September Sneak Peek

Here's a quick run-down of some of the movies coming out this Fall: 

September 6

Stephen King's "It / Part 2" 
No thanks.  The book scared the ever-loving mess out of me when I read it back in the 80's.  I remember watching the mini-series with Richard Thomas (John Boy from the Waltons) but this sequel to the 2017 release looks terrifying. 

Night Hunter
An online predator, captured with the help of a local vigilante, is connected to crimes far more heinous than anyone expected. Henry Cavill and Alexandra Daddario star.  Henry Cavill is dreamy but I'm not sure if he plays the predator or the vigilante in this one.   

Satanic Panic
A pizza delivery girl makes a trip she'll never forget when she delivers food to a group of Satanists. Chelsea Stardust directs the Rebecca Romijn horror/comedy.  

Zeroville
A young cinema buff makes a trip to Hollywood in 1969–during the era of hippies and Manson. James Franco directs and stars, with Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, and Megan Fox also starring.  Seth Rogen and Will Ferrell?  Take my money please. 


September 13

Depraved
A field surgeon who has PTSD creates a man out of body parts. B-movie icon Larry Fessenden writes and directs the modern Frankenstein tale.  Yeah.  I don't think so. 

Freaks
A young girl remains trapped in her boarded-up house at the demand of her father (Emile Hirsch). This film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018 to positive reviews.

Hustlers
Jennifer Lopez leads a group of strippers who decide to hustle wealthy clientele during the early-2000s financial crisis. Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Julia Stiles, Lizzo, and Constance Wu round out the pack. Cardi B also makes her feature film debut.  JLo looks amazeballs in the photos released by the studio.  However, her last couple of movies haven't done very well and I don't  expect this one to be a blockbuster either. 

The Goldfinch
A young man (Ansel Elgort) must navigate through adulthood as he deals with the trauma caused by the sudden death of his mother when he was only 13 years old. Nicole Kidman and Sarah Paulson also star in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel.  I read the book after everyone raved about it.  I positively HATED it.  I hated everything about it but mostly the characters.  They were some of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read.  I honestly didn't care what happened to any of them.  I don't think the great Nicole Kidman can save them either. 

September 20

Ad Astra
An astronaut travels to the edge of the solar system to solve a mystery that threatens the existence of the human race. Brad Pitt stars alongside Tommy Lee Jones and Liv Tyler.

Bloodline
A man (Seann William Scott) who values family over anything else learns that his violent tendencies might be contagious.  We haven't seen anything from Stiffler in a while.  And I was A-OK with it. 

Downton Abbey
Quite the stir arises when the King and Queen come to visit Downton Abbey. The critically acclaimed television series makes the jump to the big screen at the helm of director Michael Engler.  I've never seen a single episode of the BBC hit series.  My parents are big fans so I'm guessing they will be seeing this in the theater. 

Rambo: Last Blood
After the Mexican cartel kidnaps a friend's daughter, John Rambo heads below the border to seek vengeance. Sylvester Stallone returns in the fifth installment of the Rambo franchise.  Please refer to my comments regarding Stiffler. 

Where's My Roy Cohn?
The acclaimed Sundance documentary dives into the controversial figure who had a hand in shaping the current political nightmare.


September 27

Abominable
A teenage girl and her friends befriend a Yeti. Together they all embark on a journey to reconnect the creature with his family.  This looks really cute and I'd like to see this with Coach. 

Judy
Renée Zellweger stars as Judy Garland in the biopic chronicling the American actress/singer's life while performing in London in 1969.  Renee Zellweger has the same sour face in everyone of her movies.  It's the weirdest thing. 

 

 

The Day Shall Come
An FBI agent (Anna Kendrick) with ulterior motives sponsors a young preacher (Marchant Davis) in Miami.

Heartbreak Hacienda

Lots of heartbreak last night on BIP.  Poor Hannah.  Poor Derek.  Poor Dylan.  Poor Cam.  Poor Clay. 

According to Demi, everyone thinks she and Derek are the strongest couple in Paradise.  And why wouldn’t they? The guy is willing to smell her stinky armpit.  That's true love right there.  Like when my husband asks me to smell the container of sour cream because he thinks it's bad.  It's called "sour" cream for a reason honey. 

