remove while Napoleon is just in the other room. Some classic lines in this one, but if you really want my opinion, it’s just another ‘earlier funnier film’ of his, which I just don’t care for unless I’m seriously sleep-deprived or drunk. A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982) isn’t my bag either. Two couples go to the countryside and are carried away by love and romance and silliness. I think I fell asleep. Comedy did mark the first time Mia Farrow starred in Woody’s films.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) and Sweet and Lowdown (1999) are two of his best movies. Set in the 30s, the former centered on his love of 30s cinema and the art of going to the movies and losing yourself, and the latter engrossed in jazz. Purple is quite endearing. Mia Farrow plays this lonely, meek & quiet wife who spends her afternoons in the solace of a movie theater. She watches a movie ‘The Purple Rose of Cairo’ which Jeff Daniels stars in. Within the movie, he notices the woman sitting time and time again through the movie, so he comes out to meet her. It’s such a magical dream for things like this to happen. She takes him to Coney Island, and around the ‘real world’. He falls for her. Yeah, it’s bittersweet and touching. Sweet and Lowdown is done in the mockumentary style that I love so much! Sean Penn stars as the ‘2nd best jazz guitarist in the world’ (second to Django Reinhardt). The music is SOOO good! Samantha Morton plays his mute girlfriend. She’s ADORABLE. Both Penn and Morton received Oscar noms for these roles. They’re just priceless. Penn’s character is quite flawed, but again, dripping with endearment. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) was also set in the 30s. Let’s just say it though: it sux!

Sandwiching the 30s, is Bullets Over Broadway (1994), set in the 20s and Radio Days (1987), set in the 40s. Bullets is GORGEOUS, with beautiful rich lush color. John Cusack (swoon!) is a struggling playwright who gets badgered into hiring two difficult female leads for his new Broadway play: the genius Dianne Weist and the ridiculous Jennifer Tilly. I am telling you: this is a FINE film! There’s wonderful gangsters, oh-so-cool Chazz Palminteri, and some of the funniest almost love scenes with Dianne (playing the illustrious and slightly alcoholic Helen Sinclair) begging John’s character to “Don’t speak!” Very classy film. Radio Days is fun and light. Fairly forgettable though.

my love affair with woody allen (pt. 2)

Woody in Black & White

It's not over, folks. I feel like I have five or six more entries on him, but maybe I should intersperse them with entries on less offensive material. ;) The thing is, I don't have anything written on how much I adore Woody's movies, at least not since high school. So these entries are for me, and for the record of my love for his work. I am compelled to recap every little detail for you about each film, but in hopes to keep some of you reading, I will try to concentrate my efforts on highlighting what's important.


Woody Allen adores black & white movies. As far as I can tell, without combing the internet for absolute knowledge, that he did 8 movies in black & white himself. My favorite, of course, Manhattan, being one. He only seemed to use the black & white as an indicator of set and time once, when he used it for Zelig, which was set in the 1920s. He made the whole film feel like it was old, with shakiness, and grainy film, and a magnificent voice over.

• Zelig (1983), is another favorite of mine. Stars Woody as this chameleon of chracters, changing personality when his social group changes. Mia Farrow plays his psychiatrist. It's done in this mockumentary style of filmmaking which touches my heart (Waiting for Guffman is my other favorite mockumentary. SOOO funny!). They wrote several little jigs for this movie: "Leonard the Lizard" and "Doin' the Chameleon". Truly adorable.

• Match Point (2005) Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star as a young couple in London. Scarlett is the American femme fatale -- go figure! Woody has found his new starlet (previously filled by Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow) in Scarlett. This film doesn't star Woody at all, and doesn't even have a Woody-esque character. It's a clean, tight film with great dialogue and a fun plot; it's appealing for most audiences. Me, on the other hand, felt it was missing something.

• Celebrity (1998) Charlize Theron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kenneth Branagh - fun cast about celebrities and the wild life. Meh. I must say though, this was my first Woody movie in New York City, which at the time, was HUUUUGE for me!

• Shadows and Fog (1992) As pictured above, this one has a phenom cast: Mia, John Cusack, Jodie Foster, Lily Tomlin, Madonna!, John Malkovich, and Woody. It's dark and a little creepy with a murderer on the loose, oooh with loose women around as well! Hahaha! It's a classic!

• Broadway Danny Rose (1984) Not one of my favorites, BUT, Mia Farrow's portrayal as the Jersey mob girl is hilarious!
  
• Stardust Memories (1980) I've only seen this one once, but I adored it's sly humor. Woody plays an auteur filmmaker (big stretch!). He really toys with this whole idea of the idiot savant here though, and this mental vacancy both in men and women. People are running him down in this movie, yelling 'we miss your earlier funnier films'. Teehee! Priceless. I honestly think this is Woody paying homage to another fantastic b&w movie about movies: 8 1/2.

• Interiors (1978) This was Woody's first SERIOUS movie. It's quiet, overly referencing of quiet films ala Ingmar Bergman, and very serious. Family drama. It's meaningful and sad, but yeah, I wouldn't recommend it to many. One of the best lines ever came from this movie though: You'll live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to. Black and white is perfect in this film -- cold, austere, flat. Fantastic choice!

my love affair with woody allen (pt. 1)

The opening sequence of this movie, on its own, made me fall in love with New York City. All romantically done in black & white, with Woody’s hilarious voiceover. The most alienating fact about me is that I ADORE WOODY ALLEN. I know. I’ve probably lost half my readers/friends. It’s ok. The truth is: you just don’t know him like I do. Since this is MY blog, I will continue to alienate everyone by going on and on and on about his genius. Today, I’m pressed for time, so I’ll just stick to my favorite movie of all time: Manhattan (1979). It was made the same year I was born. Coincidence? Couldn’t be.

