Disney & Annie Liebovitz

Taylor Swift is the latest celebrity to team up with Disney Parks and iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz. While I'm not a huge TSwift fan I do think she looks really beutiful as Rapunzel. Check out some of Ms. Leibovitz's other work for this ad campaign:

Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio and (a much younger) Abigail Breslin as her "apprentice"

Julianne Moore as Ariel (with Michael Phelps as a Mer-man)

David Beckham as some type of Prince Charming

Jeff Bridges as The Beast and Penelope Cruz as Belle

Russell Brand as Captain Hook (my favorite!)

JLo and Marc Anthony as Jasmine and Aladdian

Queen Latifah as Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Rachel Weisz (aka Mrs. Daniel Craig) as Snow White

Olivia Wilde as the Wicked Queen/Stepmother and Alec Baldwin as the Magic Mirror

Other depictions include:  

Roger Federer (King Arthur), Jessica Biel (Pocahontas), Whoopi Goldberg as Genie and Scarlett Johansson (Cinderella).  There is also a Peter Pan scene with Mikail Barishnakov as Pan, Giselle Buncheon as Wendy and Tina Fey as Tinkerbelle but I can't seem to be able to upload a copy of it. 

Inauguration

I'm not going to get political on my blog today.  That's not what today is about.  Today is about trying to get this country on the right track and having hope for future generations.  So I think I'll post some photos of some First Lady fashion instead (and I may have uploaded these out of chronological order). 

Popcorn Day

Alabama weather is positively crazy.  Thursday we had snow, early dismissals, cancellations and a 2-hour school delay on Friday.  Today, my neighbor's kids are running around in shorts and I've got windows open.  It is the end of January already and Spring does come early to Bham.  T's got her SB '13 plans in place and I booked the condo for the rest of us.  But may end up cancelling it -- my mom and dad want KJ to fly to them for the week.  And, of course, she's all for it.  She thinks she's so cool getting to fly around the country all by herself! 

 

Today is National Popcorn Day.  Which is pretty much every day in my house.  I love, love, love my air-popcorn machine and haven't bought microwave popcorn in forever.  I think we've had this air-pop maker almost 15 years now and counting.  When this baby goes, I don't know what I'll do.  I don't even know if they make them any more.  Cosmo and the girls make fun of me but it really is my favorite snack.  I very rarely eat chips (except when at a Mexican place), I don't do cake or cookies.  Very rarely do I keep ice cream in the house (except for the holidays -- have to have my Mayfield's Peppermint Stick!).  I probably should go buy a spare pop corn machine.  Just in case.  

Funny Friday Stuff

Hope everyone was able to stay safe during the big snow storm yesterday!  It was a pretty snow and KJ had a good time playing in it yesterday.  She usually goes down the front hill on a piece of cardboard but yesterday she upgraded to her boogie board.  After dinner she stayed outside with the dog until almost 9 PM and we now have several snow people in our front and back yards. 

If you're tired of hearing about Lance or Manti, take a little break and check out the following links for some Friday silliness: 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-25-most-embarrassing-destinys-child-coordinat

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/what-your-favorite-disney-princess-says-about-you/ (hmmm...guess which Disney Princess I most relate to!). 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/people-you-wish-you-knew-in-real-life

Have a GREAT weekend!

The Most Magical Time of the Year

Most folks have a hard time with January.  The holidays are over.  The weather usually isn't so great.  Still trying to hang onto New Year's Resolutions.  College football is over. 

I, on the other hand, love January!  What's not to love!  It's a new year and I luv, luv, luv writing in a fresh, new Lilly calendar!  NFL Play-offs are going on, Super Bowl is coming up.  Hockey is back!  The Miss America pageant!  Miss NY and Miss SC were my favorites right from the beginning.  SC was the favorite and it was hers to lose.  And she did.  I hated her gown and I thought she blew her question.  Miss NY looked like she was having fun and her tap dance was adorable (I love tap -- it's a dying art form!). She's a beautiful, healthy girl and I think she'll make a wonderful Miss America! 

Sunday was the Golden Globes.  Tina and Amy did a bang up job and kept things light.  I thought Kevin Costner's acceptance speech was classy and I have no idea what the hell Jodie Foster said.  She looked beautiful but she rambled so bad.  I think she was trying to officially come out, I think she was trying to retire.  IDK. 