But Demi is feeling “conflicted” about their relationship because she’s still thinking about the woman she was dating before she came to Paradise. Though she’s not yet ready to tell Derek what’s bothering her, she does confide in Katie. “I’ve been dating a woman back home,” she says. “I do miss her and I think about her all the time.” Being on Paradise, Demi adds, was a way for her to “figure out stuff” about herself. “I’m always afraid of how people are going to take it,” says Demi, tearing up. “There’s layers to me… This is about me embracing that side of me.”

Demi recently told her parents that she “likes boys and girls,” and they supported her. That’s nice to hear, especially since Demi says she’s been surrounded by people who made her feel “really bad” and “unworthy” her whole life.

Having failed to talk to Hannah during her dance lesson with Blake, Dylan manages to pull her aside the next day for a WTF chat. “I just don’t see why you’re so open to other things right now if we’re doing so well,” he says.  Honestly, he's got to go.  Just go already.  Hannah insists that she owes it to herself to stay “open-minded.”  "I feel like I don't know something," he says. And there it is folks.  Hannah G casually mentions that there is one other thing: Before Paradise, Blake flew to see Hannah in Birmingham.  Uninvited but apparently not unwelcome. Apparently, Blake told her, "In order to show you who I am, I booked a flight to Birmingham." “Like, we kissed there,” says Hannah.  At this news, Dylan just walks away. Poor Dylan!  Keep walking buddy.  Keep walking. 
“This is just like the ultimate slap in the face,” he moans. And Tayshia is having none of it.  She's pissed that Hannah didn’t mention Blake’s little visit before her date with him last week. She said she and Hannah bonded over being blindsided by Colton Underwood on The Bachelor. This being the case, Tayshia thinks Hannah should have told her about her previous connection to Blake before Tayshia went on a date with him on the first night.

When confronted though, Hannah claims that Blake’s trip to Birmingham was a “private thing” and she didn’t tell anyone “out of respect for him.” On top of that, she feels “attacked” by Tayshia. “I feel like she Mean Girled me,” she whispers.  And she is 100% right.  Tayshia was being a salty bitch.  Stay in your lane Tayshia.

 

Some guy named Dean’s here.  He homeless and unemployed.  He sometimes showers in lakes and rivers.  “You are a catch!” jokes Harrison. “What woman wouldn’t want to lock you down?” And he's sporting a ridiculous porn-stache.  “It’s a little ‘70s,” says the Chris Harrison.  “Like you might be shooting videos in the Valley somewhere.” (That’s where they used to shoot porn, kids). 

After chatting with Katie, Onyeka, and his Paradise ex Kristina, Dean sits down with Caelyn, who is, in his words, “an absolute mess right now.” You see, earlier that afternoon, Kristina rather cluelessly had a conversation with Wells about Caelyn, even though Caelyn was sitting right next to her. The beauty queen is understandably annoyed at Kristina for “spreading my business to every guy on this beach.” And she also mentions something about being slut shamed.  Still, she pulls it together long enough to say yes when Dean asks her on a date.  Though Caelyn says she’s “very guarded” going into her date with Dean (“he has a reputation”), that guard comes down pretty quick and she still manages to kick back a margarita or two. 

On their date, Dean said he was ashamed of how he acted on Paradise before, and that he would never do it again. But Caelyn said she was very intrigued by Dean and his lifestyle, which is aimless traveling. He openly has no ambitions and no foresight. Caelyn loves it. Caelyn is 23. She loves how honest he is about who he is. "He's enigmatic and mysterious," she said. Oh, Caelyn. Ah, youth. This new development between Caelyn and Dean leaves Mike The Man and Cam out in the cold, at least for now. "I think the Caelyn ship has sailed,” sighs Cam sadly. “It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”  The poor guy is suicidal. 

And then some guy named Christian showed up.  I will call him Rico Suave from now on.  Who's Christian, you ask? “He was a night-one guy on Becca’s season,” explains Jordan, the self proclaimed Mayor of Paradise.  “Stood by the meatballs the whole night and was just the guy with the mustache.” And apparently Jordan doesn't approve of Rico Suave's choice of footwear either.  “He wore athletic shoes to Paradise,” says Jordan, appalled. “Like, on entrance.”  "Go buy a pair of espadrilles you fucking asshole," says Jordan when Christian shows up to the beach in running shoes. For the record, espadrilles are a great beach look.  And kudos to Jordan for knowing what espadrilles are.  That modeling gig is really paying off. 

