This Means War

My weekend started off with a girls night: dinner and a movie. After eating at my absolute favorite place in town, Little Taste of Texas, and catching up with these ladies (that I don't see nearly enough), we headed to the theater see This Means War. 

While this was a typical chick-flick, it was super cute. I absolutely adore Reese Witherspoon, I mean we are practically bffs already, and Chelsea Handler was also in the movie. She did really well, I thought.

The showstopper was this man, Tom Hardy.



Oh. My. Gawd. My heart melted every time he came on screen. Just look at those lips. And that accent. I think I found a new love interest. ;)

Have you seen This Means War? What did ya think?

Sugar Queen Part 3

It's time to link up with Ms. Mia Maree for the question/answer portion of chapters 8-10 in Sugar Queen.

• The end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8, Della Lee told Josey that she was her sister. What was your initial reaction to this news? Did you see this coming? I did not see this coming. When I read it, I was angry. How can this stranger just come into your life and break the news so nonchalantly? (The fact that Josey let her stay is still a mystery to me.)
• What do you make of the Margaret/Rawley situation? I can see this happening a lot in those times. In the south, it was all about status (like much of the world), and Rawley wasn't in the same social scene as Margaret. I, however, wouldn't have been as forgiving as Rawley had been.
• Why do you suppose Jake is keeping the woman he slept with a mystery? Who do you think it is? My first thought was that it was Josey...but then that wouldn't make sense because the book never mentioned it, and he had no reason to hide it from her since she hadn't started hanging out with Josey yet. I thought that it would definitely be someone that they both knew.                                                                                                          
• Josey lives in a world of rules, from a neighborhood that bans snowmen to a mother who bans a snug red sweater. What is the purpose of these rules? What stifling rules in your life—at work, with your family, or in your community—do you sometimes dream of breaking? The purpose of the rules is to keep a level of power over the "regular people" and to show that they are  not on the same level when it comes to the way you act. One rule that bothered me was to hide tattoos and no peircings as a teacher. I can see where it may not be professional, but having a tattoo on my ankle did not change how I taught. The year I didn't teach, I got my nose pierced. As soon as I had an interview, I took it out so it wouldn't "look bad." Unfortunately, it grew up in 2 days and I didn't get the job. Again, once I decided not to go back to teaching, I got a tattoo on my wrist. Little things like that are annoying. THose things don't have to be trashy.

Golden Globes Fashion Review

I absolutely love judging other people's clothing (I know, I know....) and my dream job would be to sit among the bitches on Fashion Police. So, here's my rundown from last night's fashions.

And a note: There are several more looks I hated than loved. There were plenty I liked, but didn't want to bore you with those.

This time, let's start with the bad.

Looks I Hated:

Jessica Biel

Looks like a wedding dress from the 80's. Oh and she used some scrapbooking scissors to cut a slit up to her peekachoo.

Amanda Peete

Four dated valances were stitched together to form this number.

Angelia Jolie

Blah. I just don't like this woman, so maybe it would have been more acceptable to me on someone else.

Charlize Theron

What the hell? I think she used Gwyneth Paltrow's dress from the 90's, and added an odd bow. Bad, Charlize.

Dianna Agron

Yuck. This looks like the dress Katniss wore (in my mind) for the tournament parade (from Hunger Games).
Don't you agree?

Kelly Osbourne

Old. Boring. Matronly. I guess it goes along with the gray hair though.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

No words are needed, oh my. Don't wear your  paint drop cloth to the Red Carpet.

Tilda Swinton

She is always bad. Girl needs a stylist.

The In-Between:

Freida Pinto

Pretty color, but the fit on this is horrible.

Heidi Klum

I absolutely LOVE this look, but not for the Red Carpet. Maybe something on MTV.

Naya Rivera

I'm all about gray, but hate the seam up the middle, the high neck, and it's just boring. Add some jewels or colorful accessories.

Sofia Vergara

Let me make it clear that I believe this woman is beautiful and has a figure to die for. BUT, I'm tired of seeing the same silhouette every red carpet. The color is gorgeous.

