Who needs Robert Pattinson - I've got Sexy Cullen Madness!

I am the luckiest girl alive - I have my very own Edward Cullen!

But seriously, I took Chloe and Piper and my sister in law McKayla and her friend Torrey to see Twilight today. Piper was admittedly a little young. It didn't scare her, she was mostly bored and never stopped talking/asking questions. Good think I saw it before or I would have been upset. But Chloe liked it - and now my husband has even more reason to tease me. If only HE sparkled in the sunlight...

Our Thanksgiving was nice. I made pie - don't laugh, it was good! Lemon Merengue with freshly picked lemons. Yum! I also finished one of my Christmas gift projects!

Oh, and we did hit some Black Friday shopping...just stopped by Walmart in the afternoon to see if they still had some of their $8 jeans and $4 kids jeans and they did! I got 2 pairs that actually fit me, the girls got some jeans and sweaters and pajamas. Man it's expensive buying stuff for 4 kids! Anyway, that was nice.

No plans for tomorrow, just vegging out I think!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is getting out of hand!

*Please note that all photos below were taken with my new toy - Sony Cybershot W120. Love it!

Ok, first - the cuteness

Lola knows to pose for photos now. Wildy out of hand.

See what I mean? The cuteness is scary!

Then there's Ryder - this was taken moments after he woke up. Yes, he slept in the shoes daddy bought him. Insists he wear them to sleep, yet refuses to wear pajamas. Classy.

Now, a warning - this is where I must draw the line. This Twilight thing has gone too far -

I didn't set this photo up, folks. No sir, this is how I found my dear, sweet Lola when it got far too quiet in the other room tonight.

While I will confess that I read the book again this week, alternating the first 12 chapters of the Midnight Sun manuscript for the full effect. Obsessed much?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Twi-what?

Ok, first - yay! New Moon will be a movie. I think they'll have to be a bit more creative, though. That's a LOOOOONG time with no Edward. BUT - Taylor Lautner is just charming enough that it just might work. OR - they should give Edward an interesting sub-plot when he's away from Bella. OR - they could almost even combine New Moon and Eclipse, if you really think about it. Whatever. I look forward to it. I just need to know where to submit my headshot for casting - I'm so pale I wouldn't even need makeup. I could totally be a Volturi. Or wait until Breaking Dawn and be one of those Vampires. I'm such a dork.

But, in related news....tonight was closing night (again, but this time for good) of Beauty and the Beast. YAY! How does this relate, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

In the scene where Lumiere (Steve) and Cogsworth (our friend Joe) are pursuading Belle not to go to the West Wing but visit the Library instead, they end the scene by describing the kinds of books Belle can read. It usually goes like this:

Cogsworth: Books on Origami
Lumiere: Trashy Romance Novels
Cogsworth: Encyclopedia Brittanica
Lumiere: Women's Studies (as they walk off)

Tonight, kinda just for me, the last line went like this...

Cogsworth: Encyclopedia Brittanica
Lumiere: The Twilight Series

He got applause for that line. The audience was beside itself! I was dying. YAY! So funny.

And that ends my strange Twilight obsession for tonight. I am planning on taking the girls and my sister in law to see it next week. So, it may sneak back but I'll quelch it - for now.

I do have one more quick story about the show...last Saturday, I got up the courage to leave my post as Belle's dresser/wig specialist and watch the entire show. During the scene I described above, they wander through the audience as they "tour" the castle. Well, when Steve walked down the aisle I was sitting on, he turned just as he got to me and started to flirt with me. I thought it was sooo funny. Well, I asked him about it later that night and he said he had never done that before and he didn't know it was me until the light from his candle showed my face. I think that is just plain coolness.

Well, I should be a better blogger now that my life will calm down a little. I will miss the cast, but I look forward to some family time!

9

Twilight!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist this graphic! I mean, I enjoyed the books and even the movie, but c'mon, people? Obsessed much! Oh, I can't wait to knit my first fang warmers.....)

I went to the midnight show tonight with my fantastic friend Valinda. I have to say, I loved it! I thought it was a very good adaptation of the book.

I really liked Kristen Bell and I didn't think I would. I thought she played it just right! Awkward but still attractive, brooding but not too negative and mature but not too old.

