Excellent Movie Monday: Funny Face

Funny Face (1957)

Plot: A fashion photographer (Astaire) in search of an intellectual backdrop for a magazine shoot takes over a bookstore and meets a sales girl (Hepburn). While developing the photos, he decides that her face is perfect for modeling and persuades her to sign a contract and come to Paris.

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire

Funny Face is one of my top three favorite Audrey Hepburn films. For those of you who don't know, Audrey is my ultimate style icon. Although I tend to lean toward more color and eccentric clothing and I can't pull off a cigarette pant because of my dreaded cankles, I always go back to her for inspiration. Every single time. The woman was a goddess. But, back to the film. Funny Face has an amazing soundtrack. If you ever see a girl screaming "Bonjour Paris!" in a horrible french accent from her '87 Volkswagen, don't be alarmed. It's just me. The movie also has phenomenal costumes, great scenery (Paris!), and a love story to boot. What more could a girl want? One of the best scenes:

Days of Peace & Harmony - Tibetan Monk Visit

Through work, I was able to be a part of an event celebrating the visit of a group of monks to New Hampshire. A lot of my family ended up tagging along and we had an amazing experience! These men have the most beautiful ways of thinking. Meeting them made me feel more enlightened and optimistic about life. I thought I'd post some of my photos from my day! 

Throughout their visit, the monks created this mandala out of colored sand. It was so incredibly intricate! At the end of their visit, they dismantled it and poured the sand into the pond as a reminder that material things do not matter and the only thing permanent in life is impermanence. 

A table of offerings was created in the room with the mandala around a photo of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. 

We participated in a stone painting activity. These two mean "peace" and "om".

They performed a Snow Lion dance in costume. I had some younger family members with me who seemed a little unsure of the costume, but it was very cool to see! the eyelids even blinked.

Some of my family, Chris, and myself. 

A ceremony was held to dismantle the mandala. Afterwards, they chanted and led us down to the pond where they poured the sand into the water to bless the village. 

As we were leaving, I saw one monk sitting alone on the hill. My favorite pictures from the day!

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The True Meaning of Life:

"We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, Something useful, with our lives. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life."

His Holiness The Dalai Lama

What I Wore - Carnival Date

Dating is hard. I should elaborate. Having a boyfriend for four years is one thing, but finding the time to actually go out on a date when your schedules clash? Impossible. We live together, but it's a huge surprise if we ever have a day/night off at the same time. Last Friday after work we were both free so Christopher and I gave it a shot and went to the fair. I love this fair. I have the best memories of this fair from when I was young! Alas, it ended up being sort of a bust because 1.) Christopher doesn't do rides. 2.) It was daytime. Nobody wants to ride the ferris wheel or hang around when there are no pretty lights on the rides. 3.) I was tired from working all day. Oh well... We did walk down to the river just behind the parking lot and then to dinner and ice cream afterwards. Christopher played paparazzi to my slightly irritated self. Oh vacation time, you are much wanted! 

Jacket - Old Navy, Thrifted - $4.50

Maxi Skirt - TJMaxx, Clearance - $4.00

Shoes - Thrifted - $5.00

Clutch - Target, Clearance - $4.99

Everything Is Better On Vinyl

I love my record player. There is nothing like finding an awesome record amongst awful ones in a bin at a flea market, getting it home, and hearing those first popping notes of music when the needle is placed on it. I've been in a super Joan Jett kick lately (can you tell?) so she's been on an almost constant rotation at home when I'm folding laundry or reading. Do any of you prefer vinyl to digital?

Thrifted Finds - Vintage Mice Figurines

I found these little babies taped together for $0.99 at Goodwill and snatched them up like they were gold. I love vintage animal figurines! I could tell that they were in need of some TLC so I asked for a discount and got them both for $0.50. (Plus with my 20% discount, they were basically free.) Unfortunately, when I got them home and started to take off the tape they were in worse condition than I thought. The mouse on the right was missing his tail and the big guy was broken into 4 pieces.

Super glue surgery for big guy and some black acrylic paint on little guy's tail helped a bit.

How sweet do they look with my little fawn? The deer had some superglue surgery herself since her head broke off as I was unwrapping her. Poor little things. Hopefully I can find more creatures at yard sales this summer to make my own little zoo.

Excellent Movie Monday : Benny & Joon

Plot - A mentally ill young woman falls in love with an eccentric man who idolizes Buster Keaton. Her brother, Benny, is not thrilled.

