Eric and I have had a very festive holiday season this year! Mine was sprinkled with a capella joys with the Jingle Belles and Beaux and the Dickens Carolers, and Eric's was lifted to new heights with Orlando Balloon Rides and even a hang gliding experience at Wallaby Ranch! He and I totally cleaned up at our respective workplaces' White Elephant gift exchanges--we went home with a Walmart gift card and a foot massaging spa--and enjoyed more holiday parties and get-togethers with friends new and old.
Eric's family had plans to visit us for Thanksgiving, but car troubles kept them stranded up north. Thankfully we were able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my kin, with some of whom we'll also ring in the new year on the first day of 2012. On the last day of 2011 (that's tomorrow--can you believe it?!), I'll be performing a gig with Earth Beat in Leesburg, but I'm lugging Eric along, so at least we'll be together and I'll be doing something I love!
My goals for next year will be to polish my professional skills a bit and add a few more to my arsenal: I hope to tackle vocal percussion, improve my dancing, and stretch my belt a bit higher. On a personal level, I want to carve out more time for crafting projects and coincide that goal with some DIY improvements around the house, and reduce my online time to leave more chill time with Big E.
For now, we extend our happiest wishes to you and yours for the holidays and the new year. We promise to post more pictures next time. Bye!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Gratefulness
During this month of Thanksgiving, many of us will evaluate all of the blessings in our lives. The good news is that Eric and I have been showered with our share of blessings lately. The bad news (for you) is that we've been too busy enjoying our blessing shower to keep this blog up to date. So I apologize (again) for not being more diligent with timely posts, but since you're here anyway, I'll fill you in (again) on all the latest news from the Brown household.
What started as a temporary assignment for Eric has turned into a full-time position as a Housekeeping Manager at his resort. He loves the cast, the behind-the-scenes magic making, and being done by 6pm every day!
I have had some pretty exciting career advancements myself. You can always read about my career updates on my website and now on Twitter. Most notably, I have started as a Casting Director for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios! The American Idol Experience is an attraction that allows guests to audition to sing in a live Walt Disney World show where the audience votes for their favorite performer. My job is hearing those auditions and determining if they have the talent and star power to continue on to the stage. It really is a tough job but so enjoyable and rewarding, largely due to my amazing team and the ability to truly make dreams come true!
I also have a new church family at First Presbyterian in downtown Orlando--I am their new Second Alto section leader for Chancel Choir, Chancel Ensemble (a smaller, auditioned group), and Canticum Novum (an even smaller chamber group). In between my commitments to church, the Idol Experience, and other gigs, I still make it to my newborn photography gig at the hospital (just more seldom than before).
Speaking of other gigs, I'm shaping up to be one busy lady this holiday season. First Presbyterian will have two big services on Christmas eve, but in addition to that, I am also going to be singing with two a capella ensembles this winter. This will be my first year singing with the Dickens Carolers from Vocals, Inc., who have been caroling all over town for 20 years! I'll also be performing with a jazz quartet at SeaWorld for their Christmas Celebration this year--what do you think of the name Belles and Beaux?!
In the spring once things are settled down from the holidays, I'll be joining Legacy, a professional vocal group that is part of my friend Joshua's non-profit organization, Central Florida Community Arts. I was also just offered an ensemble role in the Orlando Philharmonic's concert production of Carousel next April.
I'm still with Earth Beat, my classic cover band, and I had my first two Sing gigs in the last two weeks--a fun one here in town and one really special one in New Jersey before that. We were so close to New York City that we couldn't resist popping into Manhattan for dinner and drinks and touristy photo ops in Times Square!
It was at this moment when I was looking up at the bright lights in the big city (where someone at flown me and fed me and put me up and paid me to do what I love) that I fully realized what a truly amazing career year I've had. I confessed my New Year's Resolution goal for 2011 on this blog--to become a full-time professional musician. Years of networking, interviewing, and auditioning finally culminated in successfully reaching that goal!
In 2012, it'll be Eric's turn for a banner career year. For now, our personal lives are mostly the same. Eric drives a new car, I lopped off a whole crapload of my hair, but it's basically the same story--we still have the same friends with a few fun new ones peppered in, we still find time for our loopy staycations and relaxing nights at home, we still live in the same house. We'll be having (almost) all of our family members over at our place for Thanksgiving in just a few short weeks, another blessing for which we're humbly grateful.
