Just Say No!

I'll fully admit, I am a purist at heart. I like originals. None of this remake stuff for me. It's like the old saying-if it's not broke, don't fix it. This goes double for remakes of movies. If the original is so good, don't try to make it for a new generation. They should be forced to watch the beauty and splendor of the original (people wonder why I don't have kids).

Here are a couple of classics that still stand the test of time and should have stayed original.

Ocean's 11. Yes I know the remake had George Clooney in it. I know Brad Pitt is cute but this movie can not hold a candle  to the Rat Pack' version. Hello-Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin? Are you kidding me? Okay, fine, I'll come off my soap box for a minute and fill you in on the movie. The story centers around 11 old WWII buddies that plan to rob all of the casinos in Vegas. They have a master plan but of course something goes a little wrong. There is some mighty fine singing in this movie (I didn't see Brad or George do that!) and I love the stories of the guys filming during the day and doing shows on the strip at night. Nothing but class baby, nothing but class

Another travesty is King Kong. This one has been done several times and each time, it keeps getting worse and worse. The 2005 remake was so awful, I wanted to kick my own butt for even thinking of seeing it. There is something enduring, tragic and bottom line, just sad about the 1933 classic. Plus Fay Wray was adorable! The story is simple, girl meets ape, ape falls in love with girl, ape is exploited, gets mad, climbs Empire State Building and then dies. Sorry to ruin it for you but if you didn't know that by now,well,....we'll talk after class.

Psycho is another one that should just stay dead. Hitchcock is brillant. Gus Van Sant-eh, okay, not great but not bad either. To make the movie word for word  and scene for scene with Vince Vaughn seemed like a good idea but it's not, not at all! Anthony Perkins was Norman Bates. He was creepy and shy and you really felt for the guy. Vince (and don't get me wrong, I usually love him) was a cheap imitation. 

Planet of the Apes-not even going to say a word. I would have to sensor myself.

Other originals that you should see and stay FAR AND CLEAR of the remakes
Fame
Cape Fear
Sabrina
Thomas Crown Affair
Around the World in Eighty Days
Lolita
Get Carter
The Preacher's Wife

Oh my goodness! I could go on and on and on but I think you get the message here. Don't  remake a classic that is perfect in every way. Hollywood-let us have our memories-think up original ideas. Whew! End of rant-slowly climbing off soapbox.  Wait, what was that? They are making movies out of old TV shows and comic books. Oh No! I feel another tangent coming on! I better leave before I really get started! Until Next Week Moviegoers.

Feel Good Friday!

Another Friday, another way to feel good (keep it clean out there people!). The weather is cool and it's time to hunker down for the holiday season. I look forward to visiting with friends, warm drinks and making happy memories.

Speaking of memories. I love old radio shows. They are perfect for sitting and stitching. Everything from comedies like George and Gracie (my husband swears I'm Gracie) to tales of the unknown like Lights Out! So many of the movies made during those days are from radio shows. I also love listening to Swing music on these station. They will take you back to a time when things weren't always necessarily better but a little more simple and pure. One radio show that I love at Christmas is Cinnamon Bear. It's a great story for children of all ages. Two websites that I love for old radio shows are Relic Radio and Radio Lovers.

These look good enough to eat. CozyMemories does so many cute crafts and takes amazing pictures. Just so adorable!

So I started reading PamKittyMorning and not just because A)my name is Pam or B)most of the people in the crafting world also know me as Kittykill or KittyPam or C)she is also on the west coast but D) all of the above! She is a quilting queen!

Looking for sweet crafty goodness for the holidays? I recently discovered Lollishop. I love the banner-A frou frou friendly markeplace. Hee hee! That's right up my ally! I love these little girls from Sadie Lou Who. So stinking cute!

Deep breath...Don't you feel better? You've got pretty things to look at, some good shows to listen to and awesome blogs to read. What more do you want? Oh, I see...that's the way it is. FINE Here's a cute animal picture to get you through the day.

