Category / movies

by Bethe

In case you were wondering…

It took me 11 episodes of 30 Rock to piece my nephew Jack’s baby quilt on Saturday. That’s a new record! I’m bursting with excitement to show you and may not be able to wait until I’m able to get it in the hands of his sweet mama (my sister-in-law Michelle) before posting a sneak preview. I chose a design that I’ve had swimming around in my head for months, and I must say it turned out so cute I squealed, and then danced around while Mr. Right oohed and aaahed over it like a good husband of a quilter.  I may just make another one with some of the leftover fabric and stick it in my shop for a baby gift. You know, since I promised I’d never sell a quilt in there, and every good woman changes her mind.

I still have to quilt and bind it, but luckily I’m only on Season 2 Episode 12 of 30 Rock, so there’s plenty of time to finish it.

I got asked if I was pregnant on Friday. Again. Three times in one day. By one woman and two men. For the record, I’m not. And people should stop asking. And I am going to have to burn that shirt (along with this one and this one and this one), which I admit was a bit loose, but I bought it from the regular section of LOFT.
On Saturday I started tracking my calorie intake/outtake on the myfitnesspal app. I’m hoping the accountability of keeping a food journal will help me with item #2 on my list. I’m on Day 4, which practically makes me an expert. (Who’s taking bets that I’ve forgotten about this by Thursday?) PS–I’ve lost two pounds. It may have been water weight, but I’m celebrating nonetheless.
We watched the greatest movie this weekend – Capote. It’s rated R, but if you have a husband who will tell you when to close your eyes (an opening murder scene, and about two minutes toward the very end), it’s really more of a light PG-13. It’s now in my Top 10 list of favorite movies. (note to self – create list of my other top 9 favorite movies.)




Does anybody else LOVE LOVE Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition? Mr. Right and I want to adopt Chris Powell into our family.  We love positive people, and we hear he’s a fan of CrossFit like us. 



My favorite restaurant in all of DFW is closing in a few weeks. To be replaced with a TACO SHOP. As if Texas doesn’t have enough Mexican food restaurants already. I’m not sure who was more sad, Mr. Right and I when we found out on our date Friday night, or the manager who knows us because we go so much (and send all of our friends there). Rest in peace, Cowboy Chow in Roanoke. I will miss your watermelon tea and fry bread dipped in honey and black bean mash. 
My prayer right now is Psalm 107:7 – “He led them by a straight way…” Life seems to be swirling all around us lately, with our own plans turned upside down and many of our closest loved ones going through some pretty big trials. 
“When I said, ‘My foot is slipping, your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.’” Psalm 94:18-19

I am so glad you follow my little blog. Bless you!
by Bethe

Twins, separated at birth

Mr. Right and I watched the most amazing movie last night – Life is Beautiful. It was the ideal movie for me – set in Italy, shot in Italian – reminding me of my two trips around Italy back in 2007 and 2009. I think it’s about time to go back.
But I loved the movie even more because the child star looks EXACTLY like my husband. Like, in a scary way. See for yourself.
My cute husband:

The actor:

My husband:
The actor:
My husband:

The actor:

My husband:

Maybe I’m biased, but I think my hubby is cuter!
by Bethe

A snowy evening

Tonight I had another really special evening. I’m really digging this vacation.
I’ve been hankering to cook ever since I finished school (praise Jesus, hallelujah, every day I wake up thanking the sweet Lord that I am FINISHED with school). So of course tonight, what with the rare Texas snow and all, I just had to make my mom’s famous chili. And because I like you, my dear friend, I thought I’d share the recipe with you. It’s super easy, but shhh… don’t tell anyone. A good cook always pretends like her masterpiece was much more difficult to make than it really was.
Here’s that recipe…

Here’s the chili…
And the melt-in-your-mouth cornbread (with butter… butter makes everything better)…
And you can’t have a snowy night, homemade chili and cornbread without a fire in the fireplace…
And of course, a soft, warm Christmas glow lingering from my tree which I just can’t bring myself to take down just yet.
The rest of my decorations came down days ago, but there’s something about having a tree glowing in my front window that soothes me. And so this old tree may be sticking around until Valentine’s Day. I’m not afraid to be that girl.
Oh… who am I kidding… of course the tree will be down by the end of the week. I’m too much of a conformist. But I like to pretend to be a rebel.
Back to my evening. With a stomach full of chili and a fire to keep me warm, and a nice big mug of hot chocolate, I curled up on my couch and watched the most adorable movie… Julie & Julia.