Now Rico Suave is hoping to secure another 15 minutes by romancing Nicole. And she LOVES it. “I was kind of expecting her to maybe say no because she already had a good connection she already had a good connection here,” says Clay. “But she didn’t, and she agreed to go on a date with him.”
And it’s going to be hard for Clay to compete with Rico Suave because the new guy is totally Nicole’s type. “He reminds me of a man I would have dated in Miami… I just met him and he’s already making me feel like he’s my boyfriend.” Well if that's the case, maybe you should have just stayed in Miami???  Nicole has now been on three dates, which leads her to declare, "I feel like the Bachelorette!" It's very cute, even though the shit is about to hit the fan.

 

Poor Clay. Might be time to start packing. “I worry that he’s a little too passive,” says Nicole. “What I like about Christian is he’s totally unafraid to just go for it.” She wants a man who’s going to be (respectfully) assertive about getting her attention, and she tells Clay as much. “You definitely have the opportunity to pull me aside,” she says. “I had a good time on today’s date mostly just because Christian was really assertive, and that’s kind of a quality I do like.”

Clay quickly gets a chance to prove how assertive he can really be. Rico Suave strolls up to the day bed, drink in hand, and announces that he wants to finish his date with Nicole. “She’s all yours tomorrow, if that’s what she wants,” he says. Clay begs to differ. “Your date’s over when you come back to Paradise,” he says calmly. “You had a date, and your date’s over.”

Nicole looks like she can’t decide if she loves it that two grown men are fighting over her, or if she’s mortified that two grown men are fighting over her. But she for sure doesn’t like it when Rico Suave puts her on the spot by asking her to settle the dispute. “I’m just catching up with [Clay] now,” she says. Finally, Rico Suave walks back to the bar, where he and the lizard crawling up his shirt have some much-needed quiet time.

 

Next week we'll see the rose ceremony but Chris Harrison does the numbers for those of us who are mathematically challenged:  “The numbers are even worse this week. Nine of you ladies, thirteen guys here. Four men are going home tonight.” You heard the man, folks — get to work!

 

At the cocktail party, there's a lot of flirting going on. Mike The Man is getting to know Sydney.  His move involves bringing her a banana split sundae and praising her “core values.”  I can't figure this girl out.  She looks bored to death on the show (as she did on Colton's season).  She looks too smart to be on this type of reality show.  Katie and Chris are still hanging out. And, most importantly, John Paul Jones has memorized lines from Romeo and Juliet to recite to Tayshia, who he calls "hands down the most beautiful girl here." His recital doesn't go so smoothly, but it wins Tayshia — and Bachelor Nation — over. No one saw this coming, including Tayshia.  She LOVES it. “Usually guys that talk like him don’t have a brain like him,” she purrs. Tayshia was into his intellectual surfer dude vibe.

Demi has no doubt that she wants to give her rose to Derek, but first she needs to tell him the truth about her love life: “I have, like, been casually dating someone, and… it’s a woman.” Derek doesn’t flinch, so Demi plows forward, telling him that she’s still “very much interested” in dating him, provided he has no issues with her revelation. Derek truly seems unfazed, though he is a little worried that Demi might have stronger feelings for the woman back home than she does for him. The two agree to take it slow, and all is right with the world. “How he handled it was so perfect,” gushes Demi. “He exceeded my expectations entirely.”

                                                                                                                          

Over on another daybed, the battle for Nicole rages on. Rico Suave sets up a little beachside rendezvous complete with champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and… a piñata? Okay. Clay watches from afar and decides that he needs to interrupt Rico Suave's romantic tableau. If Nicole wants him to be more assertive, he’ll be more assertive dammit!  But when he tries to “steal” Nicole for a minute, Rico Suave puffs his chest up and barks, “I’m not gonna let you take her!” Nicole looks so uncomfortable, Clay backs down, much to the chagrin of the other guys — especially Jordan. In an effort to avenge his friend, the pot-stirring model jogs over to where Rico Suave and Nicole are sitting and tries to yank the piñata down. It does not go over well.  Rico Suave tries to stop him and that's how the big fight happens. It moves very quickly from a little shove over the piñata to a full on wrestling match. The episode ends before the fight is even over.