I thought Jessica Alba looked beautiful but maybe a little too prom?  I feel like a lot of T-bone's friends had a similar silhouette at last year's Hoover Prom. 

I have not seen Les Miserables and have no desire to see it.  Musicals just aren't my thing.  But I do think Anne Hathaway looks radiant and this gown just accentuates her long lean lines. 

Again, I don't watch Homeland and have never been much of a Claire Danes fan but wow!  She looks very sexy and glamorous!

Eva Longoria looks like she's trying to hard to be sexy with all this leg action going on. 

I am probably one of the few people who liked Taylor Swift's gown.  The color was beautiful and the back was gorgeous.  The back of the gown really made it spectacular.  Unfortunately, they didn't really show the back on the red carpet pre-shows  I thought she looked grown up and was glad to see her step out of her comfort zone. 

Jessica Chastain is getting a lot of bad reviews for the dress (doesn't look like it fits correctly in the boobs) and her hair (looks very thin on top). 

Salma Hayek!  Va-Va-Voom.  She's a tiny little thing (probably close to me in height) but she's very voluptuous.  I love how she dresses! 

Jennifer Lawrence's dress had weird boobs.  The color was pretty and she accessorized well but my eye goes right to those crazy boobs. 

I don't watch Glee but thought Lea Michelle looked beautiful.  Very youthful and age appropriate. 

I am not a Hayden Panettiere fan at all.  Having said that, let me also state that I love her and her character on the show Nashville.  Again, I think she looks fresh, young and age appropriate. 

So mark your calendars and set your DVR's for the upcoming awards shows: 

•1/27/13: 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony (TNT and TBS, 8 p.m. ET)

•2/10/13: 55th Grammy Awards ceremony (CBS, 8 p.m. ET/PT)
•2/23/13: 28th Independent Spirit Awards ceremony (IFC, 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET)
•2/24/13: 85th Academy Awards ceremony (ABC, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET)

Green w/ Envy

Green has always been my favorite color.  I love pink too but I definitely gravitate towards green.  Which is kind of weird because I consider myself an "autumn" person. 

 

 The "Color of the Year" for 2013 is Emerald Green.  I'm going to be honest, I'm not much of a fan.  It just feels very "we're-off-to-see-the-Wizard" to me.  I love the color green in my home but I don't think I can pull off an emerald green outfit.  I think I would look cartoon-ish or too costume-y.  Like an escapee from Oz.  With my height and my fair coloring, I'd probably get mistaken as a leprechaun! 



The Book Thief

I totally devoured this book.  I didn't know what to expect but I couldn't put it down.  Apparently it's considered "young adult" but I didn't feel it was written that way at all.  I guess when I think "young adult" I think of Twilight or something like that. 

Good Year for Good Books

Had a chance to read some good books while I've been sick.  My mom suggested "The Shoemaker's Wife" by Adriana Trigiani.  I really enjoyed it and ordered a couple of her other books for my Nook.  I also read "Coming Out" by Danielle Steele.  Quick, easy read.  Nothing great; typical Danielle Steele.  She always sucks me in. 

I just started reading Mark Zusak's novel 'The Book Thief" and I'm intrigued. 

Yup. Still Sick

So now I've graduated (digressed??) from an upper respiratory infection to bronchitis.  Yay.  Go me.  T took me to the doctor yesterday and, fortunately, there was only one person in front of me versus the last time I went when it was standing room only.  She's been taking good care of me and had my presciptions filled, bought me lots of fresh fruit, made me soup, maintained my ginger ale levels, and has been chauffeuring KJ around.  So good to have my girl home. 

So Cosmo's getting ready for #LaxCon (for those of you not in the know, it's the official hashtag for the US Lacrosse National Convention in Philly).  He's been asked to present this year and I can't even begin to explain what a HUGE deal this is!  Yeah, he's my husband and I'm proud as hell but in all honestly, I don't know of anyone who has done more to get Alabama Lacrosse on the map.  #LaxCon hasn't even kicked off yet and he's been getting e-mails and FB messages from coaches around the country telling him they are looking forward to his presentation.  I'd be a nervous wreck but he is very comfortable with public speaking.  While I am certainly not implying that Cosmo is in the same league, he's in very good company.  Past presenters and key note speakers have included Lou Holtz, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Herm Edwards.  This year is Dick Vermeil.  Some of the other presenters this year include coaches from Southwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown and the US Olympic Committee.  And my hubby.  Too freakin' cool. 