What started as a temporary assignment for Eric has turned into a full-time position as a Housekeeping Manager at his resort. He loves the cast, the behind-the-scenes magic making, and being done by 6pm every day!
I have had some pretty exciting career advancements myself. You can always read about my career updates on my website and now on Twitter. Most notably, I have started as a Casting Director for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios! The American Idol Experience is an attraction that allows guests to audition to sing in a live Walt Disney World show where the audience votes for their favorite performer. My job is hearing those auditions and determining if they have the talent and star power to continue on to the stage. It really is a tough job but so enjoyable and rewarding, largely due to my amazing team and the ability to truly make dreams come true!
I also have a new church family at First Presbyterian in downtown Orlando--I am their new Second Alto section leader for Chancel Choir, Chancel Ensemble (a smaller, auditioned group), and Canticum Novum (an even smaller chamber group). In between my commitments to church, the Idol Experience, and other gigs, I still make it to my newborn photography gig at the hospital (just more seldom than before).
Speaking of other gigs, I'm shaping up to be one busy lady this holiday season. First Presbyterian will have two big services on Christmas eve, but in addition to that, I am also going to be singing with two a capella ensembles this winter. This will be my first year singing with the Dickens Carolers from Vocals, Inc., who have been caroling all over town for 20 years! I'll also be performing with a jazz quartet at SeaWorld for their Christmas Celebration this year--what do you think of the name Belles and Beaux?!
In the spring once things are settled down from the holidays, I'll be joining Legacy, a professional vocal group that is part of my friend Joshua's non-profit organization, Central Florida Community Arts. I was also just offered an ensemble role in the Orlando Philharmonic's concert production of Carousel next April.
I'm still with Earth Beat, my classic cover band, and I had my first two Sing gigs in the last two weeks--a fun one here in town and one really special one in New Jersey before that. We were so close to New York City that we couldn't resist popping into Manhattan for dinner and drinks and touristy photo ops in Times Square!
It was at this moment when I was looking up at the bright lights in the big city (where someone at flown me and fed me and put me up and paid me to do what I love) that I fully realized what a truly amazing career year I've had. I confessed my New Year's Resolution goal for 2011 on this blog--to become a full-time professional musician. Years of networking, interviewing, and auditioning finally culminated in successfully reaching that goal!
In 2012, it'll be Eric's turn for a banner career year. For now, our personal lives are mostly the same. Eric drives a new car, I lopped off a whole crapload of my hair, but it's basically the same story--we still have the same friends with a few fun new ones peppered in, we still find time for our loopy staycations and relaxing nights at home, we still live in the same house. We'll be having (almost) all of our family members over at our place for Thanksgiving in just a few short weeks, another blessing for which we're humbly grateful.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Save of the Week 6/25/11
Or: How I got dinner for 25 cents
Have you ever noticed those survey invitations everyone seems to be putting on their receipts these days? From what I've noticed, there are two categories of these surveys. The first of these is the "you could win!" kind. Today when I bought ink at Best Buy, my receipt screamed, "You could win a $5000 shopping spree!" These types of surveys are bullcrap. I never waste my time on these because the odds of winning whatever prize from a national retailer are astronomical. (And what would I actually spend that on? 312 ink cartridges?) The second kind are the "here's some free stuff!" category. These are generally awesome. Mimi's Cafe gives you a free four-pack of muffins for taking their customer survey, and Subway usually offers a free drink or cookie to survey takers. Sometimes you can take the survey online, sometimes you have to call, and it usually takes about five minutes, but when you love free stuff like I do, five minutes of your time is a small price to pay to get something for free!
The other day, my Wendy's receipt included a coupon for a free Single with a validation code from the survey. I was like, "Heck, yes!" because I frequent Wendy's...frequently. So I called them up and took the survey (you can even do this at night or on a weekend to avoiding using up five cell phone minutes!). Then they make you wait all the way until the end to give you the code to validate the coupon. (These people are no fools. They know I would've otherwise hung up ages ago.) They make you touch the pound key after every answer so my phone screen looked like this by the end of it:
So then the next time I needed a quick easy dinner on the go (which are about the only times I ever get fast food), I proudly redeemed my hard-earned coupon for a juicy Single, a special treat for me because I usually get the $1 double stack, which is also super-tasty, just not quite as tall.