Starring - Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn

I was introduced to Benny & Joon in middle school by my mom. She said it was not an option - I had to see it! After the issue of spelling Joon's name correctly was resolved, we found it in the system of our local movie store and it quickly became one of my favorites. I have memories of my best friend and I dancing around in my living room to the opening sequence of this film and then rewinding it to dance to it again (this was in VHS days, kids. Rewinding was serious business.) I'm always so surprised that so many Johnny Depp fans have not seen this! It's one of his best, in my opinion. This is one of those movies that I love to watch with people who haven't seen it before and scream "This is my favorite part!" every other scene. But seriously, This really is my favorite part:

What I Wore: Thursday Office Attire

I go through phases where I'm really bad at being office appropriate. I work in two fairl casual office settings so it's not usually an issue that I just can't stand the black pencil skirt, white shirt thing all the time. Sometimes, a girl just needs neon flowers and sequined leopard print! I did wear a white crochet sweater over the dress to tone it down a bit, but that's all i could do. I just had to let my freak flag blow in the wind a bit.

Oh, and my animals were not far during these shots.

Bo supervised the photo process from his play pen on the back lawn.

sweater - vintage, thrifted - $2.50

dress - Simply Vera Wang, Kohls - around $15.00

flats - Kohls - clearance - around $4.00

"Guilty" Pleasures- TV Shows

I put quotes in the title because I am not the type to be embarrassed about things like this easily. I watched Full House and Step By Step reruns after school until I was 17 and I loved every moment of it with pride. Total Request Live did not hold my interest. I wanted wholesome family love. Anyway, These are three TV shows that I was set on not watching and "knew" I wouldn't like and am now obsessed with - shamelessly!

Gossip Girl

My newest and strongest obsession. Why am I just watching this show now?! When Borders book stores were closing I bought a book for super cheap called You Know You Want It by Eric Damon. The clothes and photography were great and I knew it would be an amazing book to flip through for outfit inspiration. Turns out Eric Damon is the costume designer for the show. Mild interest spiked but I guess I assumed the show was for a younger generation. I was so wrong. I started watching the first couple seasons on Netflix and eventually pulled Christopher into the show as well. It's phenomenal. Chuck Bass is one of the best characters I have ever seen on a TV show! He is perfection. I laugh, cry, scream, and plead with the characters every time I watch. Also, my first opinion was correct, the clothes alone are worth watching for. *PLEASE NOTE* I am just starting season 5 now on Itunes so I am not caught up with the current episodes. If anyone gives me any more spoilers I may faint.

Friday Night Lights

A coworker gave me every season of Friday Night Lights about a year ago for my birthday. I did not get it. Why would I want to watch a show about sports? Especially football? I'll tell you why - because all of the football players are dream boats with abs for miles and sexy southern accents, that's why. I had a constant internal battle trying to decide if I loved Tim Riggins or Matt Saracen more and in the end decided that I would just have them both. Although the pretty men was the main reason that I stuck with this show in the beginning, I will say that the storyline is good too. There were a few twists that left me completely shocked and fumbling for the remote to play the next episode even if it was pasts midnight and I had to wake up early in the morning.

Vampire Diaries

I was completely dead set on not watching this show. I got into the Twilight books and went to see the movies on opening night. I was not going to get involved with another vampire trend. I mean, I have a reputation to think about (har har...). My mom heard how great this show was from someone and started watching them online. I think i resisted for a few weeks and when I finally watched an episode with her I got pulled into a "who's better? Stephan or Damon" conversation and I haven't made my way out of it yet. Now, I actually go to a friends apartment on Thursday nights so that we can watch it away from the men in our lives and freely talk about why bad boys are so sexy and how we are going to get our significant others to cut their hair like that. In depth arguments about plots ensue. We eat junk food, say terms like "I'd hit that", and throw stuff when the episode doesn't go how we want. Analyze why nobody ever really dies on this show. Why does Elena always go into the house alone when the power is out and there is a bloodthirsty killer looking for her? Why? It's amazing. This weeks season finale was perfection. By the way, I'm team Damon all the way.

What TV shows do you watch and love? I may need some recommendations.

What I Wore - Friday Edition

Iphone photos. I do not enjoy you. I don't know how so many bloggers find the time to take gorgeous photos of their outfits. Christopher is still sleeping when I leave for work and when I get home not only is he gone, but it is dark and not a good time for photos. So i resort to Iphone pictures. Maybe one day I'll get into a habit of doing them on weekends with a real camera without my dogs staring at me.

I am thrilled that it's Friday! This week seemed to drag on and on. I may try to sneak out of work a little early (maybe...) to do some thrifting before meeting family for dinner and then my mom and a friend for a movie. I've been hearing iffy reviews for Dark Shadows and I'm really hoping that I don't agree with them. My mom has been over the moon since she saw the first preview because she used to watch the TV show in the 70's. Nostalgia and Johnny Depp? Where do I sign up?

Dress - Express, Thrifted - $4.99

Jacket - Old Navy, Yard Sale - $2.00

Flats - Old Navy, Clearance - $3.99

Necklace - Gift from Copenhagen, Denmark

Ring - Gift, Vintage