BCS

Just a quick shout-out to my good natured friend Dean Martin.  He's one of the biggest Notre Dame fans out there and he put up with a lot of trash talk from me the last couple of weeks.  We had a friendly rivalry going back and forth but in the spirit of friendship, it never got ugly.  And I will behave and won't rub last night's win in, either. 

Cosmo was in Nashville last night and T went to TTown w/ friends to watch the game so it was just me and KJ.  She's fun to watch games with.  Thankfully both of my girls know their football better than most men and make intelligent observations throughout the game.  I hate when girls/women just repeat/FB/re-tweet whatever the announcer or their husband just said.

Still feeling really, really cruddy.  Just can't seem to shake this annoying cough.  And I'm really tired all the time.  God, I hope I don't have mono.  Never had it before, don't really need it at 45 years old.  Ain't no body got time for that.  I've never had strep before and neither have the girls. 

KJ's volleyball is in full swing.  Practices have started and we have a tournament at the end of the month.  T has an incredibly long break and doesn't have to be back in Oxford until the end of January.  She went to Tuscaloosa last night to watch the big game with friends and  I think she has plans to visit friends in Auburn next weekend and then stop in Starkville on her way back to Ole Miss. She has been asked to represent her sorority in the Ole Miss version of the Beauty Walk (I think it's called Walk of Beauties??) and then she goes right into lax season.  She's got Spring Break plans already, too.  Not sure what KJ and I are going to do this year.  She's going on the Washington DC trip with school, I may just hit the beach by myself for a few days.  Aaaaahhh, that would be heavenly!!!  Me, my nook and a margarita or two. 

New Year

Not a good way to start off the New Year.  I've missed two days of work from being sick.  Not fun.  I waited Wednesday afternoon at the local doc in the box for over 3 hours to find out I have an upper respiratory infection.  I got a cortizone shot in the butt, a prescription for some anti-biodics and cough medicine with codeine.  I have a seriously jacked up system and for some reason nighttime cough medicine (i.e., NyQuil) makes me totally wired.  I mean, like bouncing off the walls until 3 AM watching Law & Order SVU reruns.  I got back into bed only to have Cosmo's alarm go off at 6:30 AM.  By Thursday night this upper respiratory infection had gotten worse and I have an uncontrollable, horrible cough.  Took that awful cough medicine again, was up until 3 AM again Friday morning.  Today I'm really out of it and slept until almost 11 AM.  Had some tea and got back into bed until almost 2 PM.  No fever but horrible congestion and total exhaustion. 

To Gift Card or Not to Gift Card

We had a big discussion at work prior to the holidays about gift cards.  Our group was fairly evenly divided.  Some of us love giving gift cards for various reasons (I fall into this camp!) and most in this group love receiving them, too (ditto!).  The other half of our group felt gift cards are a cop-out and really aren't making much of an effort, 

Some people are really, really hard to buy for (cough!  cough!  my husband!) and some of us are really bad gift givers (raises hand!).  It's a bad combination.  He puts a lot of thought and effort into mine and the girl's gifts; I hate crowds and espcially don't enjoy shopping under pressure. 

In any event, I'm pretty lucky!  My family and friends know me so well! 
I luv, luv, luv receiving gift cards!
I luv it even more when the gift cards are for Barnes and Noble!  (I got 3 separate BN gift cards this year!) 
I also luv seeing "Reading Challenges" people post on FB, Twitter or their blogs.  I started reading the Sex & the City prequels this weekend, The Carrie Diaries, and am finishing up #2, Sex in the City, tonight.  Over Christmas break I read "Last Noel" by Michael Malone (it was a recent Nook Free Friday selection) and I also read "Nemesis" by Jo Nesbo. 

Came across this link and swooned.  http://www.flavorwire.com/240819/the-25-most-beautiful-college-libraries-in-the-world  Aren't libraries some of the most beautiful places in the world???