Get the Popcorn Ready !!!

Here's a link to some of the movies still to be released in 2018 and my excitement level (kinda like rotten tomatoes but with popcorn!): 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/gallery/16-movies-were-most-excited-about-for-the-rest-of-the-year/ss-BBMoJbR?ocid=ientp

"Peppermint" with Jennifer Garner comes out September 7.  The trailer doesn't look great but fans of Alias will be happy to see Jenn out of her "mom" roles and back in the action genre. 
(Anticipation Level:  2 popcorn kernels out of 5)

"A Simple Favor" with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick comes out September 15.  Coach and I saw the trailer for this when we saw "The Spy Who Dumped Me."  This movie looks like a "Gone Girl" or "Girl on the Train" kind of mystery/thriller.  I'm expecting a plot twist at the end. 

(Anticipation Level:  3 popcorn kernels out of 5)

 

I think I'm most excited for "A Star is Born" which hits theaters on October 5.  "A Star is Born" stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and looks awesome!  Bradley Cooper does his own singing, no lip synching!!). 
(Anticipation Level:  5 out of 5 popcorn kernels!)

"Halloween" with Jamie Lee Curtis will be released on October 18.  Meh.  Halloween and Jamie Lee Curtis fans will be thrilled.  Me.  Not so much. 
(Anticipation Level:  0 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

The trailer for "First Man" (based on the biography "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong" by James R. Hansen) which releases October 21 didn't look very exciting but how can you go wrong w/ Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy ("The Crown") and Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights)???
(Anticipation Level:  3 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

I think Nicole Kidman may possibly be the hardest working woman in show business.   Her new movie, "Boy Erased" releases November 2 and is the story of the son of a Baptist preacher (Russell Crowe) and their son Jared (Lucas Hedges) who is outed as gay to his parents. They give him the ultimatum of going to a conversion therapy program or being disowned.  The emotional and heart-wrenching story of faith and identity is based on the memoir "Boy Erased" by Garrard Conley. Gay conversion camps treat sexual identity as a mental illness that can be "cured" through cruel methods, including beatings and shame, and this film provides insight into the harrowing experience.
(Anticipation Level:  2 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

On the total flip side, "Bohemian Rhapsody" also releases November 2. "Bohemian Rhapsody" tells the story of the rise and legacy of UK's rock group Queen. The film addresses the personal and professional lives of the band's members (particularly front man Freddie Mercury), culminating at Queen's memorable 1985 performance at a music festival known as Live Aid.
(Anticipation Level:  3 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

I love that many movies this year feature strong women (either acting in, written by, directed or produced by) and "Widows" (November 16) is one of these movies.  After four criminals are killed on a heist, their wives step in for revenge and to finish the job their spouses didn't (of course!).  The screenplay was written by "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn and has an interesting cast which includes Liam Neeson playing Viola Davis' husband. It also stars Cynthia Erivo, Michaell Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Jon Bernthal (from "The Accountant" and "Walking Dead"), Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, and more.
(Anticipation Level:  3 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

Looks like November 21 is going to spent all day at the movie theaters:  One of Coach's favorite Disney movies is getting a sequel!  "Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet" will be in the theaters November 21.  "Creed 2" also hits the theaters November 21 and is basically Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) fighting the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed his father, Apollo Creed, more than 30 years ago.
(Anticipation Level:  5 out of 5 popcorn kernels for BOTH movies)

I will probably be the only person in the movie theater watching "Mary Queen of Scots" on December 7 and I'm ok with it.  The history dork in my is looking forward to see Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stuart and Margot Robbie as Elizabeth I. 
(Anticipation Level:  4 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

The only person who could pull off a re-make of Mary Poppins is Emily Blount. Filing Julie Andrew's shoes is no easy task and Emily Blunt steps into the iconic role on December 21 to bring some cheer to the Banks family, who is devastated following the loss of their matriarch.   I also like the fan conspiracy websites that claim Mary Poppins is actually a graduate of Hogwarts.  https://closeronline.co.uk/entertainment/soaps/harry-potter-mary-poppins-ministry-magic-fan-theory/
(Anticipation Level:  5 out of 5 popcorn kernels)

WPS

Woo Pig Sooie!  It sure has been a long, long time since I blogged! 