This episode leaves us with several few questions:

• Who are you rooting for in the Clay-Nicole-Christian triangle?
• Why aren't more of the ladies into Mike Johnson?  They all seem to like him, but he's not really dating anyone. Are they all part of a plan to make him Bachelor? ~Conspiracy!~
• Is it possible that Tayshia is truly into John Paul Jones?
• Would you date an unemployed van-dweller with a porn-star mustache? 
• Why is everyone so upset with my girl Hannah G when Nicole and Caelyn have each gone on several dates?  And Caelyn clearly only kissed ABCam just to get a rose and keep the free vacay going. 
• Why was JPJ sleeping in the pool and why isn't he getting more airtime dammit?????!!!!!

BIP

As I was new to The Bachelor and the Bachelorette, I am a first-timer when it comes to Bachelor in Paradise.  The first time I had heard about the show was when there was some inappropriate behavior and filming was stopped.  IDK the particulars so I will just leave it at that. 

Here's a list of the Bachelor In Paradise 2019 players if you need a quick recap: 
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/08/bachelor-in-paradise-2019-cast-guide-photos

Last night was episode #3 (or, the first episode of week #2 -- the show airs on Monday's and Tuesday's) and consists of, for lack of a better word, the "unchosen" from previous seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.  IDK what they call the people on BIP.  Are they called the "cast?"  Are they called "daters" or "former" Bachelors or Bachelorettes?  Someone enlighten me please! 

This show is weird to me on so many levels.  Similar to the Bachelor or Bachelorette, I've noticed that several "contestants" have mentioned that their goal is to be engaged by the end of the show.  Much like The Amazing Race or Survivor, everyone seems to have a plan going in.  Like Survior, "the unchosen" go home after each rose ceremony.  Unlike the Amazing Race, the "contestants" don't seem to do much.  They just kind of hang around the house (which is insane BTW) and wait to go on dates.  It's reminds me of a harem or the minors.  Everyone one is just lounging around until they get called up to the big leagues.  The "unchosen" have obviously watched previous seasons and know in advance who they are attracted to and interested in.  A couple of unexpected/unannounced "contestants" are also thrown into the mix to liven things up.  Last night we saw Mike the Man from Hannah Bannanas season show up and some tool named Jordan.  Holy shit.  That guy is a total ass clown. More on him later. 

Let's talk about the two Instagram-feuding "contestants" Blake and Caelynn (Caeylnn, IMHO is a trouble-maker.  I do not like her).  After being portrayed as a bed-hopping, music-festival man-whore on last week’s episodes, Blake took to social media to defend himself. He released texts from Caelynn which he says proved they were both just looking for a no-strings-attached hookup. She, in turn, spoke out and said those texts were “not an accurate representation” of their relationship.  Whatever.  They both behaved badly and she came on the show to make him look bad.  They are both idiots. 

There was a rose ceremony last night and Derek (IDK who this guy is) gives his rose to Demi which she accepts with a lusty, “Yeah, bitch!”  Kind of anti-climatic for me since it was leaked that Demi has a girlfriend back home.  Clay gives his rose to Nicole (who was so, so whiney on Colton's season; I think she cried every episode she was in).  Wills (IDK who this guy is) gives his rose to Katie and Kevin gives his rose to Sydney (IDK who either of these people are).  My personal favorite, JPJ gives his rose to Onyeka and ABC Cam gives his rose to Caelynn.  Caelynn clearly made out with him last just to get rose and not be "eliminated."  I do not like her.  Before Blake has his big chance, Dylan gives his rose to Hannah.  Blake, in turn, gives his rose to Tayshia.  Tayshia took Blake's rose only because she wants to stay for the free vacay.  "I'm not a backup plan, and that's what he thinks I am," she says in her confessional. "So, Blake who?"  Contestant Chris gives his rose to Kristina. That means Jane (I think she was the one who tried to kill JPJ last week with poisoned tacos), Bibiana, and Annaliese (IDK who any of these people are) have been eliminated, must extinguish their torches and leave the island at once. 

 

Jordan, the self-proclaimed “Mayor of Paradise,” arrives to a less-than-enthusiastic reception (“Don’t everybody get up at once to meet me!” he jokes).  Even with a date card in hand, poor Jordan can’t get anyone to go out with him.  First, Jordan chats up Hannah; she’s a model too, so Jordan thinks they could be a “Barbie and Ken” power couple. She tells him his eyes are "bomb"; he tells her "You're cuter than I imagined"; and together they recap all the Blake drama. "[Blake's] putting his spoon in all the pudding," Jordan declares. "But this is my beach." He decides to go ahead and ask Hannah on a date and she says "yes."  The whole convo was weird and kind of like rapid-fire dating.  It was like an interrogation or a shady back alley business deal.  The guy is slimy and very full of himself. 

