Tuesday, November 26, 2013

5 Best Thanksgiving Movies

I love holiday movies. Christmas movies. Halloween movies. But it's so easy to forget there are movies about Thanksgiving!

I mean, ABC family jumps straight from Halloween to a countdown to their Christmas countdown. It's a tragedy of epic proportions that they're overlooking the untapped market of Thanksgiving movies!

They could gobble their way to the big day! Or make a hand turkey and do five movies. Like these five movies. I mean, I'm putting in all the work here ABC family. What's your excuse?

 5. The Ice Storm

Okay, this movie is insane. Most importantly, it has Kevin Kline. Let's just get that out of the way right now. Kevin Kline is a key to a great movie. Speaking of keys - there's a KEY PARTY in this movie! And neglected kids who act like adults! Get on it.

4. The House of Yes

Speaking of insane movies - I present 'The House of Yes'. I first watched this in college in a class about movies based on plays. It involves incest, and a storm, and a family who thinks they're the Kennedy's, and a wine called "mother's milk". It's ridiculous and takes place over Thanksgiving so you should watch it.

3. Pieces of April

Just look at Katie Holmes on this cover. She's trying SO hard to be edgy and I love it. This movie is about an estranged daughter who decides to host Thanksgiving and reunite with her family. She tries so damn hard to create a perfect Thanksgiving to a point that I can seriously relate to the over freaking out about things. Add to that some crazy family antics to get to NYC for the party and you've got a recipe for ridiculousness.

2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

John Hughes is a god. Let's just face it. This might be my most controversial ranking because it's not number one. But I don't care. My number one is my favorite.  Anyway, this is a great movie with an odd couple type pairing. Steve Martin's straight laced Neal juxtaposed with John Candy's John candy, I mean Del is just genius. But I love anything those dudes are in. John Candy is good at holidays.

1. Son in Law

I can't even. I love this movie so much that it's not just on this list, but my all time favorite movie list as well. My BFF, Jessica, and I quote this movie more than sane people should. It's about a country girl who goes to LA for college and meets Crawl, her fun loving RA who helps her break out of her shell. But then, she has to go home to the farm for Thanksgiving and break up with her fiance so she brings her BFF crawl with her to ease the news. Hilarity ensues. I love it so much. If you watch any of these, make it this one.

Do you have any favorites that aren't on this list? 

xoxo
Amanda

Monday, November 25, 2013

Music Monday - Kanye West: Gone



Guys! I'm on vacation this week for Thanksgiving.

Know what that means? Let's keep this Monday dance party going!

I can't promise that Music Mondays will always involve awesome dance parties. But I can guarantee that I usually want to dance. So it makes sense that a majority of my jams are dancey numbers.

Let's do this!







Happy Monday!

xoxo
Amanda

Friday, November 22, 2013

Catching Fire Day

Happy Catching Fire Day!!!

For those of you who are not in the know, 'Catching Fire' is the sequel to 'The Hunger Games'. If you really didn't know that you must be living under a rock (or AS a rock like Peeta).

The Hunger Games is one of my all time favorite book series'. Yes, I LOVE YA books. I can't help it. I actually blame The Hunger Games for this. I've read the books 2 times each. Saw the first movie in theaters 3 times (and countless other times on Blu-ray). I constantly quote my favorite line when I'm drunk. (That's nightlock, Peeta! You'd be dead in a minute!)

The point is - you should see this movie.

I'm waiting until I'm in Michigan on Monday to see it with some of my very best girlfriends and it's killing me. I can't believe I volunteered (get it?) to see it for the first time a few days late! I have such will power!

I wanted to share my past Hunger Games posts here just to get you in the spirit.

DIY Katniss Braid:

Friday Faves - Hunger Games Edition

And in Hunger Games things that I haven't posted before but need to be shared, I present: 


This is ADORABLE. And involves cookies. So it's glorious. And makes a joke about Peeta/Pita. Which is amazing.

Please tell me your Hunger Games: Catching Fire plans so that I can live vicariously through you until Monday.