Fall is in full swing despite what the thermometer here in Texas reads!  We had one or two days in the low to mid-70's but mostly its been in the 80's. It's almost Halloween and the A/C is still on.
The nights have been a little cooler and Coach is enjoying his homemade, outdoor big screen for football games. He has a nice little set-up out there ... he's got a 6ft+ screen, beautiful outdoor patio furniture, the fire pit ... he has a couple of Blue Moons or I join him for some Moscow Mules ....

So our 49th birthdays came and went without a terrible amount of fanfare.  T sent me a gorgeous Kendra Scott bracelet, coach bought me a new camera lens and he and KJ made me breakfast in bed and lasagna for dinner.  KJ also bought the most delicious red velvet bundt cake from "Nothing Bundt Cakes" and a Charming Charles gift card.  Coach had practice on his b-day so KJ and I surprised him with cupcakes and balloons on the field and we celebrated with burgers at Dutch's.

Our 24th wedding anniversary was also kind of quiet.  KJ had lax practice so Coach made a delicious shrimp scampi. Love a man who cooks!

KJ's birthday is a whole 'nother story.  It's a never-ending celebration.  She had a lax game on her b-day so the weekend before some friends took her out to dinner and they all came back here for a bonfire and s'mores. One of her friend's decorated her car the morning of her birthday and they met t Starbucks for breakfast before school.

We went to the Texas State Fair this year and had so much fun!  We didn't go last year because we had either just come back from Europe or were just about to go and didn't have much time. It was a GORGEOUS day and I loved the art deco buildings that make up the fair grounds. Got to see Big Tex and even tried some fried fair foods!

And then came our weekend at the U of Arkansas. The drive up on Friday was nice, about 5 hours from our house.   KJ had the afternoon tour but we were a little early so we parked and had lunch on campus. Fall was definitely in the air, it was only about 60 degrees, and the leaves were just starting to change in the Ozarks. It was soooo nice being in the mountains!  It felt like "home" -- New York in autumn, State College, West Point, Vermont, etc.  Coach's sweet nephew had made arrangements for a goodie bag to be left in KJ's name and he had a can koozie in there for her, a pig nose, a Razorback blanket, a  Tervis Tumbler and a bunch of other stuff.  She felt so special!  Coincidentally KJ's tour guide happened to be from Texas, lives around the corner and went to Marcus HS.  Campus was beautiful, big but not too big, great little downtown area and everyone was very welcoming. I could totally see Daughter #2 there. With her grades she should qualify for in-state tuition so that's a bonus!  Of course Alabama and Ole Miss are high on her list but I'm encouraging her to branch out and make her own memories.

After the tour were drove around for a bit and looked at the different sorority and fraternity houses. KJ wanted to stop and take a pic in front of the AOPI to send to T when all of a sudden I hear a big scream and some crazy girl starts running towards us!  I was totally blown away!!  Coach and T had been scheming for weeks and surprised the hell out of me and KJ!  We had dinner at a neat gourmet grilled cheese place and watched the homecoming parade. We went back to the hotel but KJ dragged T to the pep rally and they walked around campus a bit more. Saturday we parked by the baseball fields and tailgated. The family next to us had one daughter who was a sophomore at Ole Miss and one was a freshman. The tailgaters on the other side of us were a combo of Pig and Rebel fans and one of the ladies was from Pony Boy's hometown and knew his family. Although the game didn't turn out the way T and Coach would have liked, KJ had a blast doing all the Woo Pig Sooie cheers!!  And, coincidentally the tour guide from the day before sat next to us with her parents. It was too funny!! 

Last weekend KJ took the ACT's Saturday morning and had a tournament in downtown Dallas immediately following. Coach had the purple vs white scrimmage game last Sunday and this weekend is going to be jammed packed, too!  Tomorrow we are going to the TCU vs Texas Tech game and tailgate with some friends and Sunday night we're going to see Stevie Nicks!!! #WPS!!!

A little Fall Fun

KJ had a great Halloween and trick or treated with a couple of girls from the neighborhood despite the light rain.  We had a ton of kids at the house which was pretty fun and I had just enough candy.  My favorite costume of the night was Troy Polamalu.  One of the boys KJ goes to school with wore a Steeler's jersey and had a huge wig on.  Too funny!  She didn't have school on Friday so we got to sleep in for a bit.  We met Cosmo for lunch and did a little shopping in the afternoon.  KJ picked out a Michael Kors bag and it will be put away for a Christmas present.  She also bought two cute dresses and a couple of shirts. 