And as I watched my movie I worked on my latest project: a quilt, made from scraps from upholstery samples my sister brought me home from work. This one should be completed by 2015, if I work fast.

by Bethe

Breathing is ideal


Just a quick update… I’m sure there will be at least one blog coming today, and if I get bored enough, several. I’m home sick from work with some pretty hefty asthma issues. It’s so annoying, I woke up with it three days ago and haven’t been able to take a deep breath since. I have become good friends with my nebulizer, which looks suspiciously like a peace pipe. Every time I use it, I think of Alice in Wonderland. That albuterol also makes me high as a kite… another eery similarity.

I’m off to go see what the doctor says and hoping he can give me something (steroid) that will make me feel better (steroid) because I have big plans for tomorrow night (steroid).
by Bethe

My Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad… Week

I wrote a story in the 6th grade about my terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. My teacher loved it so much that she kept it, and years later she told me she was still showing it to her classes. Maybe it was an early sign that I would choose a career in writing. Or maybe I had written about a day that was so bad, even Mrs. Lewis was impressed.
This week has been THAT bad.
That car repair? Oh yeah, much worse than expected. When my dad broke the news to me, I dissolved into tears (again). He asked me over the phone, “Are you okay?” That’s when I told him that I felt the overwhelming urge to throw up.
Of course, I didn’t. But it would have added to my week.
Just about everything that could have gone wrong, did. From the moment it started until the minute work ended tonight, it was one set of bad news after the other. One stressful moment after another. One tough conversation after another. I’m really glad the week is over.
And then I went to dinner with my family, and everything changed. As I told them about my crummy week, we all started laughing at just how horrible it had been. Next thing we knew, we were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down all of our faces. I think the laughter began when my dad recounted that tearful telephone conversation, and I started hyperventilating just thinking about the cost of the repair bill (think thousands and thousands of dollars). The hyperventilating triggered a minor asthma attack, which just tickled everybody else, and from there, we couldn’t stop.
It was a great night.
And then, the night got better, because I spent it with my new favorite boy.
(Insert sigh here)

(Go ahead and insert another one here…)

(Maybe one more?)
After our family dinner my sister introduced me to the greatness that is High School Musical 3. Granted, I haven’t had that much cheese since my last jumbo pretzel at the hospital employee party that came with hot, melted cheese dip (and bbq sauce, another tasty pretzel treat). But Zac is just the cutest thing ever, and I’ll admit that I loved the dance numbers. Now I need to see HSM 1 & 2. 
After the movie (and the out-takes, and the special features), we had a debriefing. My sister decided that in our family, she would be Vanessa Hudgins, and I would be Sharpay. I’m not sure how I feel about that, especially since that means Sarah would get the boy, and all I would get is some little yappy dog. But pink IS my color, and I do love my sister… although I’m not sure I love her enough to give up Zac without a fight. 
Tomorrow will be better. I’m going for a run and then spending the day at the zoo with a friend. It has to be better… Surely it will be better…
by Bethe

Twilight

I’m such a teenage girl… I have finally succumbed to the hype and read Twilight. It was so good that I read the whole thing in two days… all 550 pages of it. Of course, it IS written on an eighth grade reading level, so flying through a hundred pages an hour isn’t really something to brag about in this case.

So I read the book. Then I went straight to my local bookstore to buy the other three in the series. And then I dragged my friend Andrea to see the movie with me. It’s sad (me, not the movie). Reading these silly books is probably wasting valuable brain cells, but I figure I’ll grow those back once I start tackling my media ethics class next week. Then my life will be consumed with long, boring readings written just to make my life miserable and to put me to sleep.
It makes me feel less guilty about reading my Twilight series now. It’s like sneaking a few warm cookies and milk into my diet. The meat and potatoes will come soon enough, and a girl has to enjoy some dessert every once in awhile.
Speaking of dessert… I’ll take Robert Pattinson with a cherry on top. 
by Bethe

Take a chance on Mamma Mia?

