I am super pumped for the holidays, which is ridiculous especially since it's only November 20. But oh well. I look forward to baking, time off, and decking the halls of our new home. I bought a new wreath with fun stuff to decorate it with from Target. I have new plans for how to display our beautiful cards. I am very excited!

Hooray for the first post in over a month!

Today was the final episode of The Office. Like, ever. And if anyone knows me, they know that my life is The Office. Other than Seinfeld, it's my top-quoted TV episode.

I was doing fairly well while watching. It wasn't until a big event (keeping it secret) happened. I literally gasped - house-shaking gasp, that is - and then proceeded to sob. I just couldn't stop.

I appreciated the nods to the original episodes. I especially loved Jim's description of his job, because that was the same one he gave episode one. There was some stuff I wasn't crazy about... but the stuff I loved makes me still cry every time I think about it.

I love this show and have loved it for years. I really started watching regularly in season 4. I had seen all the previous episodes on Peachtree or whatever channel and the Internet. I really identified with the show since at the time I was also working in a boring, ridiculous office. It's become a part of my life. I watch seasons 2 and 4 every few months. I quote it regularly. I'm known at work for my love of the show. For the past two years, I've gone over to my parents' to watch with my brother - it was our thing. I laugh over this show with Shoes' brother Mark, Courtney, and Courtney's father at several family events. Heck, I even forced my friend Kate to spend a good hour at the NBC store in New York just so that I could find the perfect Jim bobble head. This show has been a huge part of my adult life.

So that's it. I would say good bye, but I'll probably be watching season 2 in a few weeks when my marking is due.

So cookie decorating was...

...Adorable.

I went with Kate (second picture) last Wednesday and it was very fun! If you're in the neighbourhood, go to Sweet Impressions; they are the most adorable shop ever.

It's Friday and I decided to write about one of my absolute favourite movies: Pride & Prejudice [2005]. If you have not seen it yet, do so. Right this second.

I know there are many people who prefer the BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (including my grade 11 English teacher) and who will consider the 2005 version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew McFayden a nice movie but just "not the same". There was a time when I would have agreed with that sentiment but it's been a little while since I have made the 2005 version my personal favourite. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It's not 6 hours

The BBC version is a pretty much a very close adaptation to the book and it should be: it's 6 hours! It's a full miniseries that you would watch over several days. And while it's very good, that is an investment of your time.

The 2005 version is not a miniseries, it's a theatrical release. And while there are details that are missing, you don't miss them. The writers hit all of the major points efficiently and effectively.

2. Matthew McFayden is fantastic

The movie is about Lizzie Bennet (Keira Knightley) and therefore the story is centred around what she's doing. What's Darcy up to? What's he thinking? The writers wrote in these beautiful subtle windows into the mind and heart of Darcy and Matthew McFayden delivered them beautifully. There are so many small details, small looks, that round out Darcy into what he is in this movie: a young man in love.

I think this part takes the cake. I legitimately gasped out loud in the theatre when I saw it.

I don't want to go into details. Just watch the movie. You'll see why it's such an amazing scene.

As I wrote this, I wanted to specify that because this movie is full of details. Because it is "so short" and because there's so much to convey, so much of it is done through small looks and focus points. So much of the emotion and the story is not even spoken. It's genius.

3. It's a youthful movie

This movie is about a set of young people. The cast is actually quite young (or youthful looking) and and I think that gives the movie a different feel. It's such a bright movie and I think the cast contributes to that feeling.

As an aside, Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet, pictured above) looks EXACTLY like how I pictured Jane. She's so fresh, lovely, and beautiful, a perfect Jane.

4. You will feel a range of emotion

I went with Shoes and a good friend from engineering, Tyra (haha, Shoes went with us... what a guy!). We legitimately stayed seated and cried through the ending credits. Shoes didn't know what to do.

In this movie, you laugh. You cry. You laugh as you cry. What more could you want?

4. It's a beautiful movie

It is legitimately a beautiful movie. The cinematography is gorgeous (see below). The sets are chosen and arranged with care. The costumes are terrific and suit each character. And the music is beautiful (by the way, I walked down the aisle to this song from the movie).

