Feb. 17 - Movies and a book...

Orphan (2009)
Picking up the pieces after their baby's tragic death, the Colemans -- Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) -- adopt 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) from an orphanage, but it doesn't take long for Kate to see through Esther's angelic façade. When John brushes aside Kate's paranoid suspicions, Esther wreaks havoc on the world around her in this chilling tale from director Jaume Collet-Serra. 


This is alot like The Good Son but I liked it.  I knew there was a big twist but I didn't know *what* that twist was and I never would have guessed.....that?!  I was getting so frustrated, feeling actual frustration for the mom when no one would believe her suspicions.  And what happened to the rose bush....ooohhhhhh, I cried right along with her.  Some blood, violence, sex but not too over the top.  A pretty good movie.

The Stepfather (2009)
Mom's (Sela Ward) new boyfriend, David (Dylan Walsh), isn't quite right and Michael knows it. A series of mysterious events leads the teen to suspect that David might in fact be a dangerous serial killer known for preying on families. Now, all he needs to do is gather evidence before it's too late. Nelson McCormick directs this spine-tingling remake of the 1987 thriller based on the real-life story of killer John Emil List. 


This one, on the other hand, bored me and I struggled to keep with it till the end.  How many times did we have to see the girlfriend prancing around in her bikini and how many shots did they have to have with her bikini clad ass jiggling across the screen as she walked to her place in the scene?  I did not like the guy who played the stepfather...at all.  I did not see the 1987 version but I know Terry O'Quinn (Locke from Lost) plays the stepfather.  I'm thinking I'll look that one up and see if it's better.  But this version?  Bleah!

Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah
From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success… and loneliness.

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend…

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart…and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.


Finally read this book, finished it this morning.  While it started out great and I was instantly hooked, it eventually got boring and drawn out without much in particular happening.  Some things about it were a bit ridiculous.  I never did understand why Johnny just suddenly hooked up with Kate.  I didn't like Tully much at all once they went off to college.  Even so, the end had me crying....absolute gut wrenching sobs!  If it would have been shorter and put more effort and emotion into key points instead of lightly touching on things in order to cover a lot of years, I would have loved this book.  Oh, and that 'single act of betrayal' that 'tears them apart' was a huge letdown.  The thing that she kept hinting at would have been a far better 'act of betrayal.'  Overall, still a good book that I would recommend...just wish it had been better.


That's all for now.

Feb. 12

The Crush (1993)
Looking for a quiet place to live, journalist Nick (Cary Elwes) moves into a wealthy family's guesthouse. But the apartment comes with an added surprise: the family's teenage daughter (Alicia Silverstone), who has eyes for Nick and tries every trick in the book to entice him into an illicit affair. He resists -- but she's a girl who doesn't take no for an answer. Ever.



I've seen this movie many times and always loved it but it's been years since the last time.  Watched it several days ago and wow.....I'd forgotten what a psycho she really is!  Alicia Silverstone does crazy evil so well it's scary.  So yeah, I still love this movie.


Anyway, it's been a while and I have no better reason than I'm going crazy.  Soap and Lost and tarts!  Oh, and work and snowstorms and teenage boys who natter on like girls at times and various other everyday normalities.  Sometimes there is too much to blog about and sometimes my mind is just so cluttered I can't blog if I try.  Heh.


So.  Lost.  I liked this episode but once again I don't care much for the off-island storyline.  I know there is importance, but I've not been putting much effort into that area.  On the island however....fun fun fun!  Is Sayid now Jacob?  Or is he really still Sayid?  I stand by my theory that it's Jacob in there now.  Hubby and pretty much everyone around me has plenty of 'yeah but's but I poopoo on their skepticism.  Jacob has probably never done this body snatcher stuff before, probably never had a reason to.  He knows that NotLocke is the dark arts necromancer Voldemort type, and he knows now that it *can* be done but he's not sure about it all.  When he met with Hurley and told him what to do with Sayid, his mind was made up but he was still unsure about things.  So now we have TempleMaster and Translator who know all about NotLocke's shape shifting ways and recognize that something right up that alley has happened to Sayid.  The tests were to see if it was NotLocke they were dealing with, maybe drive him out.  When it didn't work they were confused.  They are not expecting that JACOB would do this so they don't recognize this it could be him.  Meanwhile, Miles never picked up anything from DeadSayid because Jacob was already there.  Or maybe Miles *is*  picking up something but it's not Sayid like it's supposed to be.  I think he knows something and might be the first to clue the others in on it.