That alone would be a satisfying and delicious end to the story, but the savings don't even end there! Yes, there's more! I also had my special key tag, which I had purchased for $1, that awards me free junior-sized Frostys with any purchase! Except I used my coupon so I technically didn't buy anything. So in a moment of true frugal genius, I asked, "How much to add cheese to my Single?" Twenty-five cents was the reply. So the cashier rang up my slice of cheese, and I forked over a quarter and spooned delectable bites of Frosty into my face. I have quite a small appetite so those two Wendy's favorites were enough to totally fill me up!
Single Hamburger
Original Price: $1.99
My Price: $0
Junior Frosty
Original Price: $0.99
My Price: $0
*Splurge of the Day*
Cheese: 25 cents (It seems ridiculous, but to me that's astronomical [second use of that word in one entry] because it's only $1.99 for a whole pack of 24 slices at the grocery store! But this was a necessary splurge for the save.)
TOTAL
Original Price: $2.98
My Price: 25 cents
OK, so I only saved $2.73, but come on, people! Twenty-five cents for a whole meal! Percentage-wise, that's gotta be some kinda record!
EDIT: Oops, my math is terrible. My mom pointed out I saved waaay more than I miscalculated. The new total is above.
Have you ever noticed those survey invitations everyone seems to be putting on their receipts these days? From what I've noticed, there are two categories of these surveys. The first of these is the "you could win!" kind. Today when I bought ink at Best Buy, my receipt screamed, "You could win a $5000 shopping spree!" These types of surveys are bullcrap. I never waste my time on these because the odds of winning whatever prize from a national retailer are astronomical. (And what would I actually spend that on? 312 ink cartridges?) The second kind are the "here's some free stuff!" category. These are generally awesome. Mimi's Cafe gives you a free four-pack of muffins for taking their customer survey, and Subway usually offers a free drink or cookie to survey takers. Sometimes you can take the survey online, sometimes you have to call, and it usually takes about five minutes, but when you love free stuff like I do, five minutes of your time is a small price to pay to get something for free!
The other day, my Wendy's receipt included a coupon for a free Single with a validation code from the survey. I was like, "Heck, yes!" because I frequent Wendy's...frequently. So I called them up and took the survey (you can even do this at night or on a weekend to avoiding using up five cell phone minutes!). Then they make you wait all the way until the end to give you the code to validate the coupon. (These people are no fools. They know I would've otherwise hung up ages ago.) They make you touch the pound key after every answer so my phone screen looked like this by the end of it:
1#9#7#6#8#5#7#9#6#4#2#8#8#7#5#6#9#7#7#7#7#2#5#7#7#7#7#5#9#5#1#2#7#7#9#6#4#5#1#9#7#6#8#5#7#9#6#4#2#8#8#7#5#1#9#7#6#8#5#7#9#6#4#2#8#8#7#5#1#9#7#6#8#5#7#9#6#4#2#8#8#7#5#1#9#
So then the next time I needed a quick easy dinner on the go (which are about the only times I ever get fast food), I proudly redeemed my hard-earned coupon for a juicy Single, a special treat for me because I usually get the $1 double stack, which is also super-tasty, just not quite as tall.
That alone would be a satisfying and delicious end to the story, but the savings don't even end there! Yes, there's more! I also had my special key tag, which I had purchased for $1, that awards me free junior-sized Frostys with any purchase! Except I used my coupon so I technically didn't buy anything. So in a moment of true frugal genius, I asked, "How much to add cheese to my Single?" Twenty-five cents was the reply. So the cashier rang up my slice of cheese, and I forked over a quarter and spooned delectable bites of Frosty into my face. I have quite a small appetite so those two Wendy's favorites were enough to totally fill me up!
Single Hamburger
Original Price: $1.99
My Price: $0
Junior Frosty
Original Price: $0.99
My Price: $0
*Splurge of the Day*
Cheese: 25 cents (It seems ridiculous, but to me that's astronomical [second use of that word in one entry] because it's only $1.99 for a whole pack of 24 slices at the grocery store! But this was a necessary splurge for the save.)