May the odds be ever in your favor!
Amanda

PS - If you still need a reason to see this movie. Look at this handsome pirate:



Thursday, November 21, 2013

Power Ballad Thursday: Damn Yankees - High Enough


This PBT is brought to you by my sister in law, Kat, who brought it to my attention. It's just so beautiful.

Not only is this an epic ballad, but it's a great video. Which is apparently a requirement for PBT now. This guy has BANGS. There's a shootout and some black and white. What more could you ask for?

See! BANGS!!!
Anytime a guy is wearing a vest with no shirt or a sleeveless mock turtleneck you just know that fashion history is being made.

So, thanks Kat!  What a great addition to Power Ballad Thursday!

xoxo
Amanda

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Somewhere In Dreamland



Am I the only one who constantly remembers random things from my childhood?

Like this extremely sad cartoon about poor kids at Christmas? And they have these sad hole filled blankets. And the town folk want them to have a nice Christmas for once. And their mother is so sad and can't take care of them and they go to sleep and dream of a land of candy and clean clothes?

Omg. It's the saddest cartoon. But I remember it from my childhood distinctly. I have no idea where I watched this depressing crap.

They sell WOOD for god's sake. Barefoot in the snow no less.

But I LOVE it for some reason! It's so sweet!

It ranks up there with 'Under the Umbrella Tree' or 'Claymation Christmas' for things I remember that no one else does.

Happy Holidays? haha

xoxo
Amanda

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

5 Tips to Better Pen Pal-ing

This picture is ridiculous and I love it.

I never had a pen pal when I was a kid. I always wanted a pen pal. But I never had one. I had friends who wrote to kids in other countries and it just seemed amazing.

I want to be the type of person who has a card for every occasion. I want to remember birthdays and promotions and be thoughtful. So I've got to practice. Couple that with my desperate jealousy of kids who had pen pals and you've got an idea.

And that's where International Geek Girls Pen Pal Club comes in. IGGPPC is a place where nerdy girls all over the world can come together and just talk. There are forums and groups and the friendliest people ever. No matter what you're nerdy about, there's someone there who shares your love.

And to top it off, you get to write letters. And receive letters. Each month, on the 15th, they open up the site to new pen pal exchanges. You put in some basic information about yourself and the genius ladies behind the program pair you up with someone similar to you and send you their info. It's awesome.

Here are 5 tips to better pen pal-ing:

1. Don't be afraid to be yourself. A letter is the most personal form of communication, which means you shouldn't hold back your personality. It's easy to over think sounding cool to your new pen pal but trust me you want to be yourself or no one will want to talk to you.

2. Always write back! I'm a slow do-er sometimes. I tend to forget what I was doing until someone reminds me. Which is BAD BAD BAD for a pen pal! (sorry buddies!) I think a good cadence for pen pal letters is to write at least 1 a month.  Don't sit on the letter for a few weeks (like me sometimes) and make your pen pal think you hate them. You would feel bad if you felt forgotten too!

3. Invest in stationery you love. One of the best parts of writing letters is getting to find fun cards and paper to write it on. Add stickers and washi tape and fun pens and you've got yourself a shopping list! And anytime you get to spend shopping for things you don't need is fun time.

4. Include enough postage. This is especially important if you're sending mail overseas. I'm a chronic worrier with a mom who works at the post office so I annoyed the crap out of her figuring out correct postage. But it's better to worry about it ahead of time than to have the letter returned to you! (Here's a postage calculator if you're in the US.)

5. HAVE FUN! Duh. You're going to have fun. You're going to make new friends and you're going to enjoy yourself. Don't get caught up in the stress of your handwriting or your supplies. Just remember that your pen pal will be happy with whatever you send. Because everyone loves getting snail mail.

This post is part of a blog link up with some of the other lovely ladies of IGGPPC. Check out the other posts over on Jenny's blog!

xoxo
Amanda


Monday, November 18, 2013

Music Monday - Lykke Li: I'm Good, I'm Gone




This is my new favorite song to play on repeat and dance at my desk.

It's really fun and upbeat and just makes you bop your head (at minimum). It's a great way to start your day. Your week. Your life.

Just dance it out!