Mamma Mia = B-O-R-I-N-G.

I love ALL chick flicks, but this one was so bad I almost got up and left. If I hadn’t been stuck in the middle of a row, I probably would have walked out. It was THAT bad.

It’s a shame, because Sister Sarah and I saw the Broadway version a few weeks ago in New York, and it was wonderful. I think the difference is, Pierce Brosnan looks constipated when he sings, and Meryl Streep will forever remind me of the mean lady in Devil Wears Prada. This is another example of the original being better.

by Bethe

Movie

Tonight I saw Juno, and it was adorable. Juno is the dark, moody heroine who gets pregnant at 16 and yet is mature beyond her years. I love Juno’s sarcastic, dry sense of humor. I’m drawn to characters like her, and yet there’s nothing dark or moody about me. I’m the kind of person Juno wouldn’t like… perky and upbeat.

But, my life is a lot more fun being perky and upbeat. Plus, I drink a lot of coffee.

by Bethe

Storms

It rained on my way home from work today. It was a cold, nasty rain, the light kind that dances around and eludes your umbrella, getting you wet no matter how hard you try to avoid it. And of course, ruining what was a good hair day.

Yesterday in Sunday School I taught about weathering storms. Life is so crummy sometimes. Many of my loved ones are going through some pretty rough (and weird) situations, and it’s a reminder to me that you’ve got to prepare for the storm in advance. Once it hits, sometimes it’s tough to tell right from left, up from down. During the storm, sometimes all you can do is hunker down and try to survive. The preparation is what helps you get through it.

So here’s some of the verses on storms that we looked at. They’re good to look at now, when things are going great. When the sun is shining. Stick them in your back pocket, because you never know when you might need it.

John 16:32-33
“But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Romans 5:3-5
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Romans 8:18
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Genesis 15:1
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Also, for those of you who may not be aware, here are some great websites for studying your Bible. I use them a lot when preparing my lessons:
www.biblegateway.com
www.sermoncentral.com
www.crosswalk.com

by Bethe

Insomnia Insights

I cuddled up under my electric blanket this afternoon and took a 3-hour nap–the best possible way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon. Then, tonight I had two Diet Cokes during my long (and enjoyable!) dinner with my good friend Melissa. So now it’s 11:30 and I should be asleep, but instead I’m wide awake, knowing that it could be a long time before the sleep that I so badly want finally comes.

Which explains the multiple posts. What else am I supposed to do with this extra time–study?
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So I was reading my TIME Magazine today, and there’s a special on “The Science of Romance.” Now, I’m no science buff, but this was a topic I couldn’t resist. The article said that smell is one of the best ways to find a mate. That subconsciously, we can tell from a man’s scent if he would make a good partner and father to future children.

Only one problem. I’m allergic to everything. My nose is always stuffy. So where does that leave me?
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I saw 27 Dresses yesterday with my sister. It’s really cute. I highly recommend it if you like chick flicks. Except, Katherine Heigl looks terrible as a brunette, and they had her wear terrible clothes. Not to mention those awful bridesmaid dresses. It brought back memories to my own bridesmaid mistake.

Right after college I was in my roommate Kim’s wedding. I was a size 0 and the smallest bridesmaid dress size they had was a 6, so ordered it without bothering to try it on. The dress came in right before the wedding, and by the time I finally got around to trying on the dress, it was too late to return it. That size 6 was so small that I couldn’t zip it up! Nobody had bothered to tell me that bridesmaid dresses run small! I had to run to a seamstress and they had to cut material off of the bottom of the dress and sew it into the waistline so that I could button it. Nothing could be done with the top, so my small size 0 frame was spilling out of the top of that dress. I couldn’t breathe throughout the entire ceremony or reception. If I had eaten anything, the top of my dress would have probably exploded and fake diamonds and buttons would have broken out the windows or put peoples’ eyes out. It wasn’t my best moment.
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Still not sleepy. But now I’m hungry. I’m going to go grab a snack, grab my TIME and try to work on those ZZZs.