TOTAL
Original Price: $2.98
My Price: 25 cents
OK, so I only saved $2.73, but come on, people! Twenty-five cents for a whole meal! Percentage-wise, that's gotta be some kinda record!
EDIT: Oops, my math is terrible. My mom pointed out I saved waaay more than I miscalculated. The new total is above.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Save of the Week 6/18/11
Or: How we saved over 50% on dinner and a movie
I follow some other cute blogs from time to time, and a lot of them have cool ideas for a weekly theme post. I thought I'd try to adopt a couple of these and maybe it'll keep me honest about updating in a timely fashion.
Since Eric and I are notoriously savvy savers, I thought I'd write weekly about the biggest deal we scored in the past seven days, and maybe offer some insight on how our readers (reader?) can bag the same bargain!
This past week, Super 8 opened in theatres. I totally fell for the viral marketing campaign that made the film seem mysterious and unmissable. Of course with names like J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg attached, what film fan could resist? It's 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which I always check before seeing a movie to see what the critics think. If it gets a "fresh" tomato (60% or more positive critical reviews), I'll usually give it a try if I'm interested.
Our local AMC cineplex recently refurbished half of its twenty-four theaters into dine-in venues for a new experience called Fork and Screen (I don't really get it--is it supposed to be like Fork and Spoon? It's not really close enough to click), so they were distributing coupons for BOGO admission, free appetizer with entree purchase, and free dessert with entree purchase. We went with the goal of using all three.
Since "our" AMC is at Pleasure Island on Disney property, sometimes cast members receive free movie tickets for excellent job performance (completing a big project, receiving a positive letter from a guest, etc.) and because Eric is such a great manager, this happens to him a lot! So we took our free tickets to the box office, and the little guy at the window said we couldn't use our BOGO admission coupons since we technically didn't buy one (the BO in BOGO). Eric, determined to attain the coupon trifecta, countered by saying that one could technically buy these passes at the window and use them for admission, so it shouldn't be any different that we brought ours from home. The window guy eventually agreed with his logic, so in the end we only had to give up one of our free passes! Maybe I'll swipe the other one and go see the Company limited engagement screening starring NPH...
We deliberately chose a 4:00 showing so it wouldn't be too busy. Since they serve dinner during the movie, we (read: I) didn't want to be bothered by an entire theaterful of thirsty tourists raucously requesting refills over all of the best lines of the film. We made sure to ask our friendly server Sharonna for separate checks so we could each use a coupon for the appetizer and dessert to share, but she informed us that they have a one-coupon-per-person policy, so we could even pay together! We ordered mozzarella sticks as our appetizer to munch on during the previews, including one for Cowboys and Aliens, for which I'm praying for a "fresh" tomato. (Didn't this movie used to be called Cowboys Vs. Aliens? And didn't it used to star RDJ?!) For the main event, I ate about three bites of my chicken mac and cheese (with a delightful pretzel breadstick) and saved the rest for the next day (gotta save room for dessert). Eric tore into his bleu cheese burger and I helped out with the fries. To top it all off with whipped cream and a cherry, our free dessert, a brownie sundae, arrived just as act three was opening up. Overall I thought the menu prices were pretty reasonable, comparable to any other table service chain of similar caliber.
As for the movie, I definitely recommend it! As for the save, it was one for the books. Our rule of thumb of "it never hurts to ask--the worst they can say is 'no' " scored us the first point in the coupon trifecta. Then we got to use two coupons on one bill, which was rare and refreshing; doing so didn't save us any extra money but it was still convenient. We gave Sharonna the check while "My Sharona" played over the credits, and I tallied our savings in my head until my eyeballs became dollar signs like a cartoony slot machine face.
Movie Tickets
Original Price: $11 x 2 = $22
Our Price: $0 (technically -$11 since we have the extra pass to use again, but we'll say zero for tallying purposes)
"Cheese Trio Batons" Appetizer (that's "Mozzarella Sticks" to normal humans)
Original Price: $7.99
Our Price: $0
Entrees
Blue Max Burger: $9.89
Bistro Chicken Mac and Cheese: $10.99
Chocolate Brownie Sundae
Original Price: $6.49
Our Price: $0
*Splurge of the Day*
Soda: 3 dad gum dollars and seventy-nine racken-fracken cents (thank heaven for free refills)
TOTAL
Original Price (adjusted to include actual tax and tip): $62.69
Our Price: $30!