 

Next, he pulls Nicole aside, and when she tells him that she works as a writer, his response is absurd perfection: “I love words.” Once he starts hearing about all of Blake’s pre-Paradise shenanigans, though, Jordan gets distracted from his date mission and asks Kristina to give him the full scoop on the Stagecoach drama. “Blake one-nighted both of these gals like they were a couple of milk cartons at lunch!” he marvels. “You can’t do that, buddy!” 

 

Unfortunately for Jordan, Hannah has a change of heart.  Hannah realized that having two men after her (Dylan and Blake) was more than enough already.  The c–k-blocked Jordan channels all of his irritation in Blake’s direction. “I didn’t come to Blake in Paradise season 1,” he grumbles. “This is Bachelor in Paradise season 6!” To that end, the male model (?) pulls Blake aside to air his grievances, Festivus-style. “I know you. You are better than this,” he tells Blake. “It’s gonna get real crazy if there’s eight girls here saying they’re seeing you. It does not look good.”

On to his Paradise Plan B: Nicole! Jordan tells her that he “respects” her connection with Clay, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go on a date and have some fun, right? Right! Nicole is definitely into Clay, but she also can’t resist the spotlight of attention that a Paradise date brings. “I went from going on zero one-on-one dates on The Bachelor to going on, like, two back-to-back one-on-one dates,” she says with a giggle. “I’m the Bachelorette in Paradise!”  She's an idiot.  Little does Nicole know that Jordan tells the camera and all of Bachelor Nation that she wasn't his first choice. 

Clay handles it well. “In basketball, if you’re open for a shot… and somebody comes out of nowhere and swats it, you can’t be like, ‘Bro, why’d you block my shot?’ That’s the name of the game.”  He goes on to do a bunch of sports analogies like ice being slippery and a some other babble.  All of the women force fake laughter.  Jordan and Nicole have a good time ziplining. Doesn’t Nicole look like she’s having fun????  To be fair, that helmet-cam angle is not very flattering. Even though she had fun on her date with Jordan, Nicole returns to the beach and heads right back into Clay’s arms. “There’s no comparison,” she says, smooching him.

Cam has been laser-beam focused on Caelynn since before he came to Paradise. “Before I was even on The Bachelorette, I wanted her to be my Bachelorette,” he says. “It’s very surreal to think that in a very short period of time, I could be proposing to Caelynn.”  Whoa.  Just Whoa.  Slow your roll, buddy. Caelynn just needed a rose this week.  And she definitely does not need you to read her a two-page handwritten note about how into her you are. Sample line: “I licked my lower lip, and your jalapeno-rita spice still lingered and brought me such joy.”  She looked less than thrilled and not very nice as her read his love letter.  I do not like her. 

                               

Fortunately for us all, help is on the way!  Mike Johnson, owner of the best smile in Bachelor Nation and the man who many of us would like to see as the next Bachelor, has arrived. Cam is bummed because, in his mind, Mike is the reason Hannah Brown sent him home on The Bachelorette. 

Though Onyeka is clearly infatuated with Mike, he asks Caelynn on the date instead. Cam is devastated — a little too devastated, to be honest. “I was born to be a husband, I was born to be a father,” he says tearfully. “It’s gonna happen… I just want it to be here.” Too bad Caeyln looked like a hot sweaty nervous mess on her date with Mike.  Ick.  I do not like her. 

Having struck out with Hannah last week, Wills gives his rose to Katie and then attempts to make his “intentions” known with a private chat the next night. “I feel like you’re such an amazingly beautiful woman, not just physically,” he says. “I feel like you deserve the world, and you deserve someone to take you on a date every single night you’re here.” It’s a lovely sentiment that makes Katie cry… but not in the happy-tears kind of way. She shuts him down and starts crying and just seems incredibly overwhelmed by everything. (In her own words on Twitter, she was "malfunctioning," which is both a hilarious and highly accurate way to put it.).  She's basically incoherent and the only words we hear from her are:  “shut this door” and “it’s not going to be between us right now.”

Out of nowhere here comes some guy named Chris.  “My favorite part of the day is always talking to you,” he says. “It’s easy for me to be open with you.” Suddenly, they’re smooching on the day bed.  From what I can gather, this is not Chris B's first rodeo.  

