Happy New Year!

May 2009 bring you prosperity, peace, health, & many blessings. I pray that all of your wishes for the next year come true, and that your New Year’s resolutions become stunning successes. God Bless!

Some Halloween Fun!

This week I decided to share some of my favorite Halloween links and videos. The first video is actually a movie trailer starring a young Johnny Cash. The movie is titled, “The Door-to-Door Maniac.” I have never seen the movie, but it looks like it could be pretty intense.

It was around this time last year that I discovered a whole new genre of movie trailers on Youtube. Some very creative and talented people like to take scenes and clips from beloved movies. They turn these clips into a movie trailer that has an entirely different look and feel from the original film. For example, one person edited clips from the movie “Sleepless in Seattle,” and turned it into a story about an obsessed woman. They basically took a romantic comedy and turned it into a horror film that closely resembles the ’80s movie, Fatal Attraction. Trust me,  you will never see Meg Ryan’s sweet and lovable character quite the same way again.

Another favorite family, “Mary Poppins,” has been painstakingly recut in to a trailer that makes the film look like a horror movie, as well. Once again, you will never look at Mary Poppins, nor Julie Andrews, the same.

The last recut horror trailer I will share, is from another modern family classic, The Lion King. Once again, our lovable hero has been transformed into a psycho-lion!

The last link is for a new, independent movie which an aquantaince of mine produced. Shadowland has been screened at several film festivals, including the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase, the Piasa Film Festival, the Freakshow Horror Film Festival, and the Halloween Horror Film Festival. It has won recognition and awards at these festivals. Additionally, it is scheduled to be screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November.  For a synopsis and more information, check out the Shadowland official website.

A Post-Birthday Shout-Out to My Friends

As you have may have read in my earlier post, I recently had a milestone birthday. I was totally stoked about turning 40. To be honest, part of the reason may have been a little selfish. My friend, Sheila, was hosting a birthday party to celebrate yours truly. This would be a day all about ME!

As the day (and the party) approached, I assured myself that I would not be upset or disappointed if there was a low turnout for the birthday bash. I knew that there were competing factors and other events that would prevent some invitees from attending. Yet, I was also aware that the confirmed guest list was getting larger as the day drew near. The skeptic in me kept wondering just how many people would actually show up.

Well, low and behold, the party was a huge success. Between 25 and 30 friends were on hand to celebrate with me. Some I had seen earlier in the week, some I hadn’t seen in over a year. My good friend, Ken, even flew in from Colorado to surprise me! Actually he flew to St. Louis and then made the 3 1/2 hour drive down to Springfield. Now that is what I call a true friend!

So this is a big thank-you to all of my friends who helped me ring in my 40th year! I will NEVER forget just how special you made me feel. I can’t wait for my chance to return the favor and make you all feel special. You guys (and girls) are the BEST friends a girl could ever hope for!

May is National Salad Month

I have learned that the month of May is the official National Salad Month. I am not exactly sure who made this declaration, but I have heard that it was started by the official Association for Dressings and Sauces in 1992. However, as someone who is striving to eat more healthful, nutritious fare I have decided to pay homage to this month-long holiday. I resolve to eat at least one serving of salad or other type of leafy green vegetable each and every day for the month of May. That is not a small feat for this gal, as I generally choose meats, breads & grains, and sweets over a typical salad. It may be a tad easier now that we are getting close to summer, when I know I will have the occasional craving for a tasty, but cold salad or fruit.

Things I am keeping in mind for National Salad Month:

• Not all salads are low-fat, low-calorie, or healthy. Typically, many salads available at your favorite restaurants are over-sized and “over-caloried.” Be sure to check out nutritional information online before you head out to eat, or ask for the information at the restaurant. You might be surprised!
• I always ask for a non-fat dressing first, or at the very least, a low-fat dressing. And I always insist the dressing be served on the side.
• I never pour the dressing over my salad. Instead, I dip my fork in the dressing between each bite. I then pick up a piece of the lettuce salad. The dressing goes much further, and the amount of fat and calories that I take in goes down. Yet, I still have the taste of dressing in each bite.
• Sometimes, when I am at home, I will experiment by making my own “dressings.” For example, last night, I mixed some red wine vinegar and couple of seasonings to use as dressing for my salad. Be creative, but do pay attention to the amount of fat and calories of the ingredients you are using.

For more tips and ideas on healthy eating and restaurant food, check out Hungry-Girl.com

Take the Salad Dressing Personality Quiz

How Well Do You REALLY Know the Christmas Carols?

My friend, Niesje, recently emailed a link to a fun Christmas carol trivia quiz. The quiz is on the Chicago Tribune website, and proved to be a tad more difficult than I would have guessed.

Make a Trailer Park Ginger Bread House

I received this photo of a trailer park ginger bread house in an email. It looks like it might be fairly easy to make, although I have not tried it myself. I am sure anyone who is creative and good with cake decorating and baking could do this.