Happy Monday, dears!

xoxo 
Amanda

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Power Ballad Thursday: Bon Jovi - Always


I realize now that I might have a problem. That problem is Bon Jovi.

They are just...amazing with power ballads. and hair.

Also, this video is amazing. Felicity is in it (in a green shiny bra). There's something about a power ballad that requires the video to be a story. Like, the srory here is about a couple cheating on each other and having long hair. It's pretty good.

Plus, Jon Bon Jovi makes this face:



Do you have any suggestions for future #PBTs? Let me know!

xoxo
Amanda

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Why you should be using a blog reader

If you're reading this blog right now, you're a blog reader. And if you find this blog interesting (even if you don't), there are probably a bunch of other blogs out there that you would find super interesting. And you should be reading them!

 But sometimes, it's daunting to have a folder of favorites that you need to check everyday. Especially if a blog you follow doesn't update daily (like this one) or updates more than once a day. It's hard to catch up when you get behind and it's hard to know when they're updating if you don't follow them on twitter/facebook/telekinesis.

That's where blog readers come in.

A blog reader is a site that you can log into and save your favorite blogs into a "feed" that is custom to your likes. You can follow food blogs, fashion blogs, DIY blogs, lifestyle blogs, tech blogs, comic blogs, you name it - there's a blog for it!

You may have used Google Reader in the past as an aggregate, but sadly the site is no more and many people never made a switch to a new host. If you're wandering around not sure which to pick - let me help! I've used Bloglovin' and Feedly a LOT and both are awesome. But I've been leaning towards Feedly for a while now so I feel like I can recommend it confidently.

This is what your Bloglovin' homepage looks like.

This is what your Feedly homepage looks like.
If I'm being frank here - Bloglovin' is a little too girly for me to confidently recommend. It's logo is a heart. Guys don't enjoy logging into a site that has "love" or apostrophes. And Feedly is just...gorgeous. It's like a slick magazine. You can choose your layout to be in a list format (no photos), card format (see above), or magazine format which is sort of a combination of both.

If you're anything like me, you'll follow way too many blogs to keep up with and only click through to articles with interesting titles/pictures.

Anyway, you'll want to create a login to whatever site you choose and start migrating the blogs you have in your favorites bar over to your feed.  There are search bars on each site for tracking down blogs based on links, titles, or even just browsing by category.

Once you've got a few blogs in your feed, sit back and watch the magic happen.  If you're already caught up on all the articles/posts you may want to mark them all as read to start with a clean slate. Every day, when you have free time, you can simply log into this ONE site and see all your favorite blogs' new posts. The sites update in (semi) real time so you'll be able to refresh and see new posts whenever you want.

Trust me, you'll love seeing everything in one place and you'll end up following even more great blogs (I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing).

If you have any questions, let me know! I love to talk blog readers.  Because I'm a weirdo.

xoxo
Amanda

PS - If you want to add THIS blog to your reader, follow these links:
Hello, Sweetie! on Feedly
Hello, Sweetie on Bloglovin'

Monday, November 11, 2013

Music Mondays - BUTTS BUTTS BUTTS

Last Friday, I hosted trivia for a charity event in my office (which means I stressed out and came up with the questions and kept score but did not talk because that would be way too much). But trivia is ALWAYS fun to plan for two reasons.

Picture and music rounds.

For our picture round we did pictures of Patrick Swayze.  Nine of them. Nine glorious pictures because I'm crazy for swayze.

But for the music round I wanted a theme.  And if you know me, you know it had to be good. So we went with BUTTS.

Last Friday, I googled "songs about butts" in the office. And died laughing. And loved my job. And when the list was compiled I just knew I had to share with you all.

So here are my top 5 butt songs (now I can say I have a top 5 butt songs list!):

Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls


Let's start strong here. This song rocks. And pumps me up. And if I hear it in a bar when I'm drunk I proclaim "This is about me! I have a big butt!" Yeah, I'm that girl.

Sisqo - Thong Song


Oh, hello 1999!  I don't think I realized that I was in middle school when this song came out. Which means I probably shouldn't know all the words but I do. I've even drawn anthropomorphic food with lyrics from this song.