That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.  For now at least.  


I'm confused about why Kate cried after Sawyer told her about Juliet and dumped the ring.  I mean, yeah, I was bawling too but I don't know what Kate's was for.  Because Sawyer didn't want her?  Because Sawyer had gotten over her so completely that he was going to marry Juliet?  Was she just heartbroken for Sawyer because he'd lost his love and his life?  Was it just a general breakdown after everything that's happened?


Really not liking Jack much anymore.  I don't know how many times in these episodes I've been rolling my eyes and saying 'Give it up, Jack!' when he tries to be all tough and full of attitude.  Bleah.

 

More tarts!  Before you send me to Tartaholics rehab let me just say that I had not intended to buy these.  While working on Etsy/soap stuff it became apparent that this would be the easiest way for me to get some positive feedback built up in my own shop.  One small order became two small orders (to get more feedback) and then while chatting with the TartGoddess a larger order had to be placed because new scents will be available soon and she was offering them to me in advance.  Of course I simply HAD to try them.  She also told me they were phasing out one of the old scents because it was too weak and she replaced that one (I had ordered it) with something better AND tossed in a freebie.  Can't beat that now can you?

This time I got Snickerdoodle, Country Home, Caramel Latte, Brown Sugar & Chestnuts...and the three singletons in the front are Pralines & Cream, Creme Brule', and Pecan Caramel Swirl.  I've been burning the Snow Angels one from a previous order.  It's a mint/buttercream frosting scent, kinda subtle but very nice.  It's almost like it cleans the air instead of putting a heavy scent over it.  Very nice.

Well, I was going to write about all the happenings in my soap world but time is ticking away and I need to get some things done.  Maybe I'll post again later tonight.  Oh!  Maybe not, since tonight is the opening ceremonies of the Olympics!  I'll (hopefully) be glued to the TV all evening.

Will you??

Feb. 3 - Lost spoilers if you haven't seen the premiere yet!

You had to know I would be writing about Lost today.  What else is there?  Well, besides tarts, and those will come later.

Well I did manage to re-watch the entire fifth season of Lost before last night's season premiere.  I'd been watching one or two episodes per night in the days leading up to it and then spent a good chunk of yesterday (day off) watching the last six episodes.  What I had lacked in enthusiasm and interest all these long hiatus months came back to me as I watched.  By the time the 7pm refresher episode came on last night I was raring to go!

This might be choppy nattering but I'm going to comment on things as I think of them....

I was surprised and happy that Juliet was alive but kept thinking 'Wait, they told us she was indeed dead.'  And yes, I cried when she died.  I'm probably one of the few who did NOT get drawn into the Juliet-Sawyer love story.  Not sure why but it just didn't work for me.  Still, how could you not find that heartbreaking when she died?

On the other hand I did *not* cry when Sayid died, even though I'd accidentally seen a spoiler at least a month ago saying he would.  As soon as Jacob showed up and told Hurley what to do I knew what would be happening.  Even when it appeared it hadn't worked I guess I just knew something would happen eventually.  While I'm sad that 'Sayid' did not make it, I'm glad Naveen will still be around.

Whether Jacob is 'good' or 'bad,' I liked him, and I liked the guy who played him, and it won't be the same having Jacob among them in Sayid's body.

I was NOT happy at all that NotLocke beat the snot out of my man Richard.  I really reeeeally hope they don't make Richard into some pathetic pawn in the Jacob-ManInBlack war.  Please don't take away his mystery, his power!