23 Ways I Celebrate Christmas: A Meme

WOW! Up until earlier this week, I had never been tagged. Now, I have been tagged again! This time jazzyjo did the tagging, and the subject is 23 ways I celebrate Christmas. Here goes:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Gift bag. I am a lousy gift-wrapper. If I do actually wrap a gift, it usually looks like a 5-year old did the job.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. I only had my own real tree once, and it proved to be a huge mess. However, I am not putting up a tree this year at all. I tried last year after getting a cat. Fiona literally destroyed my tree less than one-half hour after I had decorated it. Check out the photo to see the damages!
3. When do you put up your tree? Usually Thanksgiving weekend.
4. When do you take down your tree? Usually a couple of days after New Year’s day.
5. Do you like eggnog? I have never actually had real eggnog. I have had eggnog-flavored Ghirardelli Chocolate, and I loved it! I am thinking that I might like eggnog.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Any of the dolls that I received, since I collected them.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Not a full nativity scene, but I have a “small” one that consists of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
8. Hardest person to buy for? If he were still living, it would be my grandpa. He lived a life of simplicity and never needed or wanted gifts. That made Christmas shopping for him a little difficult.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My three nephews. I have two 5-year old nephews and one 7-year old nephew. It is always easy to come up with a ton of ideas for kids!
10. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? In a game of Dirty Santa (aka a White Elephant gift exchange) I received three big jars of “mystery” preserves. A friend, whose workplace had a food drive, brought them as a gag gift since they couldn’t actualy use them at the food bank. They looked really gross!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I would love to say that I mail Christmas cards, but honestly, I never get them out. I have good intentions every year, even going so far as buying a box of cards and making a list. However, I haven’t actually followed through for several years. I have about 5 boxes of unused Christmas cards stashed somewhere in my closet. Email is much easier, but I know it is not the best choice.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? The original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It’s a classic.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Thanksgiving weekend.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, but I am not going to say which gift I actually re-gifted. You never know who could read my blog. I wouldn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut butter or butterscotch fudge. Also, this little cafe/tea room in Nixa, Missouri has the most wonderful dessert during the holiday season. The restaurant is called Chez Robert, and the dessert is called the Barker House pie. I think it is an old family recipe. It is divine!
16. White or colored lights. Colored, as long as they are small lights. Nothing really tacky! I don’t want to go Griswold or anything. (Anyone who has seen National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will understand.)
17. Favorite Christmas song? I could only narrow it down to three: O Holy Night by Josh Groban, Winter Wonderland by Andy Williams, and White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
18. Traveling for Christmas or stay home? Staying home. I will probably spend the day with my parents who live nearby.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers? I can name a few of them on my own.
20. Angel or Star on top of tree? If I had a tree, I would probably have a star as the tree-topper.
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Both. Ever since I was a child, my family always opened one or two small gifts on Christmas Eve. Then we would open the rest on Christmas morning. Our family still carries on that tradition.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Long lines, crowded stores, and scrooges.
23. What I love most about Christmas? Giving. And of course, celebrating the birth of Jesus by going to a candle-light Christmas Eve service.

Wine Club: Not What I Expected

This weekend my friend Sheila hosted Wine Club. This is a group of wine-lovers who meet monthly to share new discoveries in the world of wine-tasting. I am not much of a wine connoisseur. Honestly, I have never developed a taste for wine. I usually prefer the sissy fruity drinks over wine. I can also be somewhat shy when I first meet people. That combination was a little intimidating when Sheila invited me to attend the party.

For about the first hour I was intimidated. There were several lawyers, members of Junior League, and other professionals. Having never been to this event, I did not know that I was supposed to bring a bottle of wine and an appetizer or dessert. Thus, I was the only guest who showed up empty-handed. I was also the only the only one who was walking around with a wine glass filled with water. Now that I look back, I am sure nobody noticed that. Everyone was busy chatting and having a good time.

My attitude changed and my confidence level went up by leaps and bounds as the night went on. Keep in mind, that I wasn’t drinking. Thus alcohol wasn’t a factor in my increased comfort and confidence. What did the trick, was that a small group of people settled in the living room, with me being one of them. This is where I met some very interesting and, overall, nice people. As a rather new blogger, I was intrigued to meet Matt and Zarah, who are also bloggers. I enjoy dining out, and writing restaurant reviews as part of my blogging, as does Matt. We all exchanged blog URLs. I checked their blogs out that night and found both to be thoroughly enjoyable.

All in all, the night turned out to be a great time. It was something that I just did not expect. I hope I have the chance to attend again in the future. Who knows, maybe next time I will venture out and try some new wines. I think that there is a distinct possibility that I just have not found the “right” wine for me. Surely, with literally hundreds of wines out there, I should be able to find one I can actually enjoy.

Cheers!

Boy the Bear’s Age Gauge

I discovered this nifty little site a few years back. It is Called Boy the Bear’s Age Gauge Users just enter their full birth date, complete with month, day, and year. The Age Gauge simply calculates how much older or younger you are than certain celebrities, politicians, sports figures, etc. It also tells you how old you were when specific historical events occurred in your lifetime. You can also view what your age was at the time certain top 40 songs, tv shows, and movies came out. This site is quite fun and can come in handy as well. They offer a printable “birthday card version,” so you can give a unique and fun gift to your friends and family. I have found that the older I have gotten, the more fun and interesting the results have become. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!