Saturday KJ was invited to the movies and shopping with a girl from her Math class so Cosmo and I took advantage of the free time and had a date day.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, mid-60's with plenty of sunshine.  We had a GREAT lunch at the DC Boathouse in Georgetown
http://dcboathouserestaurant.com/ and walked around the campus for a while.  We found the football stadium and caught a bit of the game vs. Lafayette.  Nice stadium, very small (nothing like Bryant-Denney!) but nice nonetheless.  Can't wait to see some lax games there!  I was so mad at myself . . . I lugged my camera around all day but it didn't have a memory card in it but did get a couple of good pics with my phone.  I luv, luv, luv Georgetown.  I've told Cosmo repeatedly that I'd give my right arm to live there. 

Pumpkin Chunkin'

We had such a great weekend!  Very "autumnal."  The weather was amazing -- lots of bright sunshine, temps in the mid-60's and lots of blue skies.  Cosmo was on a roll and cooked almost the entire weekend.  Saturday morning he and KJ made biscuits for breakfast.  That afternoon they made homemade white pizza.  Sunday morning he made us French toast.  Love a man who cooks! 

Thursday I didn't feel like cooking so KJ and I planned to meet Cosmo at Uncle Julio's, a Mexican restaurant we like which is close to Cosmo's office.  I wasn't paying attention when I entered it in my GPS and it felt like we were driving forever.  I actually said to KJ, "hmmm....I didn't remember it being this far."  Double-checked my Garmin and realized I hit the address for the Uncle Julio's in Fairfax, VA.  Fortunately, I was able to get off at the closest exit, turn around and found my way to the right Uncle Julio's in time for a yummy swirly margarita!  My fave! 

Saturday we went to a local orchard to get our pumpkin on and couldn't have picked a better day.  The weather was perfect and we had so much fun.  http://www.butlersorchard.com/  Lots of stuff to do -- we went on a hay ride, found our pumpkin (35 lbs!), pet some animals, slide, walked through the corn maze, etc.  Every year we went to a farm in Clanton http://www.alabamagrandolepumpkinpatch.com/ and going to the pumpkin patch is one of our favorite family traditions.  KJ's obviously too big for pony rides and face painting but this year was fun because she did a little Pumpkin Chunkin'!  It was AWESOME and her pumpkins went flying!!  They must have gone at least 100 yards. 

Saturday night we watched a bunch of scary movies -- the remake of the Amityville Horror (w/ Ryan Reynolds) and the remake of The Omen (w/ Liev Schriber).  I'm not a horror movie fan and had never seen either of those movies (originals or remakes).  Cosmo was out like a light on the couch and KJ and I were up until almost 1 AM watching scary movies.  She slept with the light on that night. 

Sunday KJ had her final rec league volleyball game.  It was one of those "play until you lose" kind of things.  (Un)fortunately they lost in their first round so it ended up being an early afternoon for us.  Since the weather was so good we did our outside Halloween decorations. 

Halloween Decor

Luv, luv, luv this post from Beaux reves!  Her dining room looks amazing!!!  http://beauxrevesamore.blogspot.com/2012/10/haunted-dining-room.html

I've started my Halloween Decorating but really just haven't gotten far.  The last week in September T came home and everyone went to the Ole Miss vs. Alabama game.  I got some cleaning done but no decorating.  The first weekend in October KJ was finishing up volleyball so I didn't any decorating that weekend either.  This last weekend was the annual Cos Family Celebratory Triad so the only decorating I got done was birthday party decorating. 
 

I've really been into glitter the past couple of years (Pinterest influence perhaps??).  Right now I have a purple glitter skull sitting on a large black candle holder and some pumpkins totally decked out in black and orange sequins and glitter.  I also have KJ's Halloween cat painting on one end of the mantel and a long, horizontal black and silver Halloween wooden sign in the middle. 

I'm also a sucker for the whole Pottery Barn / vintage / traditional Halloween look.  I like simple, clean lines and like a monochromatic color scheme with pops of color. 

I luv, luv, luv a great decorated buffet! 

Really, really into skulls this year.  I think when the kids were younger I decorated in more of a "Happy" Halloween style -- cute pumpkins, patchwork scarecrows, sweet, not scary or threatening.  Now I think my decor has evolved into more of  "Classy Scary."  I don't like blood or gore but do like to set an elegant, appropriate table or buffet. 

 

 

Is this what they mean when someone says, "I'll have your head on a platter??"