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.-Anne Frank

I'll Drop You A Line

I love old letters, cards and particularly post cards. I love reading about people's adventures on vacation, moving to a new town or just going to college. My collection of postcards range from 1890-1950

I wish I knew the humor behind these three. The girl in the last one is so cute. 

I love anything with dogs and these are just too much.

Christmas, Valentines and Birthday postcards

In gift shops you could find postcard books. I really wish Santa Land was still around and exactly the same as the above picture.

The Glitter on the Valentine is glass. The Christmas one is so beautiful.

These are just a few of boxes and boxes I have upstairs in my office. I usually find them at Estate sales and have never paid over a dollar for them. I'm sure if I really, really wanted one I might pay a little more but you can pick up beautiful little pieces of art for barely nothing. One day I will try to frame them, hee hee, yeah right and pigs will grow wings and fly. 

You Will Get Diabetes

Cause I'm about to go all sweet and sappy on ya!

Normally I reserve Wednesdays for interviewing amazing and crafty people but today is my 3rd wedding anniversary so I thought I would let OMP and the world know how much he means to me. He truly is my soul mate. I can't imagine myself without him and look forward to everyday with him. He makes me laugh, smile and just feel better about life.

It seems the past couple of years for us has been filled with a lot of trials and tribulations but we have made it through together.

So, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go enjoy my anniversary dinner and my husband's company. There is no one else in the world I would rather be with.


I love you Mark, now and forever.

Tie One On Tuesday!

Now that day light savings time has taken effect and fall 2009 will soon be a memory it is time to turn our thoughts to that merriest times of the year – no I am not talking about Christmas, I am singing the praises of Hot Buttered Run Season!!! I have to admit – this is one of my all time favorite drinks bar none.

I am going to show you some variations on HBR’s as well as give you your own mix recipe for use or gifting this drink season.

Okay – first up is a little recipe that I gleaned out of the NY Times last fall. It is fairly labor intensive but it is worth it.

It is aptly titled: Hot Brown Buttered Rum.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

16 oz. Dark Rum

2 vanilla beans (calls for Madagascar Beans but I “ain’t so fru fru”)

4 Tbls. loose English Breakfast tea

1. Butter into pan over med. heat. Scrape the vanilla beans seeds into the pan while butter is melting. Cook until butter turns brown (about 5 mins.). Butter should smell “nutty” – you know it ‘s done.

2. Pour Rum into large measuring cup. Add Butter mixture while still hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least 18 hours.

3. Next day put mixture into the freezer for 30 minutes.  Then strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Strain again through a coffee filter and sieve (it may take more then on filter as it will get gummed up). You have just made Rum infused Butter! Bottle up your bounty, it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if it last that long.

4. Prepare your Tea in the traditional way (i.e.: make a pot).

5. Pour yourself a cup of tea (about 4 oz.) and add 1 1/2 oz. of your rum butter. Stir and add 1 tps. Sugar. Garnish with nutmeg and enjoy!!

Here is another variation on the theme: Hot Buttered Cider (thanks Better Homes and Garden!!)

Ingredients:

8 cups apple cider

2 Tbls. Brown sugar

4 inches stick cinnamon

1 tsp. whole allspice

1 tsp. whole cloves

1 lemon peel cut into strips

2 Tbls. butter

2 oz. dark rum

1. Combine cider and brown sugar into saucepan. Tie cinnamon, cloves, all spice & lemon peel into cheese cloth, basically making a little spice baggie. Toss the spice bag into the cider mixture. Bring it to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for approx. 15 minutes – let the spices mingle with that cider! Remove the spice bag and discard.

2. Pour cider into mug and add a shot of rum. Top with approx. 1/2 tsp. of butter and serve with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer. 

So there you have it, a couple of different variations on a theme. For a traditional style HBR, here is a little Pedersen family recipe that has been handed down for just over two years or so now……. Homemade HBR batter!!