Producers made sure that Dylan got to go before Blake at the rose ceremony, so he starts the week with the upper hand in this love triangle. But Blake isn’t giving up. “Even though Hannah got her rose from Dylan, I think me and Hannah really do have something special,” he says. “I won’t let any other guys down here come between us.”

Demi and Katie both try to warn Hannah against Blake. It’s obvious to them, and to all of America, that Dylan is the true-blue guy in this scenario. Just look at how happy he is when Hannah tells him she’s not going on a date with Jordan!  I cannot disagree more.  I find Dylan to be smothering and slightly creepy.  And my gay-dar went off big time when he was on Hannah Banannas season. 

Not all of the “ladies” in Paradise trust Hannah or her intentions. “There’s a lot of red flags that Dylan is not seeing,” says Sydney. Oh, okay Sydney.  What about the red flags Hannah's not seeing from Dylan?  Huh, what about those?  Yeah.  That's what I thought.  Zip it Sydney.  “From what I’ve seen of Hannah, she went from really feeling Dylan one second, and then going in with Blake. If I were Dylan, I’d be pissed.”

Don’t worry, Sydney. Dylan is about to be very pissed, because Blake just stole Hannah for a romantic nighttime dance on the beach. “I’m all in,” he tells Hannah. “I wouldn’t be saying the things I’m saying unless I see, like, something past Paradise.” Apparently, the “spin-dancing” thing is Blake’s tried-and-true move: Both Tayshia and Kristina say he used it on them in the past. And dancing, of course, leads to kissing.
                                   And then things get hella awkward.  Dylan is creepily watching the action on the beach and after watching his crush smooch Blake for a few minutes, Dylan works up the courage to interrupt them. He asks Hannah to come chat with him, but Blake objects. “I feel like you’ve had her, like, all day man,” he says. “You’ve, like, shadowed her.” Dylan counters that he just wants to focus on Hannah, while Blake has been hitting on “every other girl here.” Burn! Blake, in turn, accuses Dylan of making Hannah feel uncomfortable, and on and on it goes. 

I've noticed that the male "contestants" behave like caveman and don't really seem to care what their female counterparts think.  Kind of like Luke P or douche canoe Jed, these guys have clearly set their sights on one woman and will stop at nothing to get her.  She's a prize to them rather than a love interest or life partner.  I love a strong, sexy alpha male as much as the next person but these guys are taking chest beating to a whole 'nother level. 

At this point I was a bit disappoint and frustrated as my girl Hannah she just stood there twirling her hair.  I don't know why she didn't say something to either or both of these hormonal neanderthals.  Instead she remains quiet and cute looking blankly at Dylan until he walks away. “She’s a freaking player!” grouses Tayshia. “Just like Blake.”

The episode ends with Dylan in his confessional wondering if Hannah and Blake hooked up prior to BIP.  The trailer for the next episode shows one of "ladies" asking "did you fly to Alabama?" 

Still not enough JPJ in this episode. 

Pits of Dispair

This week, two of the most beautiful women in the world released campaigns promoting empowerment and positivity. 

Kate Upton's #ShareStrong encourages people to post photos and videos “talking about who or what inspires us to be our best selves.”  She added, "It’s to spread positivity and inspiration by creating a community that talks about encouraging, empowering stories and self-motivation."

Upton's celeb friends, Jessica Biel, Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo, all showed their support on social media with make-up free selfies and whatnot but my favorite post was Whitney Cumming's: 

“My #ShareStrong is for all the young women that follow me on social media,” she said on her Instagram Story. “I want them to know that it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay to not take yourself seriously all the time.”



 “And it’s also okay to stutter,” Cummings, 36, added, as she jokingly struggled to say “#ShareStrong.” 

Read more about #ShareStrong here:  https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/kate-upton-share-strong-campaign-twitter-instagram-jessica-biel-a9047906.html

and here:  https://people.com/health/kate-upton-share-strong-motivation-celebrities/

 

Emily Ratajkowski also shared her views on sexuality, femininity and arm pit hair in Harpers Bazaar.  And I get it. I really do.  However, I have a slightly different take.  https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a28577727/emily-ratajkowski-sexuality-essay/

First, I'd like to address the shaving issues.  I'm thinking, "my pits, my choice" on this one.  I could care less if Emily, Madonna, Gigi, Miley, Julia or Sophia have arm pit hair.  It's a personal choice.  Same goes for leg hair.  I, for one, wear a lot of dresses.  I like the feel and the look of smooth legs.  I also like to wear short pj's to bed and like the way my bare legs feel against cool, clean sheets or when they rub up against each other in my sleep.  I also have very dry skin and moisturize like a crazy person.  My legs itch way more when I don't shave my legs.  During the work week I shave regularly.  On the weekends, not as much. 