You should have seen me cheering when NotLocke told Ben "I'm sorry you had to see me like that," after the smoke monster killed Bram & Co.  I was all "YESSS!" because me theory not only held true but appears to be correct!  In yer face, all you 'Yeah but'ers!  (I will eat my words if this doesn't prove to be true....)

Since Now Angry & Powerful NotLocke is heading to the temple for a showdown with Jacid (Sayob?), and Jin is at the temple, and Sun is with NotLocke, I guess we'll have a reunion.

I keep expecting the real John Locke's body to wake up, all those times they showed him laying there dead.

I felt so bad for Jack for a brief little bit.  It was when they were in the temple, they'd accepted that Sayid was dead, and Jack looked like a totally broken man because everything had gone wrong.  And then he got all snotty and Jack-bitchy with the Others who just wanted to talk to him and my moment of sadness for him was gone.  Give it up, Jack.  Your attitude has only gotten you in trouble so far and hasn't accomplished one damn thing.

No clue yet what's going on with the What Would Have Happened If 815 Had Never Crashed part of the show.  Juliet's dead "It worked" comment to Miles had me wondering if the plan really had worked and whatever was going on now on the island was just some sort of last traces business before they moved on.  But moved on to where?  That would be more like if they had died and their spirits hadn't moved on yet.  But if the plan worked and they're all on the plane....there is nothing left to move on.  So I'm confused.  I don't care though because I find the island stuff much more interesting.  And for the spoilerholics...I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.

Hmm, does that about cover it?  Overall I liked this season premiere quite a lot.  It's been a while since I've been able to say that I've liked an episode without more time to ponder things.  Just wish I still had some diehard ponder pals left.  *sigh*

My latest tart fix.....hehe......

 

Trying new scents again using the Choose A Dozen option over at Country Home Scents/Etsy, this time I got:

Hansel & Gretel's House - Smells of warm gingerbread covered with vanilla frosting, cinnamon sticks, toasted graham crackers and juicy raisins!
Cherries & Chestnuts - A fragrance of ripe cherries mingled with a warm nuttiness; a rich, inviting scent!
Orange Dream Cake - This scrumptious fragrance is a blend of juicy oranges, rich vanilla poundcake and buttercream icing!
Almond Cherry - A delightful pairing of lush cherries and rich vanilla blend together to make this "intoxicating" scent!
Lemon Poundcake - Imagine the smell of zesty lemons and warm poundcake, oozing with buttercream frosting!
Bear Claws - The scent of fresh baked Bear Claw donuts made with a sweet dough filled with dates, raisins and nuts. 

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed in this selection.  It is not any fault of the ladies who make these tarts.  I just happened to pick scents this time that aren't doing much for me.  The Hansel & Gretel will probably be my favorite out of this bunch.  The Almond Cherry reminds me of cough medicine, or those Ludens throat drops we all sucked like candy when we were kids.  The Lemon Poundcake is too Lemonhead candy-like.  Maybe they'll be different when they're actually heated but right out of the box, those are my first impressions.

I also bought two electric tart warmers.....

I've been using two warmers, each using a tea light candle as the heat source, one here on the desk and one on the living room corner shelf.  A tea light burns for about three hours, burns itself out.  That's plenty of time to fill the rooms with lovely tart scent.  On my days off I usually burn several tea lights a day.  It got into my head that this was ridiculous, that I should get electric warmers and save on the hassle and waste that the tea lights bring.  So I ordered two from my tart lady, got them yesterday and, well, I don't like them.  Again not the fault of the tart lady!  I don't like them because the cords are so short, I'm extremely limited on where I can put them.  There are a couple other reasons why I don't like them, and now I don't know what to do about them.  I'm debating sending them back for a refund but I don't want my tart lady to take it personally or anything like that.  What to do??

***UPDATE***
I've sent the two warmers back and will get a refund.  She was very understanding and didn't seem to have a problem with it.