Ingredients:

1 pound DARK Brown sugar (I have found Molasses Brown sugar to be best)

1/2 Pound salted butter

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp. ground Cloves

1 tsp. ground Nutmeg

1 tsp. Vanilla (extract is fine)

1 tsp. ground Cardamom

1. Cream butter in large bowl – like making a cake. Add brown sugar. Mix well. Add all other ingredients and mix up well.

2. Package up in tubs and refrigerate. Should keep for the season or in the freezer indefinitely.

To make yourself a drink, take a shot of dark rum and (depending on how sweet you want your drink) 1 to 2 tsp. of your batter and add it to a glass. Stir in hot water, top with some nutmeg and enjoy the creamy goodness!

So, what have we learned here today? There are many ways to make different type drinks, but they all lead back to the start. Now if you will excuse me, I think I hear my kettle boiling. Until next time – Bottoms up!

 

The Suspense is Killing Me

I love a good thriller. Not Michael Jackson-although that was a great video. I'm talking about a good old fashion suspense thriller. Give me an old suspenseful movie any day of the week. There is something about watching an old movie in the fall when it's raining and you have a fire going that really captures the moment, so to speak.

One movie that I just recently saw over the weekend is Gaslight. It stars Ingrid Bergman (she won an Oscar for her role) and it was nominated for the best picture. It did win a Golden Globe in best picture. The story is of a detective trying find out why a paranoid schizophrenic is trying to drive his wife mad. The movie is based on a famous London play. I highly recommend this movie. Ingrid Bergman is beyond belief amazing

Everyone knows that Alfred Hitchcock is the king of psychological thriller. His plot twist and camera angles set him above most directors. Dial M for Murder is on of his best. The story centers around a man who finds out that his wife had an affair a year ago and now he wants to murder her. He doesn't want to commit the murder himself so he hires someone to do it for him. This is where the plot twist-I don't want to give away too much but it is an excellent thriller with the beautiful Grace Kelly playing the lead.

The final movie is on my top 10 list. Night of the Hunter starring Robert Mitchum is a classic cat and mouse game with thrills and turns but done in such a subtle way that you don't realize you are being taken for the suspenseful ride of your life. Mitchum plays an escape convict trying to track down $10,000.00 that his cellmate hid. Robert's character marries the man's widow, weasels his way into their lives and then hunts for the cash. The story of Cain and Able that the preacher tells (Love and Hate on his hands) sets an eerie undertone for the movie . It is shot beautifully. Unfortunately it did not do well at the box office and was the amazingly talented director, Charles Laughton's last movie. It was only till after Laughton's death that the movie was recognized for the cinematic genius it was and still is.

So these movies will make you a little leery about your neighbor, significant other or in my case my pups (I never trust a shifty eyed dog), don't let that keep you from curling up under a cozy blanket, put another log on the fire and enjoy an good suspenseful thrill. I bet you can solve the case before that pesky detective can. Until next time!

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

Today is Dia de los Muertos -it is a holiday to honor and celebrate those who have passed on. Although we are so happy to have a new little man in our lives (he is the funniest little guy ever) we still have a place in our heart for the original little man, our chunk, Kato. It has been some time since he has passed away but I swear sometimes I can hear the pitter patter of his little feet walking around downstairs. So today's Scrappy Dog Sunday is Kato. We miss you little man.

Kato was a tough old man! He lived to be almost 18!

Can you see why we called him chunk?

No matter what age he was, he loved to sleep in front of the heater during winter.

Oh, he looks like he's thinking about life and reflecting. He's really just scheming a way to get food from us.

This head was in his stomach. His second surgery. The first being a piece of a Kong toy.

He went through 3 surgeries, fathered 2 children and had to put up with me dressing him up-no wonder he was grouchy.

Kato, I miss you so much. The way you and OMP fought for bed space every night. Your barking when the wind blew. Eating everything that wasn't nailed down. You were a man's man. You took no crap and lived your life the way you wanted to. You were the Marlon Brando of the doggy world. I hope you are in doggy heaven, laying in the sun and eating as many doggy biscuits as your heart desires. Good night sweet prince. You will forever have a place in my heart and soul.