I was satisfied with Edward. I think they picked his cheesiest stuff for the previews - I was worried I would hate him. The only thing that drove me MAD about him was his dreadful american accent. He kept changing American dialects - sometimes he was very midwest, sometimes a bit southern and a lot of times, very New Jersey - dropping his r's and everything. I would have preferred they tell him to adopt a classic American accent with a hint of English - very appropriate considering he was born in the early 1900's if my memory serves. I'd look it up, but my BIL borrowed the book.

Even though his part was limited, I ADORED Jacob. If I picture him like that, maybe I can re-read the first half of New Moon - I skipped it the second time I read it. I REALLY hope that they get to make the sequels (well, I'm not sure how I would feel about Breaking Dawn being a movie to be honest) but I want more Jacob! He's the perfect smiling, happy go lucky, fun alternative to Edwards dark satirical yet somehow irresistable anti-hero.

The cinemetography made me a little naseaus at times, but it was effective. I think they made an honest attempt to portray the two falling in love, but if I hadn't read the book and known the thought process, I would have been a bit confused I think. But, to me - that is always the challenge of any love story. Showing a relationship develop is SO tough! Think about how many stories fall really short - almost every fairytale does and I group Twilight in the fairy tale catagory because Vampires aren't real! In a way, Edward is a Prince and Bella is a commoner who wants to be a princess. Jacob is the town cobbler who pines for the headstrong daughter of the town judge and nearly woos her away, but alas, a maiden always goes for the prince, doesn't she?

Anyway, I can only think of 2 movies offhand that really leave me satisfied regarding a love story - and those are Anastasia and Beauty and the Beast. Through limited glimpses, you see how they fall in love. I love the "sexual" tension between Dimitri and Anastasia, but it never gets so ugly that you don't believe they are falling in love. And Belle is so dynamic, so brave, so sure of herself you love watching her chip away at the Beast and even helping him find his inner self. Cinderella could never do that! But I digress...

It left me wanting more, which is what the book series did (well, I felt it ended well with finality so I was content at the end of the series)but each book left me wanting to know more about their story.

SPOILER!!! If you haven't seen it yet, don't read this part!

I did NOT like the ending. I liked the thought of the ending, the concept of the ending and that it left it wide open for a sequel. BUT - sorry - Edward would have heard Victoria's thoughts. And Victoria doesn't really have her day until the 3rd book/movie if they stay close to the material so it was a little weird to lead out with that, I don't know how else they would do a compelling segue. But whatever. Edward would have known she was that close.

I did, however, like that it was Bella's choice to go to prom, even if it was in leggings and a tennis shoe. That's the one thing that always bugged me about Bella - no fun, always giving in to Alice's will, not doing things her own way! This put it in her court. Although I would have liked to see Alice and Jasper and Rosalee and oh crap, it's 4am - what's his name at the Prom.
I loved Laurent, James and Victoria, by the way. I'd like to see her(Victoria) have her day, as well as the rest of the Cullen/Hale family. Carslisle creeped me out a bit because that is EXACTLY how I pictured him. I didn't love Rosalee - but the rest were good fits. It's hard to judge too much, they didn't have a lot to do becuase most of Twilight is all about Bella and Edward. I thought Alice was the cutest and I loved her foot point when she pitched baseball. Clearly the girl is a dancer!

I look forward to hearing from someone who hasn't read the book to see what they think. Oh, and I did think the special effects were a little cheesy, which worries me should we venture to Italy in the next film, if there is one, and meet the Volturi.

Regardless - FUN TIMES!!!!

I like big....what?

A clever kid in the Beauty and the Beast cast put this together! I thought it was fun, so here it is.

PS - 10 points if you can find me. My hubby is Lumiere, of course, and the cute laughing kid is my little man, Ryder!

:(

What a sad week it has been.

First of all, last weekend, my mother in law had been visiting in Provo for the fairwell of her nephew. He was to enter the MTC on Wednesday and on Tuesday when my mother in law was getting ready to leave, my brother in law, Jon, called because he had witnessed a terrible accident and was trying to help the young lady who had been cut off by another car and she swerved into a semi truck. She was in really bad shape and he spent the rest of the day trying to find out how she was doing. But the accident shut down the freeway, so my mother in law waited a while to leave.