Looks I Loved:

Jessica Alba

Pretty color. Pretty cut. Pretty beading. Pretty pretty pretty.



Kate Beckinsale

This was a popular color, and I think Kate pulled it off the best. Love this cut and muted details.



Stacey Keibler

Stunning in red. This look is a classic for sure; can't you see this being worn 10, 15, 20 years from now?

And for the Worst Look Of The Night:

Piper PeraBOO to this dress

She looks like a child who is dressing up in her mother's old clothes. Just bad.

And The Best Dressed:

Salma Hayak!

I have to chose Salma Hayak as best dressed. I love the black and gold. I love the top beading. And I love that there was no other look similar to this on the red carpet. Gorgeous!

Photos from people.com

What did you think of my choices? Let me know!

Snowed In

While we did get some snow and lots of slick roads last night, I didn't get a snow day like most people I know. I don't even get to call in for bad weather; I work for my dad and he will just come get me. :/

So I technically wasn't snowed in last night, but I wanted to feel like it. I stopped and got a pizza, changed into some comfies, turned on the fireplace and popped in some movies I rented yesterday at lunch. It was so nice!

Since I get a lot of ideas on books, movies, etc. from reading other blogs, I thought I would fill you in on my thoughts of the movies I rented.

The first was Moneyball with Brad Pitt.

I thought since old Mr. Sexy was in it then it would be pretty good. Wrong! You pretty much have to be a baseball person to enjoy this. It's all numbers and money, and it was boring. I will admit that Jonah Hill did a great job of playing the money guy, but the story was not very good, to me anyway. I also thought that since the movie had gotten so much media buzz, it would be good. Note to self- Melanie, you never enjoy these type movies. Don't feed into it.

The second movie I rented was What's Your Number?

I'm usually not a fan of Anna Faris. She always plays the dumb character and she normally just gets on my nerves. However, I'm a sucker for rom-coms, and this fell right into my love for cheesy girl movies. It was funny. The guy was hot. And of course there was a fairy tale ending. Definitely a good one for a night in.

Have you seen any movies lately that you would recommend? Please fill me in!

I don't know how she does it.

I was sitting at home in some comfy shorts and a tee after some cleaning yesterday when I saw I had a missed call from the mother. I called back and she asked if I wanted to meet them at the movies. They were seeing I Don't Know How She Does It and it started in 15 minutes. I scrambled to throw on some jeans and a top, thanking myself for doing my hair and makeup earlier today.

I got to the movies with some time to spare, woo-hoo for living in town, and they were at the counter ordering some popcorn and drinks. I'd already requested a Sprite, but I got there just in time to throw in a hot dog. Movie popcorn makes me sick, and I hadn't had lunch, so a hot doggie it was.

photo via

We walked into the theater and it was....empty! Wha? I mean this is the opening weekend of a chick-flick. How could it be empty? A few more groups came in before the lights went out to begin the movie, but still....a poor showing for an opening weekend movie.

It begins with Christina Hendricks' character addressing Sarah Jessica Parker's character....about being a busy mom, having a successful career that keeps her away a lot, a husband that supports her even if he doesn't like the fact that she's gone all of the time. You know the rest....she's competing with men at work, other moms who seem to have it together at her child's school, the mother-in-law that criticizes her having a career, missing little/big things in her kids' lives. You see this every day, in real life, on tv, in movies. Ho hum.

I suppose you have to be a busy mom to understand the movie. Correction- a busy mom to enjoy the movie. I'm not a mom. And folks, I didn't really enjoy the movie. It was a slow storyline, no climax to the plot, no jaw-dropping scenes...nothing. I mean I didn't hate it, but I certainly won't be buying it when it comes out on DVD. It was mediocre at best.

So, ladies, if you want to spend $10 dollars on a movie ticket, $10 bucks on some popcorn and a drink, and sit in a cold theater for 2 hours watching a boring movie, then this is the one to pick. However, I'd recommend you to at least wait until you can get it at Redbox for a buck and save yourself some money.

Sorry I'm Not Sorry

Do you follow Sorority Problems on twitter? If not, you totally should. She's hilarious. People find her so funny, that she's written a short little book (about 189 pages that I read in like an hour or so) about her crazy life in a sorority house.

Basically, Alexa (sorority girl) is a drunken, crazy mess. The book gives different stories of her life in college about drunken mishaps, flings with boys, and super embarrassing instances that I can't believe made it to print.

No, this isn't a great literary contribution to society, but if you want a vulgar filled book that will make you laugh out loud, this is it. I described Alexa to my friend in a text as a "preppy Chelsea Handler." Really.

Remember I said laugh out loud? I totally did. And I highlighted those parts, just so I could remember them to share later. Some of my favorite quotes from the book  include:

"Little did Carol [the mom] know she was making the biggest mistake of her life since she decided not to abort me eighteen years earlier."

"I almost fel like kneeling down on the tile and praying, but then I remembered that although my parents are catholic, my religion is wine..."

"But when your face spells out the words uptight and disgusted from across the room you know you need a little penis in your life."

"Vodka: it's like a colonic in a bottle."

My favorite!!!!
"I cannot handle people who call people. Seriously, who even does that anymore? Whenever my phone rings I wonder if the person calling me is either A. warning me about an approaching tsunami, B. notifying me there is a warrant out for my arrest, or C. batshit crazy. I mean it's not like people even use their phones to actually speak to people anymore; in fact, it is very telling that our phones have simply become apps on our phones."

"....made me go wilder than Tara Reid at a wine bar."

"I felt drawn to him like a drunk, slutty moth to a drunk, slutty flame..."

"My stomach handled Mexican as well as Kendra Wilkinson handled dignity."

"Talk about a full fu**ing circle. Come hell, high water, or shit in my pants, I will always have Britney."

"There is nothing that can make me freak the fu** out like getting a text from someone I want to have sex with."

"I have a serious problem with oversharing: I always say too much; give up too much of myself; reveal too much of my personality; send one text too many; and it is almost never reciprocated." Hello, Self!

Funny, right? It's only $5 bucks from bn.com for the Nook. It's 5 dollars worth of funny.

The Help

If I'm not mistaken, I've talked about reading The Help, and how much I absolutely loved it. Normally, I'm not one to like pieces with such dialect, but this story was so good. And while I loved the interaction between Skeeter and the maids, I was horrified at the behavior of the other white women. I can't imagine living in a world that was like this.

Anywho- last night was the release of the movie, and I was so excited to see it. I was a little nervous, I admit, because I get so hyped up from the book, that the movie usually disappoints me. This was different. The movie depicted the book very well. Yes, there were some parts left out, but you can't squeeze a whole book into a movie. It's impossible.

The characters were just like I imagined. They had such big personalities, and I instantly wanted to be friends with Skeeter, Aibilene, and Minnie.

Since Easy A, I've loved Emma Stone. She is a great actor, so funny, and I think we were meant to be best friends! She was great in this movie. Her facial expressions alone made the character of Skeeter come alive.

If you see anything this year, go see The Help. Then come back, and tell me what you think! :)

Jodi Picoult

So I'm reading Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts. And while I'm not finished with it quite yet, I am driven to post on it today. A few observations...

• Most of Jodi's books are quite long compared to most that I read. This one is 416 pages.
• I love how she entertwines stories and characters and makes everything mesh.
• However, every chapter is from a different character's viewpoint and sometimes it gets confusing.
• I HATE how she provides a history lesson with each novel. This time it's about the history of Native Americans. Once it was about Alaskans. If I want to know about their history, I'll google it. I usually skip these parts.
• I love how her books make you straddle the fence. There is a crime (usually) and while you'd think you would be completely against it, that gray area in the middle exists and makes you think. Not everything is black and white.
• There's always some kind of court case. Were you a lawyer in a former life, Ms. Picoult?
• This book tells you how to make meth. METH, people. I mean, yes, you can google that too, but why would it explain the whole process?!?!?! I'm a little disturbed by this.
• Completely off the radar, but sometimes I am curious about how to make things. Like drugs or whatever. Curious, because I'm so ignorant when it comes to drugs. I don't want to make them, but just wonder how they are made. Anywho, I never google because what if someone finds out in some strange way and thinks I'm interested??? Can't have that happening. No sir-eee.

----Edit----- I finished the book, and it was great. Of course there were some surprises, but Ms. Jodi, you did not disappoint.

I've read several books by Picoult, and like pretty much all of them.  Have you read a Picoult? What do you think??

Who is your favorite author? What's your favorite book?

Please comment so that I can get some new ideas.

Reviews anyone?

Happy Monday, y'all! This weekend was definitely an interesting one! Here's my rundown (and reviews)...

Friday

I often take my cousin's little boy to the movies. Cars 2 came out on Friday, and he was counting down the days, then the hours, then the minutes until we got to see it.

I'm not a big animated movie person, but this movie was ok. I had never seen the first one, but it was cute. The cousin had a ball, so it was worth it.

Saturday

I bet you will never guess what I did.....yep, I went shopping. I had been itching to go to the outlet mall about an hour away from my house. My sister and bil went with, and we had a good time. I, like usual, found tons of stuff at the Gap outlet, my favorite! After we got home that night, I rented some movies and settled in for the night with pizza and a blanket.

Movie Reviews? Sure....

First, I watched The Fighter. Yes, I'm aware it has been out for forever, but I just now got around to watching it. I wasn't sure if I would like it since it isn't my "type" of movie, but I have to admit it was good. It could have been the fact that I have a major crush on Mark Wahlberg. Seeing him shirtless was pretty amazing. And that accent makes me melt every single time he opens his gorgeous mouth....I die.

Next, was Just Go With It with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. I have to first say that I love these two. I mean, how can you NOT like Jenn? She's the sweetest, and Adam is freakin' hilarious. Like most rom-coms, it ended just how you wanted it to, but I really liked this one more than others. It was funny, sweet, funny...and the kids were freakin adorable. Ello?  Definitely one I will be buying.  

Book Reviews? Sure...

I finally finished this one. While it was a little slow, I did enjoy it. It was a cute, Christian romance. The storyline, while a little far fetched (aren't most books?) was cute, and I would recommend it. I wasn't sure about it, since it was a free nook book. I do think it is targeted more towards a younger (teen)  audience.

I've been dying to download this book since I heard it was coming out. While most people hate the Palins, I love them. I'm not sure how I feel about ole Sarah politically, but as a person, I think she is fantastic. While her values and opinions may  not be popular, she stands by them. I'm getting off topic.....anyway, I think many people feel the same way about Bristol. I really like her and wish I knew her because I bet she would be an awesome friend. I'm anxious to get her take on things like the "gnat" known as Levi, DWTS, and the McCains. It should be an interesting read.

So there's my rundown. How was your weekend? Have you seen or read anything I've mentioned today? What'd you think?

Horizontal Bossy Pants

I've read two books in the past two weeks; My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler and Bossypants by Tina Fey. And.........here's my take.

 I saw My Horizontal Life  on BN.com for only $5, so I thought, "Why not?" Well.......

Chelsea Handler- she's funny. I love her show Chelsea Lately. But folks, this gal can't write an interesting book. Her stories are far-fetched....I mean really...who writes a book based on one-night stands? If it is true, I'm disgusted.The book is not funny. How the heck has she written more than just one and had them to be bestsellers. I'm in awe.....but more importantly, can I get my $5 back?

I saw Tina Fey promoting her book on Ellen and such, and she's hilarious! I kept wanting to buy it, but then would wait. I would want it, but didn't really want to spend the money. I finally broke down and bought it for a pretty good price (compared to the printed version) for $12.99. Well.....

Tina Fey- she's funny. I love her in movies, on SNL, and when she does appearances on various shows. But folks, this gal can't write an interesting book. She has some good lines in there, but as a whole, the book stinks. The chapters are boring, I can't focus on what she's saying because there is no entertainment whatsoever. I love you, Tina Fey, but can I get my $12.99 back?

In conclusion: comedians can't write a good book.