Where’s my ‘Sweet Home Alabama?’

You know you're smiling right now.

“So I can kiss you anytime I want.”

There it is. The final swing. I’m officially KO’d.

This happens every  time Melanie and Jake reunite on that beach. I watch with bated  breath as our leading lady runs across the sand in a ruined wedding dress towards our flannel and denim wrapped hero, the whole time wondering  if this will finally be    the moment.

I’ve seen this movie a hundred times. I can recite lines word-for-word. I can sing along with the songs, laugh before every comedic moment and even tell you what outfit Reese Witherspoon’s character is going to be wearing when. So naturally, I know how Sweet Home Alabama ends. So why do I continually have this reaction after every viewing?

Because every girl wants this sort of happy ending.

We want the grand kiss in the rain. And if we’re receiving it from a man like Josh Lucas, well that’s all the better.  We want to believe that happy endings like Mel and Jake get really can happen. We want to believe that our “one true love” is out there somewhere, turning lightning strikes into something beautiful.

We want to believe that someone is trying to conquer the world for us.

So that’s why I take a shot to the heart every time I watch the end of Sweet Home Alabama. Because I’m just like every other girl out there, who dreams of one day finding my own Jake. So I’ve only got one last thing to ask.

Where’s my Sweet Home Alabama?

 

Let’s mix things up, shall we?

Photo courtesy of accumulatedobjects on Flickr.

 

Because of my friend over at Muffin Puddles (everyone should check out his stuff!), I had an incredible urge to create a mix of some of my favorite songs in recent months. Now, when I listen to music, I like two things; 1) it needs to have a good beat that I can tap my toes to and 2) the lyrics have to mean something.

Now, the lyrics don’t necessarily have to mean something to everyone. But they do have to mean something. I don’t want to hear rap lyrics about demoralizing women or songs about milkshakes bringing boys to the yard. That’s pointless. Not to say that there aren’t rap songs out there that are amazing and meaningful, because there are.

I’m a firm believer that music is one of the most powerful things in the universe. Music can save lives or brighten days. Music can make you laugh, cry or scream. It can be a person’s religion, best friend, biggest supporter or the thing that unites completely different people. Music is something that has the potential to connect an entire world.

So, without further ado, here is my attempt to connect every one of you with my world:

When I Just Need To Breathe:

• Wild and Young: American Bang
• Rollin’ On:Black Stone Cherry
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door:Bob Dylan
• The House Rules: Christian Kane
• Poison & Wine: The Civil Wars
• Feeling a Moment: Feeder
• Run for Your Life: The Fray
• Here’s To Us: Halestorm
• By Your Side: House of Heroes
• Who You Are: Jessie J
• Sixteen: Lucero
• Come Away to the Water: Maroon 5
• Homage for the Suffering: Matthew Perryman Jones
• Laugh, I Nearly Died: The Rolling Stones
• Unlucky Stars: Todd Wright
• Cough Syrup: Young the Giant

‘Bully’: A film that needs no introduction

This.

Just. This.

Words cannot even begin to describe what I felt the first time I saw this trailer. Relief, anger, overwhelming sadness, and a little bit of hope could start me off. But those are just scratching the surface of what went on in my mind during and after those two minutes of my life.

Bully, a documentary following five kids and their families over the course of a school year, gives insight into the lives of bullied children and the consequences that often follow. Directed by Lee Hirsch, a Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker,Bully”opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographical, racial, ethnic and economic borders.”

There are so many reasons as to why I love this documentary without even seeing it yet. As hard as society might attempt to turn a blind eye towards bullying, it’s no secret how serious of an issue this is. And I’m so happy that someone, finally, is taking a stand.

I don’t care if a person is being bullied because he or she is fat, skinny, straight, gay, black, white or a purple elephant. We, as simple people, should be able to look at one another and see that driving someone to lengths where he or she doesn’t want to go to school because they don’t feel safe is not okay. And what if that person tries to harm his or herself. Or, heaven forbid, if they actually try to take their own life.

Take it from someone who knows, this problem needs to stop. I encourage everyone to at least watch this trailer. Really look at what is being told by these children and their families.

I commend the courage that the people featured inBullyare showing. I commend Lee Hirsch for bringing their stories to life. And I commend everyone who embraces this documentary for taking the first step and becoming aware of the serious issue at hand.

I look forward to March 30, and I hope Bully comes to a theater near me.

Game of Thrones season two should be a “bloody” good time.