What is it about this movie that appeals to me so? It starts off with Woody in his 40s dating a senior in high school played by one foxy Mariel Hemingway. Yeah, I know, sounds gross, but to me, it’s hot. I suppose I fancied myself a VERY mature 17 year old, and if given the opportunity to runaway with one of my teacher’s or some brainy writer, at the time I think I would have jumped at it, or perhaps jumped on him, teehee, or her. There are so many fantastic people in this movie: Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep (as Woody’s ex. She left him for another woman) and a short cameo by Wallace Shawn. The whole movie is madly in love with the urban complexity. We all hold so much neurosis in our minds. The conversations and quotes of this movie literally changed my life and what I consider to be funny. From talks of having the wrong kind of orgasms, to the ridiculous way people describe artwork, it all touches me.

Do you want to have a debate on Woody’s private life and how it should diminish his work? I don’t mind having it. Is he a child molester? It’s debatable. Would he make a good partner? Certainly not. And frankly, his movies in the last decade have been embarrassing. We can get into that later (if I haven’t lost ALL of my readers).

maybe it's getting old to you...

...but pictures of them sleeping ALWAYS warm my heart. It was one of those strange evenings, where we sent them to bed, and they actually….went to bed! Of course, I should have known that all the silence met that they had snuck in to our room! How could I be disappointed when I walked in to see this delight….All is well in the world.

friday list! more things that make me happy

New additions to my happylist! Some are just so obvious, but others are NEW, I swear! ;)

· The new exciting RETRACTABLE ultra fine point Sharpies!
· Firefly, television series
· Jacob’s PECAN BARS!
· Willamette Valley Vineyards Frizzante
· Playing Super Mario Bros. with Hannah
· Field-trips
· Daydreaming about making my children’s Halloween costumes
· When kids movies are actually good
· Being able to put my hair in a ponytail (it’s almost there, I don’t care how small and ridiculous it will look!)
· Being able to laugh at yourself! What was I thinking?!??
· Making Jacob help me come up with thing that make me happy
· Napping with Bentley
· Daydreaming about Thanksgiving
· Watching Hannah run
· Smelling fields of mint
· Grilled corn
· My inlaws
· Going to the theatre. Seeing all the beautiful people.
· Pabst Blue Ribbon beer
· Skipping
· Figs
· Fantasy of working for an office supply company
· Optimism in people
· Skee-ball
· Playing games and winning tickets, even if the only thing you can get with those tickets are worthless prizes
· Tokens: any kind – from the Carousel, Chuck E. Cheese, the car wash, or the laundromat
· Iced tea
· Full tank of gas
· Working with Tia! :)

Thursday listing (for fun)

1. An amazing gift of love&excitement takes me with some fantastic friends to see ‘Phantom of the Opera’ tonight! I haven’t spent much time with the show since high school, but back in those days I could take on any Christine-wannabe (or at least I thought I could in the shower). ;)

2. I haven’t even stepped into The Shop since the night before my art opening. The whole month of August, I suppose, I took off. Well, now that autumn is upon us, I feel the desire again to snip snip snip!

3. I’m VERY excited to get our Knitting/Crafting, what used to be our ‘Stitch n’ Bitch’ group together again. I’ve been feeling a bit estranged. What is it about moving just a few miles out of downtown that causes this in me?

4. I have also come to terms with my obsessive&unhealthy relationship with Super Mario Bros. Yes YES YES, I’m not kidding. It’s not that the game is awful, because it’s actually FANTASTIC, it’s that it ALWAYS puts me in this sour mood. The only way to stop playing is to lose, which means dying, which means you’re making mistakes, and is of course, frustrating! BAHHHH! I need to seriously distance myself.

5. You see, it doesn’t matter what it is, if I can do it over and over again, I will undoubtedly develop some kind of semi-addiction to it. It’s happened with computer card games, with Tetris, with playing real cards, with cheese, with WHATEVER, I’m just weak…or is it easily entertained?

6. Cloves are delightful.

7. I’m suffering from a lack of initiative at work lately.

8. I’ve found myself in many political conversations these last few weeks. I’ve realized how out of touch and uninformed I am. How embarrassing!

9. I’ve also found myself in some heated email discussions debating the merits of different pens. Now THAT’S something I know about! Haha!

oh my darlings...1st Day

Hope their day continued as adorably as it started:

Me: Hannah, what are you going to show Clementine today during her first?

Hannah: I'll show her to do jobs.

Me: Uh huh...and?

Hannah: And...Ms. Tiffany, and Tealynn, and...

Me: And your friends?

Hannah: Yeah, my friends, and how to do jobs....

Clementine: Yeah, jobs, and play outside. I'm going to play outside with the kids?

Hannah: Yeah, Clemmy, and you'll meet my friends, and you'll do jobs.

Me: Sounds like fun!

Clementine: I'm going to play outside?

Hannah: Yeah, with me!