Juvenile - Back That Azz Up


Okay, I couldn't play this one at the trivia at work because...well obviously.  But come on. Shorty looks good!

Destiny's Child - Bootylicious



I almost put this song at number one. It's just that good. I don't think kids nowadays know what they missed out on with Destiny's Child. I mean, Beyonce is AMAZING. But together they were just so fun! I've seen enough of their "making the video" shows to know they are hilarious and fun. Just turn this up and jam out at your desk.

Sir Mix-a-lot - Baby Got Back


Duh. I don't think a list of butt songs could ever not include this iconic little ditty. And I pride myself on the fact that I know every single word to this song. But mostly, this is my number one because the last weekend my bff, Jessica, and I had at Michigan State was spent singing this in a bar during karaoke with backup dancers. Oh, and also I wanted to sing this for a talent show in elementary school once. I didn't get why an anaconda was so bad!

So there you have it, five great songs about the funniest part of our anatomy. Butts.

**Edit to add my spirit animal - Tina:



xoxo
Amanda

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Power Ballad Thursday: Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back to me Now



This video is like a fucking movie.

I can't even.

Why don't bands make amazing videos like this anymore?!?

Either way, this week's Power Ballad is Celine Dion. And I can't help it. I love Celine. She's a serious powerhouse vocalist. And she likes smoke machines. And ghosts. And just. watch. the. video.

I'm crying from laughing so hard.

bahahaha

xoxo
Amanda

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

DIY Halloween Costume - TARDIS

Guys!  I figured out the secret to a good Halloween costume.

The trick is to wear what you wear every day. That's the best way to ensure you'll be comfortable. Who'da thunk?

In my case, that means wearing a dress and tights. So I went into brainstorming for this years costume with that in mind. And voila! We ended up with the Tardis.

The ONLY "sexy" costume I approve of.  (If you don't get that joke....here's the link)



I made this costume with a basic blue dress from Old Navy. From there, I sewed on the windows and signs and made a bow for my hair. It was super easy for a beginner to sewing like me. Plus, it meant I could sit around all day drinking beer and watching Hocus Pocus. Win win win.


And just look at that end product!  Pretty damn cute if I say so myself. :)


I hope you enjoyed your Halloweens my dears!


xoxo
TARDIS
I mean, Amanda....


Monday, November 4, 2013

Music Mondays - HAIM: The Wire



I freaking LOVE this song. Like, I've listened to it pretty much every day since I first heard it and more than once some days.

Fun story - I was having a bad day at work recently.  Like, almost crying from stress and had to stay late to finish everything.  Super defeated.  So, I told John this (of course).  And he beat me home (of course).  And he met me at the train with HAIM's new record.  It was like his version of flowers to improve my day and it was so perfect.

So, men of the world (and women) if your SO is having a bad day, and you're considering flowers - please remember the power of music as a mood lifter and buy a record instead. It will result in smiles and snugs. :)

xoxo Amanda


Sunday, November 3, 2013

Hello, Sweetie!

Have you ever said a word so many times that it starts to sound like a foreign language in your head?  Like this word has been so overused that it's lost all meaning?

Well, try saying a word over and over again that's not even a real word and see how you feel after a while.

Cupcakerator.

I loved this blog.  I loved that it was a ridiculous word that I made up because it sounded like a robot who loves cupcakes.

I did not love that most people couldn't pronounce the made up word and that I felt silly explaining myself to new readers.

It's like when you're 19 and you get a tattoo because you've thought long and hard about how deep it's meaning is to you and then people ask you what it's meaning is and you just say "Durrr I love music".  You just feel silly.  (yes, I feel stupid explaining that tattoo)

Wouldn't it be nice to start over with something that involves real live words and can have multiple meanings depending on the day you're having?  I think so!

And thus, "Hello, Sweetie!" was born.

A nice greeting.  A nerdy gesture. A love of sweets.

Whatever! It's just fun! Like me!

So please, stick around while I find my footing.  Let me know what you would like to see more of.

And please, let me know if you're reading this.

xoxo
Amanda


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