Words cannot describe how pumped I am for this newest season of Game of Thrones. At first, I was only excited because I simply watched the first season on HBO. I hadn’t read the books, I had no prior knowledge of the characters and I certainly wasn’t ready for the cliffhanger that I and the rest of the viewers were left with.

But then I received the first four novels written by George R.R. Martin for Christmas, and now I’m even more wired for the show’s return on April 1. Since I’m about 200 pages into A Clash of Kings, a few of the scenes from the trailer are familiar to me. But none of that stops me from being totally pumped for the season two premiere. In fact, it’s just making more rabid for a visual representation of Martin’s genius.

Does the trailer make anyone else absolutely desperate for April 1? And what do you think about reading the books ahead of the television series? Let me know in the comments below.

My roommate, Swamp People addict

My roommate, Rachel, is about as city as you can get. She loves shopping, hates dirt and can’t imagine living anywhere that doesn’t have a layer of smog covering its glass skyscrapers. Basically, she’ll never be considered a country girl.

So imagine my complete surprise when I not only talked her into watching an episode of the History Channel’s Swamp People, but she actually enjoyed it. Before I knew it she was yelling “Shoot it!” right along with Troy Landry and screaming every time an alligator came remotely close to a hunter’s hand or gun.

Now, we’ve taken to watching the newest episodes as they air on the History Channel. Her favorite hunter is still Troy, who she wishes could be her “almost-grandfather,” but I argue that she still hasn’t encountered the Guist brothers who are arguably my favorite. Rachel’s also a huge fan of Liz, but even she had to admit that in tonight’s episode, Liz and her new partner went a little crazy when they dived into the water with an alligator who may or may not have still been alive.

Either way, she’s dead-set on the two of us driving down to the Louisiana bayou and trying our hands at gator hunting. I think she’s crazy. I can’t swim, she’s got the strength of a newborn puppy and there’s no way I’m letting her shoot a gun when my hands and arms are within close range. And she’s even said herself, if an alligator ever climbed in our boat (which looks like a possibility for two new hunters in an upcoming episode), she’d jump into the water to get away from it. The alligator infested waters. Wouldn’t she just make a real wild woman?

I think that I’ll just let her live her Cajun wild side out within the safety of Lincoln 205, where she won’t lose a limb. And I won’t risk potentially drowning or getting eaten. Because neither of us have what it takes to make it on the bayou.

But we sure can watch the professionals.

Welcome back, Adele. The music industry has missed you.

I was so excited for Adele to make her return this evening at the 2012 Grammy Awards. I had literally thought about that moment since it was announced that she would be performing on stage for the first time in five months.

Photo courtesy of : news.softpedia.com

And the British bombshell did not disappoint me.

There are so many things I could say about why I love Adele. The first, and very obvious, answer would be her voice. It’s soulful, rich and so much different than the other female artists we see on the market these days. She doesn’t need twenty back up dancers or distracting strobe lights to deliver a strong and captivating performance. She simply needs a microphone.

Secondly, I love her confidence. I love that she knows she doesn’t need all the typical flare that we see with today’s artists. I love that she is a curvacious woman who sticks by her idea of what beautiful is. And that she doesn’t let anything that people may say about her affect her own outlook on life.

Adele didn’t need to gain fans by selling sex and wearing a size two. She showed that all she needed to do was sing, and that there were a lot of people in the world who would respect her for it.

So kudos to you, Adele. And welcome back. I’ll be anxiously awaiting your next album.

How a commercial was more interesting than the Grammys

This year’s Grammy Awards were filled with star-studded performances, Whitney Houston love and more Chris Brown controversy than I can even begin to fathom. But none of that managed to hold my attention after a 2 minute and 20 second Chipotle commercial aired.

I come from a family who believes in hard work, traditional values and the family farm. So I commend you, Chipotle. I commend you on your advocacy for using home grown and raised produce and meat. I can only hope that you stick to those values.

Oh, and your use of Willie Nelson singing “The Scientist?” Genius.

Saying goodbye to Christopher Paolini’s “The Inheritance Cycle”

The four dragons of Alagaësia

(Potential SPOILERS ahead)

I’ve been a book lover since birth, and when  I first picked up Eragon in 2003. The blue cover with its dragon and simple lettering drew me in immediately. I was never the same. And now, after nine years with Eragon, Saphira and Galbatorix, Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle has come to an end.