 

So that's it! That is why Pride & Prejudice [2005] is one of my absolute favourite movies of all time. Do yourself a favour and sit down and watch it!

Another Bridevice coming up tomorrow!

Guess who's that cool teacher with the #mdk shirt. That's right. Me., a photo by edgeandvertex on Flickr.

I had to share this here. My brother and his girlfriend gave me this for my birthday. I love it so much. It's a tshirt from season 1 of My Drunk Kitchen.

Now all I need is a "Frederick!" shirt!

Yesterday Shoes and I went to the States, which was a lot of fun. We ate at our one of our favourite restaurants and did some magnificent shopping at Target.

I made one impulsive purchase: this scrapbooking paper pad:

Shoes was like, "You don't scrapbook... why would you use this?!" And I'm like, "... For blog stuff? And photography stuff?" And then he laughed at me.

Seriously, though, I loved the paper and I will use it for more photography as backdrops/etc (I apparently also plan on baking more. Hum, we'll see how that goes!).

Part of this plan was a "my favourite things" part of this blog. Every once in a while I'll post some of my favourite things. In fact, here are a few of my favourite pieces of jewellery.

(See! I did have a plan when I bought the paper!)

From Top

1. A neat bracelet from Stella & Dot. I like it because it looks kind of like it's kitschy and kind of like it's not... verdicts out on this one, but I enjoyed it.

2. My first Stella & Dot purchase. I liked this ring because it was so simple and sweet.

3. Okay, more Stella & Dot (I swear, not being paid by them... I have just gone to many parties in the past 4 months...). Same as the first piece... kitschy? Not kitschy? Who knows! Who cares! It also doubles as a defence mechanism.

4. My Chanel necklace that my aunt bought for me in the boutique either in Switzerland or Paris. I don't know. Somewhere European and awesome. Was given to me as a grad gift.

5. One of my favourite pieces ever, this is my Kate Spade bangle. Inside is engraved "An ace up your sleeve", which I thought was really cool and mysterious. I bought it in New York.

So there ya' go. A bit of favourites for you. A few more are posted on Flickr.

So I have been doing Photo a Day... kind of. I don't like doing it day by day. Like some days I see something that I'm like, HEY, that's good for Friday's... but I see it now... so I've decided to take the days as more of suggestions... or just keeping them until I post them. Whatever. Here's Friday's (which is actually right now...) that I actually took yesterday when I was doing a marking marathon (booooo).

I decided to post this one right away because of what I'm watching on the screen. That's right, it's Hannah Hart from My Drunk Kitchen. It took me probably way longer to actually mark the assignments because I watched all 1.5 seasons but whatever.

Anyways, if you've never watched My Drunk Kitchen, do it. It's awesome. And the thing is that Hannah is awesome. I feel inspired every time I watch her show (which is an actual show with a new episode every Thursday). I am amazed but making this show is her job - she doesn't have a day job! It's fantastic. And she's great to her fans, she inspires people to go out and do charity work... the list goes on and on. All from getting drunk and "cooking".

She's taking her show on tour and she decided to raise funds for the tour from her fans. The fans get to choose which cities she goes to and what she does in those cities. She was asking for $50,000 to do the tour (i.e. rent the RV, gas for the RV, food I'm sure, etc) and she gave fans a month. I think she may have posted this 10 hours ago... and she's already at over $90,000. So a girl who is almost double her original asking price probably doesn't need me to pass along the message, but I thought I would anyways. Just watch her fourth update video... it made me want to cry. Doing this - being independent, writing, getting to connect with her community - is her dream. Who doesn't deserve to live out their dream?

I'm butchering this. Go to the page. Watch the video. Be a friend.

... how was yours? It was an Instagram-type of weekend!

From Top, L-R

(1.) Shoes and I went to a community church Christmas dinner with some people from his work. It was very nice and "hearty", which is really the only way I can describe it. (2.) I found this giant box of Keurig holiday coffees and it was glorious. Shoes almost wept with joy. (3.) Starbucks with Kate Sunday morning is probably one of my favourite things ever. (4.) Second to that is fun tea. This adorable bauble was given to us from Courtney@The Fig Tree. So adorable.

Also from Courtney - we got our amazing wedding photos. And that's what I'm going to do over the holiday.