Social Sunday

Today didn't start off too great.  Or maybe Saturday night never really ended?  Too tired to tell the difference.  All I know is insomnia and a migraine are not a good combination.  I was up until 5:30 AM.  Wide awake.  With a raging headache.  No Bueno.  But the Bagel Boy took good care of me.  I do luv me some Bagel Boy on Sunday mornings! 

So we're down to the ten day mark.  In ten days T-bone will be leaving for college.  The Auburn girls were moving in today (I think Rush starts tomorrow) and I know the Alabama girls can't be far behind.  Thinking of all the moms (and dads!) today.  I know it's going to be much harder on me (and Coach) than it is T.  She's excited to start this new chapter in her life and I'm going to have a hard time letting go.  And I can tell you right now Coach is going to be a wreck.  This is the man who cried when the girls got their ears pierced. 

Ok!  Moving on to Social Sunday!  So excited for this week's questions!  I luv, luv, luv the Fall.  It's the best time of the year in our house . . . my b-day in September, our 20th Anniversary in October, Coach's b-day the day after that and KJ's 13th b-day the day after that!  I hate Alabama summers but luv Alabama Autumns!  I luv being able to open the windows and get some fresh air.  I luv sleeping with the windows open.  I luv waking up with a slight chill in the air.  I luv football season.  I luv having friends over to watch football on the back deck with a bonfire going.  I luv decorating the house for Fall.  I luv decorating the house for Halloween.  I luv Thanksgiving.  Yup.  Best time of the year for me! 

This weeks questions:

1. What is your favorite Fall activity? I absolutely luv everything about the Fall so this is going to be a tough one.  I would say Friday night high school football games, Saturday college football games and Sunday NFL games.  Decorating the house for Fall, bonfire evenings, and Halloween.

2. Do you follow a football team? if so which one and why? We've always been Alabama fans and of course this is a New York Jets house.  I guess this year we'll need to root for Ole Miss, too.  

3. What is something fun about Fall in your area? We've been going to the same pumpkin patch since we moved here 13 years ago.  It's a family tradition.   And Coach carves the pumpkins with the girls.  It's just one of those "dad" things.   

4. Fav Fall outfit staples? Jeans, a long-sleeve V-neck t-shirt from either Gap or Old Navy.  Cute scarves.  Lots of bracelets.  A great brown leather bag and brown leather boots with a heel because I'm vertically challenged in a big way. 

5. Thing you are looking forward to most about this coming Fall season? I am really, really excited about football season.  I'm really looking forward to tailgating in the Grove.  I'm looking forward to seeing Brye play and Rory cheer!  

6. Favorite Fall holiday? Traditions? Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday.  It's just such a simple holiday.  No cards.  No gifts to buy.  It's just a day to reflect, be thankful and spend time with your loved ones.  I luv cooking the turkey, I luv the textures of Fall, I luv the smells.  I luv having the girls help in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day (they like to make the mashed potatoes and crescent rolls).  I luv when Coach carves up the turkey.  

Next Week's Questions:

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food?

What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten?

What foods do you avoid at all costs?

What meal reminds you of your childhood?

Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.

Happy Halloweeen!

Every year I swear I'm going to make these beautiful pumpkin topiaries! Hasn't happened yet!

However, I have decorated with mason jars for years & years and use the jars all year round. I don't just only use mason jars, either. If I find a jar with an unusual size or shape, I clean it up and use it! I line my driveway with mason jars whenever we have a party, I use them up the front steps, on the floor in the foyer, outside on the back deck, scattered throughout the flower gardens, over by the garden swing, on a tree stump (all the girls at T's homecoming afterparty said the backyard looked very romantic!). I've also wrapped wire around the collar of the jars and hung them from the trees. I luv, luv, luv candlelight and incorporate candlelight into every single one of my decorating themes.
Love the purple & green touches on this tablescape! Although I love Orange & Black (Go Bucs!), I do get a little tired of it by the time Halloween rolls around.