 

Which brings me to the crux of some of these empowering posts and articles.  Who cares?  Seriously.  I don't understand the reasoning behind having to point out and draw attention to everything. 

I am not nor have I ever been a rule follower.  If I wanted to wear a bikini to the beach at 52 years old with two C-section scars, gall bladder surgery scars, breast biopsy scars and stretch marks, I would.  I'm just not really into showing that much skin.  Even as a 100 lbs. 20 year old I rarely wore a bikini.  I think I've had two or three bikinis in my lifetime.  In any event, I would not feel the need to preface my bathing suit du jour with a social media post about empowering women and how I want my daughter's to have positive body images, etc.  My daughter's do have positive body images because we concentrate on other things.  I've made it a point of NEVER, EVER dissing my body in front of my girls when they were growing up.  My girls have NEVER heard me say, "OMG!  I look so fat in this outfit!" or "how many calories are in this?" or "sorry!  I'm not doing carbs!"  My girls have played sports, participated in pageants and done their own thing.  They know their worth is not defined by anyone else. 

I don't care if you don't wear make-up.  I can go days at a time without make-up and you know what?  I don't post about it.  I don't post selfies.  I don't point out my flaws.  I have them and so does every one I know.  My flaws are visible (mostly).  No one cares.  No one.  I take care of my skin, I take vitamins and I wear sunscreen when I remember.  I love having my face open and free of make-up.  It feels so good to have clean pores. 

Just the other day we were looking at old photos and came across a photo of me and KJ from pre-school.  She was about 4 years old in the photo and I still had very visible signs of melasma (pregnancy mask) all over my cheeks and forehead.  I had it really, really bad with both girls.  KJ is about to turn 20 and honestly, I had totally forgotten about my pregnancy mask.  It didn't define me.  You still gotta do you. 

Christmas 2009

(10 years after KJ was born and you can still see the dark patches on my forehead)

Not sure when this was taken (2006 or 2007?  Maybe 2008?)

Lots of dark spots. 

San Diego 2006

(one of my fave pics of me and Coach)

My whole take-away from these types of "feel good" published pieces is:  Instead of writing about it, just do it!  Wear what you want.  Wear what makes you feel good.  Wear make-up.  Or don't.  Shave your pits.  Or not.  Live your life. 

Look out Martha and Joanna!

A couple of weeks ago KJ and I were headed out of our neighborhood to run some errands when she spied this dresser on a neighbor's sidewalk clearly marked for trash pick-up: 

 

KJ is, by nature, a somewhat shy person and definitely non-confrontational.  So when she saw the dresser she slammed on her breaks but was embarrassed to get out of the car to check it out.  I told her if she wants the dresser she should just ring the doorbell and ask if she can have it.  The neighbor, of course, told her to take it but we were in her convertible and there was no way it was going to fit.  So she had to call her daddy to drive around the corner and throw it in the back of his SUV.  While we were waiting for Coach to show up, a pick-up with two ladies pulled up and one of the ladies got out to inspect the dresser.  I was so proud of KJ when she yelled, "Sorry!  It's taken!!!" 

Although her new apartment is furnished, she was looking for something to put her TV on.  The dresser provided is very taller and narrow.  She's has a massive walk-in closet so she's thinking of putting the narrow dresser in there.  She's doing her bedroom in what she refers to as colors of the sunset -- reds, oranges, light pinks. 

She did a great job of taking the dresser apart and sanding it down (as you can see in the pic above, the top was in rough shape).  She selected her paint color but Coach ended up painting most of it to ensure even coats.  She did the mandala stencil on her own and spray painted the handles to match.  Coach also put a clear coat on the top so the stencils down get rubbed or scratched off. 

 

Looks amazing, doesn't it???  

Bloggity Blog Blog Boss

I've been thinking it's time to update the look and content of my blog.  I generally love my blog design but worry that it's a bit outdated.  It's probably time to update my content, too. 