I won’t lie. I feel this loss a little more than I did when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II came out in theaters. I can’t tell you why, really. Maybe because I started the series when I was older, or because I was drawn to Eragon by my own choice, and not because everyone else was reading it. Or maybe it was just the land, languages and characters that Paolini created that seemed somehow brighter than the brilliance J.K. Rowling brought to the table with Harry and company.

There really isn’t a specific reason, other than some part of the storyline connected with me. And so I waited, sometimes years, for the newest book to come out. Or for the movie, that undeniably never met the standards that the books lived up to. And even when I had gone such long amounts of time without reading about Alagaësia, I never managed to forget exactly what had happened in the last novel.

I laughed with these characters, and I cried with them. I felt their pain, sorrow and heartache. And now that the series is over, and I’ve closed the book on the final words of Inheritance, I’m not really sure what to do with myself. I want there to be a hundred more tales for the Dragon Riders. I want to continue learning (or pretending to learn) the complicated wording that is the Ancient Language. I want to watch all of the characters live their lives.

I just don’t want it to be over.

The good news, I suppose, is that Paolini isn’t through with Alagaësia yet. He’s said in a few interviews that he has plans for further stories set within his invented land, some of which will swing around to central characters from The Inheritance Cycle and others that will not.

So one day I’ll get to return to the high peaks of the Beor Mountains and to the beautiful city that is Ellesméra. I might get to see what Roran has managed to create out of the burnt ruins that was Carvahall and if Murtagh ever returns to Nasuada (because you know those to are in love.)

But until then, my friends:

Atra du evarínya ono varda. May the stars watch over you.

People’s Choice Awards 2012

Another People’s Choice Awards have come and gone, folks.

Much as it has been in years past, the show consisted of an excessive amount of awards, a smattering of overused (yet still mildly amusing) jokes and some of the hottest stars in Hollywood.

I’m not going to go into much detail, mainly because I’m tired and also because there really isn’t anything to report. Both Demi Lovato and Faith Hill gave heartfelt performances during the PCAs, sounding lovely and looking even better. Kaley Cuoco performed admirably as host, taking an active role in the awards and managing to keep the wardrobe changes to an acceptable level.

One thing that was a little awkward was Cuba Gooding Jr.’s jokes as the final presenter. They all seemed to fall flat, considering the majority of race jokes stopped being funny a while ago.

Now, a personal bias…

SUPERNATURAL! The fans (and family that I hold dear to my heart) came together and voted the cast and crew into recognition with both the Favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy award and Favorite Network TV Drama. I’m so proud of the fandom I belong to, and of the show in general. Way to go, guys!

Here’s a list of some of the nights winners. For a complete list, visit the People’s Choice site.

• Favorite Cable TV Drama: Pretty Little Liars
• Favorite Network TV Drama: Supernatural
• Favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy: Supernatural
• Favorite Comedic Movie Actress: Emma Stone
• Favorite Movie Actress: Emma Stone
• Favorite Daytime TV Host: Ellen DeGeneres
• Favorite TV Comedy Actress: Lea Michele
• Favorite TV Drama Actress: Nina Dobrev
• Favorite TV Comedy Actor: Neil Patrick Harris
• Favorite Pop Artist: Demi Lovato
• Favorite Comedic Movie Actor: Adam Sandler
• Favorite Movie Star Under 25: Chloe Grace Moretz
• Favorite Band: Maroon 5
• Favorite Drama Movie: Water for Elephants
• Favorite Book Adaptation: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Favorite Reality Star: Kim Kardashian
• Favorite Album of the Year: Born This Way – Lady Gaga
• Favorite TV Drama Actor: Nathan Fillion
• Favorite TV Crime Drama: Castle
• Favorite Comedy Movie: Bridesmaids
• Favorite Late Night TV Host: Jimmy Fallon
• Favorite Cable TV Comedy: Hot In Cleveland
• Favorite R&B Artist: Rihanna
• Favorite Movie Superhero: Ryan Renolds
• Favorite Movie Icon: Morgan Freeman
• Favorite New TV Drama: Person of Interest
• Favorite New TV Comedy: Two Broke Girls
• Favorite Network TV Comedy: How I Met Your Mother

“Warm Whispers”: Missy Higgins

I love finding new music. Especially when I think it’s incredibly moving or when I feel it’s relevant to my life. And isn’t that really the whole point of music?

A new piece of music for me lately has been “Warm Whispers” by Missy Higgins. Her soulful voice and wonderful piano gives me goosebumps. But I also find the lyrics of this particular song moving and relevant to life right now, and I wanted to share this with all of you.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.