Looking forward to seeing all the neighborhood kids dressed up tonight! The party and parade at the clubhouse is so much fun each year and it's been amazing watching these kids grow up. It's kind of been in waves or stages . . . T was only 5 when we moved here and KJ had her first Halloween just days after being born (I sat on the front steps and passed out candy with KJ snuggled in her infant car seat right next to me. I think she was more of a novelty that year than the actual candy. I do remember it being very, very warm that first Halloween; like in the mid 70's). T was in kindergarten and I remember a big group of older kids (who have now all gone on to be married and some even have kids of their own). Then, there was the group just a touch bit older than T (we called the boys The Doberman Gang...Zack, Andrew, Rob and George's Kids). They are all in college now. Next was T's group (aka The Southpointe Kids . . . T, Kelsey, Cole, Molly, Jay G, Jay R, Callie, Jake, Emily B, T Keith, The Brown Boy. Then we had KJ's group . . . KJ, Conor, Cavan, Clare, Evvy, Sam, JP, Cam and Andi. And then of course, all the little neighborhoods kids that T babysat for. That's really weird for her. She loves when the kids come up to her at the pool with big hugs but she said it makes her feel old. Welcome to my world girlfriend.

B O O

Two fun links to check out today:
http://homeiswheretheboatis.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/ghostly-peeps-fun/
Used to luv, luv, luv Peeps when I was a kid. Back in the good old days when they ONLY came out at Easter. Now they have Peeps for EVERYTHING: Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc. I'm a traditionalist and still only like the Easter Peeps (the bunny's are the best IMO). I like my Peeps really, really stale. I actually cut a slit in the plastic wrap and sit them on the counter for weeks. Not days. Weeks. http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/ As always, luv, luv, luv The Tablescaper! What a fun Halloween table!

Enjoy some miscellaneous Halloween photos. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I NEED A BARN! I'm going to have Cosmo get right on that!!! (after this weekend's grand-opening) hahahaha

I do love me some weekend !!!

What a wonderful, busy weekend! This weather is amazing and I love the slight chill in the air! The windows are wide open and sleeping has been very snuggly & cozy!

T had her senior Halloween dance Thursday night (there was some really, really creative costumes!) and from there she & Cosmo drove to ATL to spend the night. She had a 7 AM (Eastern time) flight and landed around 9 AM. She was met at the airport by a grad student (who, on Sunday, met w/ producers of MTV's Real World for an audition) and met the lax coaches and her freshman host for the weekend. They had lunch and she was supposed to go to class w/ her host but it was cancelled. She practiced with the team that afternoon (they had snow flurries during practice!) and the coach took the whole team out for dinner. The football team played away this weekend so Saturday morning she somehow participated in a charity kick-ball tournament on campus and went to the soccer game with a couple of the girls. The grad student and her host drove her back to the airport and she landed in ATL around 9 PM Saturday night. She really liked the campus, she really liked the dorms and she really liked the weather. She called from the airport before departure and we had a really deep conversation about her expectations from college. She's got a lot to think about, the decision is entirely hers but she made some extremely mature observations about the schools she's visited so far and I think, in the end, she'll make the best choice based on her needs and her personality.

Saturday night KJ had her 12th b-day party and we celebrated w/ a tailgate theme. Cosmo set up the TV and the Wii outside, we had a roaring fire, we roasted hotdogs, we had the popcorn machine going and made s'mores. Her invitations were cute and had a poem about "let's see who cheers for who on game day" and everyone wore their favorite team colors / jerseys. All the kids were pretty into the Alabama game and afterwards played the new Wii dance 3 game. Friday she has a costume party to go to which is going to be a problem. She hasn't even begun to think about a costume which is very, very unusual for her. She usually starts thinking about her Halloween costume during swimsuit season. Looks like we'll be hitting Party City or Halloween Express this week!

Fall Decor

Anyone who regularly reads my blog knows I luv, luv, luv this time of year! I love getting cozy and having candlelight EVERYWHERE. I luv the smells of autumn, the textures, the weather. I think this is the most perfect time of the year.

This weekend we did some of our outdoor decorating (hay bale, corn stalks, pumpkins, garden flag, etc.). I've got my autumnal dining room table complete and the kitchen is decorated for fall (pumpkins & scarecrows on the baker's rack) and Bucs football season (lots of black & orange & white -- polka dot plates, checked cloth napkins, serving dishes shaped like footballs). I have a little Alabama tableau in the foyer (lots of houndstooth and photos of the family from various Alabama games in Tide frames and a couple of Bear Bryant quotes on distressed wood and, of course, a Bear Bryant hat). The family room has scary Halloween decorations. The scary stuff will come down after Halloween and Thanksgiving will go in it's place.

One of my favorite blogs, The Tablescaper, always posts GORGEOUS photos and I love getting some inspiration from her (I'm assuming it's a female!). http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/. We have very similar tastes in dishes and table decor and I like using what I have on hand and putting my own spin on it.