So I did a little research the other day and came across the following post regarding different types of niche blogs and how to get started:  https://firstsiteguide.com/examples-of-blogs/

And I realized my blog isn't really about anything of the topics on this list.  Sure, sometimes I blog about travel.  I love all aspects of traveling.  I love the planning process, the research, the shopping for a trip, the packing and the actual experience. 

And I blog about my family but it's not a parenting blog.  I think I'm way beyond the whole "pregnancy tips, helping new moms choose the best foods, clothing, safe toys, fun activities for their little ones, planning the perfect child’s birthday party, etc."  As I'm just a couple of weeks away from KJ starting her sophomore year, it's a year too late to be writing about kids going off to college.  My chicks have flown the coop.  And I'm cool with it.  I've given them the wings. 

I post some original photos but it's definitely not a photography blog.  I don't think taking pics on my Samsung S9+ qualifies me as a "photographer." 

I definitely don't blog about health (i.e., food, supplements, exercise products, recipes, diets, morning routines, at-home workouts, gym workouts, healthcare tips, etc.).

I don't blog about e-learning, I don't have a podcast or a live webcam (holy cow!  that would be so boring!!!  who wants to watch me lay on the couch eating popcorn while watching Real Housewives???).  I don't blog about tech or gaming (although, on a recent flight I played a lot of Plants vs. Zombies and have since downloaded it to my phone.  I'm very, very good at it!). 

 
 

I think maybe I'm more of a skilled or savvy  "reviewer."  I like to review movies.  Books.  TV shows.  Make-up and beauty products.  Oh snap!  I just realized I'm not a "reviewer."  I like to give my opinion (mostly unwarranted).  I guess that just makes me a bossy blogger. 

Welcome to August

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. It was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, and March was the first month of the year. About 700 BC, it became the eighth month when January and February were added to the year before March by King Numa Pompilius, who also gave it 29 days. Julius Caesar added two days when he created the Julian calendar in 46 BC (708 AUC), giving it its modern length of 31 days. In 8 BC, it was renamed in honor of Augustus. According to a Senatus consultum quoted by Macrobius, he chose this month because it was the time of several of his great triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt.

In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In many European countries, August is the holiday month for most workers. Numerous religious holidays occurred during August in ancient Rome.

Certain meteor showers take place in August. The Kappa Cygnids take place in August, with the dates varying each year. The Alpha Capricornids meteor shower takes place as early as July 10 and ends at around August 10, and the Southern Delta Aquariids take place from mid-July to mid-August, with the peak usually around July 28–29. The Perseids, a major meteor shower, typically takes place between July 17 and August 24, with the days of the peak varying yearly. The star cluster of Messier 30 is best observed around August.

August's birthstones are the peridot, sardonyx, and spinel. 

Its birth flower is the gladiolus or poppy, meaning beauty, strength of character, love, marriage and family.  Please enjoy these poppy pics from my recent trip to Breckenridge: 

The Western zodiac signs for the month of August are Leo (until August 22) and Virgo (from August 23 onwards): 

Leo (♌) (Greek: Λέων, Leōn) is the fifth astrological sign of the zodiac. It corresponds to the constellation Leo and comes after Cancer and before Virgo. The traditional Western zodiac associates Leo with the period between July 23 and August 22,^[and the sign spans the 120th to 150th degree of celestial longitude.

Leo is associated with fire, and its modality is fixed. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area on average between July 23 and August 22 each year, and under the sidereal zodiac, the Sun currently transits this area from approximately August 16 to September 15. The constellation Leo is associated with the mythological Nemean lion. Its opposite sign is Aquarius.



Virgo (♍) (Greek: Παρθένος, Parthenos) is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac. It spans the 150-180th degree of the zodiac. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area on average between August 23 and September 22, and the Sun transits the constellation of Virgo from approximately September 16 to October 30. Individuals born during these dates, depending on which system of astrology they subscribe to, may be called Virgos or Virgoans. The symbol of the maiden is based on Astraea. In Greek mythology, she was the last immortal to abandon Earth at the end of the Silver Age, when the gods fled to Olympus – hence the sign's association with Earth.



August is also: 

National Catfish Month

National Dippin' Dots Month (Ice Cream of the Future!!!)

Family Meals Month

Get Acquainted with Kiwifruit Month

National Goat Cheese Month

National Panini Month

Peach Month

Sandwich Month

Fun Fact:  August 1, is this big guy's birthday (this clip be a whole lot sexier if he didn't have beer foam stuck in his moustache!):  https://youtu.be/bN0rfm1hlLk