She made it home for mutual that night, where her brother came to find her to tell her that the girl who had been in the accident was actually her nephew's girlfriend and that she was brain dead! So the girl was the girlfriend of my husband's cousin who had literally just said goodbye to her for the last time before leaving on his mission. She had planned on putting in her papers in a few months so they could return together.



How sad! How tragic! The did push back his MTC date by a month, but can you imagine? I feel so bad for everyone on that side of the family for what they are going through.



I have also been very uncomfortable about the backlash towards the Mormon church regarding the Proposition 8 passing in California. I commend the people of Las Vegas for taking their protest to the courthouse - where it belongs. 'nough said.



In brighter news, only one week of Beauty and the Beast left to go...I finally go to watch the whole show last night. It was fantastic! I had never seen the second act because I'm usually doing quick changes with Belle and the Enchantress. But, last night I took the risk and let them do it on their own. Only one crooked wig. It was worth it! I cried 3 times in the second act. It is a great show and I'm proud to be a part of it. I am excited for it to be done, though. It's been a long haul and I have so many plans for when it's "done" - potty train Ryder, do my princess costumes, do a holiday concert. Oh, and the holidays. But it will be the first time since March that Steve will be home every night. He's actually only been home a small handful of nights in the last nearly 8 months (aside from Sundays). So I am excited to feel like a normal family again.



So - there ya have it! And one more family photo for ya!

No More!

"No More!" from tick, tick....BOOM! by Jonathan Larsen

Yeah, I'm done with trying to give EVERY post a musical name. It will only happen now if it comes to me. That was just too much pressure.

We took family pictures! YAY! Enjoy! (these are just some, more to come later - give me a reason to post.)

This is about as traditional as we get.

Isn't Ryder funny?

Just us gals.

My two favorite men!

And our high fashion shot!

Oh, did I mention I have a whole new hairdo - have had it for about a month now. Lovin' it!

I just haven't gotten any pictures of myself with the new hair I wished to share. I know, vanity. Oh well!

One last thing - here is the Sleeping Beauty dress I built for my neice, Mia.

Fancy!

Art Isn't Easy

"Art Isn't Easy" from Sunday in the Park with George

Art may not be easy, but it is fun! I had so much fun today making my own blog background! Let me know if you want one, too...I might be able to help you out!

Ok - so - here is a photo of my neice Ava in the Snow White costume I made her - soooo cute and very fancy fabrics.

Here are my kids and my sisters kids as we get ready to go trick-or-treating. Lola especially cracks me up in this picture.

And now, for a very special treat - here is a video of me performing the "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted at a Stake Concert. I had a lot of fun!

Ok - that's all for now! Maybe I'll have time to start blogging more now that the show has finally calmed down....we'll see!

Masquerade

"Masquerade" from Phantom of the Opera

Yay! It's Halloween and I've finally found my inner costumer. With a lot of help from Steve - my painter/embellisher/distresser extraordinaire (and totally hot to boot), the kiddo's had some rockin halloween costumes!!!!!

First up - Chloe

She was an "evil mermaid" ala the mermaids in the production of Peter Pan that Steve directed.

This is the best photo I have on hand - Chloe is a bit more glamourous, though! And except for the turtleneck which was purchased, all of the fabric was scraps from the Peter Pan mermaids and some scraps from the costume shop. She also had gloves, but they weren't dry in time for the photos.

Then we have Piper! She is Emily, the Corpse Bride - I think we did a bang up job with the costume. The hair is hers, sprayed blue.

I especially love her "I'm Dead" look on her face. She was very frustrated that no one knew who she was. Doesn't everyone love the Corpse Bride? It is quite a fantastic movie!!

And finally, Ryder (sorry, I didn't get any pictures of Lola - she wore a little dress up costume. Mommy just ran out of time for the poor girl!) Here we have the dashing, debonaire - Peter Pan!

He absolutely loved his "Pika Pan" costume as he called it - kept asking if he could fly. He kept the hat on all night, said "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You" and "Happy Halloween" all night. He is growing up SO much!!!!

We went Trick or Treating with my Sister Ilona's house with her adorable kiddos Ava and Lucas. Then we had chili! Yum! It was a fun night.

As soon as my sister and sister in law send me photos, I'll post pics of the other 2 costumes I made - a Sleeping Beauty and a very elaborate Snow White. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween.