Letters to Juliet: A Review

It's kinda sad that the day is basically over. It's time to go back to school and/or work, time to face another week. Well, it's June 1st tomorrow, as I always say, crazy how time flies! On the bright side though, summer is almost here! :D

Being that it was a long weekend for us over here, I had some free time yesterday, and I was finally able to watch Letters to Juliet. I watched it by myself because my sister was too lazy to come with me. I must say, it's a bit weird to watch a movie alone... I didn't have someone to turn to and say things like "Awww, that's soo cute" or "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!". But it's all good, I enjoyed the movie. And now she wants to watch it too. :D

Here is the trailer:

As seen from the movie's trailer, the main events of the story start when Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) finds a 50-year old letter from a woman named Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) to Juliet. She then decides to write back. Claire and her grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan), show up, and from there they go around Italy looking for Claire's long lost true love, Lorenzo. And yup, they find him.

It seems like a typical chick flick, doesn't it? Well, I gotta say that while yes, it is a chick flick, there is also some depth into it. There's more to know about the story of Sophie's and Charlie's life. And then there's Sophie's fiance, Victor (played by Gael Garcia Bernal)... there's some stuff about their relationship to know as well. And for a chick flick/ romantic comedy, it's not as predictable as I thought it'd be. Towards the end, you'd think it is (somewhat like most movies of that genre), but you'd be surprised. Then you'd laugh and you'd start to be happy for Sophie. It's not that serious of a twist, but it's pretty clever. Okay, I'm going to stop now, I don't want to give it away. ;)

Movie critics give it about a C, but those who watched it give it an A, and I think I understand why. While admittedly, it is not of Oscar caliber, I have to say, it will really bring your spirits up. How can it not, with the idea of true love surpassing many years, of true love not needing a right place and time? Haha, see, it got to me. :D

Some also say it's not worth the 10 or so bucks you have to pay to see it. I say it is. You get to tour the Italian countryside, learn some cultural and culinary info, and watch the refreshing face of Christopher Egan for a good hour and something minutes... all just for 10 bucks. :)

Amanda Seyfried looked beautiful in the movie. I think she's a good actress, and I'm happy she's finally getting noticed.

She and Christopher Egan had great chemistry in the movie. In my opinion, even more so than with Dominic Cooper in Mamma Mia (eventhough he is her real-life boyfriend).

Vanessa Redgrave delivered a great performance as well. She made me miss my Grandma.

So, all in all, I enjoyed Letters to Juliet. If you're looking for a movie that will make you leave the theaters with a smile, this is definitely one that will do that.

Some bad things I have to say about this movie? None really... well, it did get Taylor Swift's song stuck in my head for a whole 24 hours (to be honest, until now, actually). It made me want to eat some good, authentic Italian food. And it made me want to go pack my bag and go on an Italian roadtrip and go look for someone's long lost love. Haha.

*all images from Google*

Have you seen it? What can you say about the movie?

Book of the Week: Insatiable

Meena Harper is just a normal girl living in Manhattan with her unemployed brother and excitable Pomeranian mix Jack Bauer. Meena is a writer on the soap Insatiable, struggling to pay her ex-boyfriend back for the downpayment on their condo, and completely average except for her one thing: Meena can see the future, specifically, how people are going to die. When Meena gets passed over for a promotion at work--in favor of the show's executive producer's spoiled niece--she also finds out that the soap has decided to go in a new direction in order to lure younger viewers. Insatiable is going Twilight. Unfortunately for Meena, not only does she not believe in vampires, but she actively dislikes the bloodsucking fad.

"Yeah," Leisha said, sounding a little bored. "What is it you're always saying again? In the cult of monster misogyny, vampires are king?"

"Well," Meena said, "they do always seem to choose to prey on pretty female victims. And yet for some reason, women find this sexy...Even though these guys admit over and over to wanting to kill us the idea that they're nobly restraining themselves from doing so is supposed to be attractive? Excuse me, but how is knowing a guy wants to kill you hot?" [p 35]

So begins Meg Cabot's Insatiable (set to hit bookstores in July), a refreshing take on the vampire trend, and there are indeed vampires in this book, other than the ones Meena is forced to write about for TV. In fact, Meena's next door neighbors are undead and it isn't long before she comes face-to-face with their cousin, a handsome Romanian prince and professor named Lucien. Not surprisingly Meena is drawn to the dazzlingly handsome and preternaturally charming Lucien and is surprised when he seems to be attracted to her as well. Of course, like with any relationship there are bumps on the road to romance. Little things like the fact that Meena is human and Lucien, well, isn't. Lucien is in town to track a vampire serial killer who threatens to expose his entire brethren and is being stalked by Alaric, a muscle-bound vampire hunter who works for the Palatine Guard and won't stop at using Meena to get at Lucien.

When I received this book in the mail I let out a little squeal of delight, I didn't even know Cabot was coming out with a new book and this one is certainly right up by alley. Okay, so it's not War and Peace, but most of the books I read aren't. I like books that entertain me and Meg Cabot always delivers on that score. I've loved her past series from The Queen of Babble to the Heather Wells books--add vampires (so I'm a Twihard--sue me), a little romance, and Cabot's quick wit and you've got a winning formula in my opinion. I also like the fact that Cabot's heroine has spunk and a backbone even when being courted by the preternaturally sexy Prince of Darkness.

The ending of the book was a little unsatisfying, but I guess that's to be expected if they're setting up a sequel. Regardless I enjoyed Insatiable and would recommend it for those who like Cabot, the supernatural or just a little bit of romance.


Browse Inside here.

Genelia wants to be a romantic

Smily Beautiful actress Genelia D'Souza has thus far played roles on the lines of bubbly and stereotypical, and girl as next door.

 

But could that be passe? Ask Genelia on this, says a candid Genelia, "If the content is romantic.

 

The films comes to be naturally since it suits me and the story. Surely, I relish playing.

 

bubbly and playful characters which is why thes efilms came to me. But in reali life, I’m affectionate, yet a mischievous girl. I don’t like tensions."

 

Anymore more on the reali life? Genelia adjoins, “I respect my family and work. I like being friendly.

 

And never get into challenges and that’s how I was all through my school and college.

 

On rumors, Genelia comes strongly saying, “I don’t care about rumors and gossips. To me, I’m concerned about current and what I am doing now.”

 

Genelia is currently busy shooting for a Tamil fim ‘Uthama Puthiran’ starring Dhanush. This film is a Telugu remake of blockbuster film ‘Ready’, directed by Srinu Vytla.

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Katrina beats SRK in mobile search

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif is the most searched celebrity on the mobile phones and has beaten the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai. The research was conducted by mBit Infotech, a Value Added Service(VAS) provider.

 

Among the Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities, Katrina is on the number one spot followed by Angelina Jolie, Kareena, Shah Rukh, Salman, Bipasha, Aishwarya, Monica Bellucci and Aamir Khan.

 

Commenting on the results, Raghavendra Agarwala, CEO of mBit Infotech, said: "It is amazing to see that Katrina Kaif is ruling the charts with a major pie, presumably implying that Katrina’s popularity is mounting for both national and international audiences."

 

The research is based on the searches performed by over 120,000 users of mBit in the first quarter of 2010 (Jan to April) and it also found out that "sex" is still the most popular searched keyword followed by music where mostly international music icons like Akon, Linkin Park, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna and Michael Jackson top the list.

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Mallika Sherawat Topless on the poster of “HISSS”

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Katrina Kaif prayers for Rajneeti

Katrina Kaif is hoarding blessings for her upcoming, Rajneeti.

 

The actress was, on Friday, spotted in Ajmer at the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty. The Boom star was reportedly offering prayers for her film's success. Dressed in a salwar and without her make-up, Katrina did seem a little apprehensive - after all, there's no dubbing involving!

 

We wish you all the very best for the movie Ms Kaif, and yes, we are prepared for your Rajneeti.

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Cookies! :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend and a Happy Sunday, everyone! It's a long weekend, and everyone here in the U.S. is probably enjoying this well-deserved break. :)

I baked chocolate crackles (also called chocolate crinkles) for a day at the beach, and I thought it'd be nice to share photos of some of the cookies I've made in the past few months. :D

Chocolate crackles/ crinkles

Chocolate sugar cookies


Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies


Snickerdoodle


Sugar cookies

What is your favorite kind of cookie? Do you have a favorite recipe? :D

Love It: Michael S. Smith and Ann Sacks

Athens Silver Cream tile by Ann Sacks - Love!

Intrigued by the Ann Sacks LED-lit backsplash in Carrie and Big's Sex and The City 2 apartment, I found myself on the designer's website to see more.

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While there are a ton of beautiful items on the site, I was immediately drawn to the Cosmati collection by Michael S. Smith.

I love a grey tile and the clean look of a white bathroom or kitchen, so this Michael S. Smith Cosmatiemilio grid (incarrara, nero marquin and marino blue) with an Alexandria border (carrara and marino blue) really speaks to me. Some other tile styles:

Valencia

Palais Royale

Venice

 

Alexandria

Seville Deco in Willow from Smith's Labyrinth Collection

I also thought this flooring (Parquet de Versailles in Bronze and Shagreen in Multicolor Wash) by Charles Stone was pretty cool - it can be used inside and outdoors.

TV show: FlashForward

FlashForward is one of my absolute favorite TV shows. That is why my heart broke when it was officially cancelled, and also because tonight is the series' last episode.

*breaking down in tears*

But eventhough ABC didn't pick it up for another season, I will still blog about it because it's such a great show. :D

It started airing on September 24, 2009.

It would be really hard to explain the whole concept of the show in my own words because it's so complex, but here is a synopsis from http://www.wikipedia.com/:

A mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future—a global “flashforward”. A team of Los Angeles FBI agents, led by Stanford Wedeck and spearheaded by Mark Benford and his partner Demetri Noh, begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again. Benford contributes a unique perspective on the investigation; in his flashforward, he saw the results of six months of investigation that he had done on the flashforward event, and he and his team use those clues to recreate the investigation.

The team investigates a number of events related to the flashforward, including "Suspect Zero", who did not lose consciousness during the event, the sinister "D. Gibbons/Dyson Frost", and a similar mass loss of consciousness in Somalia in 1991. Meanwhile, personal revelations contained within the flashforwards occupy the personal lives of the principal characters. Mark Benford sees himself relapsing into alcoholism; his wife sees herself with another man; Demetri Noh sees nothing, which could mean that he will not be alive to see the day everyone else has glimpsed or, perhaps, that his future wasn't set on the day of the flashforward. Other characters grapple with similarly unexpected or surprising revelations in their flashforwards.

(from left to right):

Jack Davenport --Dr. Lloyd Simcoe

Peyton List-- Nicole Kirby

Sonya Walger-- Dr. Olivia Benford

Zachary Knighton-- Dr. Bryce Varley

Joseph Fiennes-- FBI Special Agent Mark Benford

John Cho-- FBI Special Agent Demetri Noh

Courtney B. Vance-- FBI Assistant Director Stanford Wedeck

Brian F. O'Byrne-- Aaron Stark

Christine Woods-- FBI Special Agent Janis Hawk

Dominic Monaghan (from Lord of the Rings and Lost) plays Dr. Simon Campos

Here are some stills from the TV show:

I am amazed by how well the British actors who play American characters in this show speak with an American accent. They are sooo good! :D

Besides Joseph Fiennes' character, Mark Benford, I would have to say that John Cho as Demetri Noh is one of my favorite characters in FlashForward. I can honestly say that he is a good actor. He, as Demetri, is very very different from Harold in the movie franchise Harold & Kumar. While his character is somewhat serious, I love that he shows his goofy side in some episodes. *like the Somalia episode where he and Janis had a thing going on (but I won't go any further for those of you who might want to watch this show).* :D

So, yup. I am excited to watch tonight's season (or should I say, series? *sigh*) finale. If only it was picked up for another season... Why not, ABC, why not??? :(

But still, check out their website if you're interested. And you would only have about 21 episodes to watch if you want something to do this summer. :)

*all images from Google*

Sex and the City 2 Review and a Guest Blog Appearance

I'm taking a break on the Getaways Guest Blog Series this week, but check back here next Thursday to hear all about another fab blogger's vacation faves. So let's talk Sex and The City 2 instead.

First let me say that I didn't love the first movie. I was so happy with the way the series ended (unlike some TV shows that left us with a bunch of loose ends--Lost, I'm talking to you) that I was really worried that a movie would just sour it. I like  a happy ending, I want these girls to be happy, and I'm always afraid another movie might decide to ruin all that. Even though I was apprehensive I couldn't stay away. I mean, aside from the fact that seeing the movie with friends is a great bonding experience, I couldn't pass up the chance to spend another few hours with these characters.

{These glittery gold Louboutins should really be mine}

And, sure, I've heard the SATC criticisms. The girls are materialistic and flighty. No one bakes with their kids wearing vintage Valentino, etc., etc. Thing is, a movie filled with shoes and hundreds of thousands dollars worth of clothes? There is no way I'm resisting that, product placement be damned. I read something like Carrie changed outfits every three minutes in the movie and, let me tell you, it was glorious.

Add to that the beautiful interiors (Carrie admits that she'd recently been "cheating on fashion with furniture") and I was sold, regardless of plot. Charlotte's white kitchen? I want it to be mine and was thinking of something similar for the new house.

{via}

Thing is, I liked this movie. Carrie and Big seem to be stuck in a watch-too-much-TV two-year marriage rut. Charlotte is struggling because even though all she ever wanted was a family they are now proceeding to drive her crazy (and, as she acknowledges, she has help!) Miranda is trying to strike a good work-life balance while dealing with a misogynist boss, while Samantha is fifty, fabulous, and suffering through menopause. Harry and Steve are awesome as always even if their roles are small. I don't want to give too much away, but Big surprised me. Not in a bad way. I think one of the most touching parts of the movie was the little tête-à-tête mommies Charlotte and Miranda have over a few cocktails. The only thing that really grated on me were all the bad puns and innuendos--girls, consider this an interfriendtion, it's got to stop.

I don't know what it says about me, that I can disagree with so many critics, but there it is. Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think? If not, do you plan to? And check out these great ideas for a SATC 2 themed party.


Speaking of all things fab and fashion check out Marchesa's new line of handbags, which just recently went on sale.

I'm also guest posting on the lovely Alaina's Live Creating Yourself.

Hop on over to check out my Movie of my Life blog post. I love the concept of this series and was so happy to be asked to participate. I can't wait to read the answers of the other guest bloggers that Alaina has lined up, I just know they are going to be amazing!

Forever21

It's Wednesday, the week is almost over. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that time is flying by! Next thing we know, it's Memorial Day Weekend here in the U.S., then it's June. Crazy! But anyways, I finally got around to taking photos of the few items I got from Forever21 last Friday.

*Pardon me if some of these are not as clear as I would have liked them to be. I'm just starting to learn how to play with editing pictures. ;)*

Here are the items I got all together: 2 tops, one pair of shorts, and a necklace.

These two tops have a silky texture. It's a bit flimsy/flowy, but I'm pretty sure they would look great when worn. There's a bow to be tied at the nape or upper back. I got it in 2 colors: turquoise and yellow. Price? $7.50

The shorts are from the Heritage 1981 collection of Forever21. This is the first time I bought something from that collection for myself. It's a great fit, and I love how there's red incorporated into it. Price: originally $19.90, but I got it on sale at $9.99

Everytime I go to Forever21 and any other store, I always check out the accessories. I found this cute necklace with the Eiffel tower, a little pearl, and heart (with "l'amour" written on it). It's only $3.50, such a great buy in my opinion. :D

I think Forever21 is everyone's favorite go-to place for clothes and accessories because they have cute and fashionable items at an affordable price. :)

While I was cleaning out my closet last week, I also realized that I have a few dresses and tops that I bought these past couple of months. I will take some time to take pictures to share here on my blog. :D

Hang in there, everyone! Holiday weekend is almost here. :D

Adventures in Food: Greek Pasta Salad

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I didn't start learning to cook until I was 24 and recently married and now, almost three years on, my culinary skills are still a work in progress. I've retained more than I realized from watching my mother, grandmothers and mother-in-law at work, but it's nearly impossible to ask any of these wonderful ladies how they make their food. Measurements? Pah. They spit on measurements. Everything is by eye or a occhio. A typical conversation will go something like this...

Me: "This is great. Can you tell me how to make it?"

Them: "Sure! A little bit of flour, some oil, un pugno (a fistful) of salt, three or four eggs--"

Me [pen poised over scrap of paper I managed to find in my freakishly large day bag]: "Wait! Wait! How much flour? Is that, like, a cup of oil or a tablespoon?"

Them: "How should I know?"

Me: "No, how should I know? I'm asking you, remember?"

Them [usually shrugging their shoulders unapologetically]: "You can't measure these things. You just know."

Me: "Right."

They might know, but I certainly don't. I begin to perspire as visions of overflowing pots and inedible experiments dance in my head. Staring fear in the eye I decide to bravely soldier on.

Me: "Okay, so then what?"

Them: [They go over forty-five steps at light speed, without so much as taking a breath] "...and then you put it in the oven. That's it. Easy."

Me [wondering if Webster's has changed the definition of "easy"]: "So, how long do you leave it in the oven?"

I'm grasping at straws at this point, well aware that I can neither remember what they told me nor replicate it in any acceptable way.

Them [casual shrug]: "Until its ready."

Of course.

Me [a little desperately]: "But how do you know when it's ready?!"

Them: "You just know."

And that's it. My introduction to cooking. It's been a trial by fire, as they say, although the trial is to avoid the kitchen fires. So I've done my best to cobble together some instructions, recipes and recommendations, while keeping my eagle eyes open to see what tips I can pick up by watching. Like I said, it's a slow process. I've used some recipes to guide me, but as I get more comfortable in the kitchen I find myself going down the road of doing things by eye, substituting on the fly, and not really knowing how I ended up with what I did. In short I'm turning into them.

All in all my journey in the kitchen hasn't been that bad. I can think of only one occasion when the fruit of my labour wasn't actually edible--a misstep with stuffed artichokes I'm happy to forget (we ended up eating fried eggs that night instead). This year I wanted to try to challenge myself to try out new recipes and expand my horizons, but I haven't been as religious about it as I wanted to be. Time constraints mean I'm always falling back on some great fail safe recipes, among them the pizza my husband loves and easy pasta dishes like one of my faves: fusilli with broccoli.

This weekend, though, I decided to try something different. For my nephew's birthday party on Saturday I was determined to actually make something to bring rather than buying something like I usually do. (I like no muss, no fuss and a certainty that the finished product will actually be edible). I figured pasta salad, which surprisingly I had never attempted before, would be an easy enough crowd pleaser and so I started trawling the internets for a recipe.

Of course, being me I couldn't just stop at one. Maybe it's the influence of the ladies in my life, who knows. I ended up making a Greek Pasta Salad that was a mishmash of about five recipes I found. Happily everyone seemed to really like it and so I made it again for a barbecue I was headed to on Monday and, what do you know, another success! I love this because its relatively quick and easy (the most labour intensive part is some chopping) and fool proof, which I need. So without further ado...

Greek Pasta Salad

{Please ignore the bad cell phone quality pic - will get my camera fixed one day soon!}

Ingredients

1 package of pasta (I used fusilli)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 green onions, minced

20-25 grape tomatoes, quartered

1 can of sliced black olives (4 oz), drained

crumbled feta, about 2 cups

Directions

1. Boil water (I add salt and oil) in a large pot for the pasta. Cook pasta until al dente (I don't like it too soft).

2. Add first batch of ingredients (oil to sugar) to a large bowl. Whisk together.

3. Add second set of ingredients along with pasta (after you've drained it). Mix together and you're done. Refrigerate overnight.

The first time I made this I only had time to refrigerate it a couple of hours. The second time I let it chill over night. While the first batch was good, I found that the flavors were much stronger with the last batch. I'm not sure how many this recipe serves, exactly, but it makes a pretty big bowl -- good for at least ten people.

Buon Appetito!


I'm going to watch SATC tonight -
I really hope it's good!

Photos via