With a savings margin like that, I can't blame Eric for ordering that blasted soda, even though it did account for a whole 10% of our bill for the evening. For a dinner date and movie night all rolled into one, including leftovers for TWO meals, I'd say that's pretty darn good!
I follow some other cute blogs from time to time, and a lot of them have cool ideas for a weekly theme post. I thought I'd try to adopt a couple of these and maybe it'll keep me honest about updating in a timely fashion.
Since Eric and I are notoriously savvy savers, I thought I'd write weekly about the biggest deal we scored in the past seven days, and maybe offer some insight on how our readers (reader?) can bag the same bargain!
This past week, Super 8 opened in theatres. I totally fell for the viral marketing campaign that made the film seem mysterious and unmissable. Of course with names like J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg attached, what film fan could resist? It's 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which I always check before seeing a movie to see what the critics think. If it gets a "fresh" tomato (60% or more positive critical reviews), I'll usually give it a try if I'm interested.
These are our stellar choices for this week.
Our local AMC cineplex recently refurbished half of its twenty-four theaters into dine-in venues for a new experience called Fork and Screen (I don't really get it--is it supposed to be like Fork and Spoon? It's not really close enough to click), so they were distributing coupons for BOGO admission, free appetizer with entree purchase, and free dessert with entree purchase. We went with the goal of using all three.
Since "our" AMC is at Pleasure Island on Disney property, sometimes cast members receive free movie tickets for excellent job performance (completing a big project, receiving a positive letter from a guest, etc.) and because Eric is such a great manager, this happens to him a lot! So we took our free tickets to the box office, and the little guy at the window said we couldn't use our BOGO admission coupons since we technically didn't buy one (the BO in BOGO). Eric, determined to attain the coupon trifecta, countered by saying that one could technically buy these passes at the window and use them for admission, so it shouldn't be any different that we brought ours from home. The window guy eventually agreed with his logic, so in the end we only had to give up one of our free passes! Maybe I'll swipe the other one and go see the Company limited engagement screening starring NPH...
We deliberately chose a 4:00 showing so it wouldn't be too busy. Since they serve dinner during the movie, we (read: I) didn't want to be bothered by an entire theaterful of thirsty tourists raucously requesting refills over all of the best lines of the film. We made sure to ask our friendly server Sharonna for separate checks so we could each use a coupon for the appetizer and dessert to share, but she informed us that they have a one-coupon-per-person policy, so we could even pay together! We ordered mozzarella sticks as our appetizer to munch on during the previews, including one for Cowboys and Aliens, for which I'm praying for a "fresh" tomato. (Didn't this movie used to be called Cowboys Vs. Aliens? And didn't it used to star RDJ?!) For the main event, I ate about three bites of my chicken mac and cheese (with a delightful pretzel breadstick) and saved the rest for the next day (gotta save room for dessert). Eric tore into his bleu cheese burger and I helped out with the fries. To top it all off with whipped cream and a cherry, our free dessert, a brownie sundae, arrived just as act three was opening up. Overall I thought the menu prices were pretty reasonable, comparable to any other table service chain of similar caliber.
As for the movie, I definitely recommend it! As for the save, it was one for the books. Our rule of thumb of "it never hurts to ask--the worst they can say is 'no' " scored us the first point in the coupon trifecta. Then we got to use two coupons on one bill, which was rare and refreshing; doing so didn't save us any extra money but it was still convenient. We gave Sharonna the check while "My Sharona" played over the credits, and I tallied our savings in my head until my eyeballs became dollar signs like a cartoony slot machine face.
Movie Tickets
Original Price: $11 x 2 = $22
Our Price: $0 (technically -$11 since we have the extra pass to use again, but we'll say zero for tallying purposes)
"Cheese Trio Batons" Appetizer (that's "Mozzarella Sticks" to normal humans)
Original Price: $7.99
Our Price: $0
Entrees
Blue Max Burger: $9.89
Bistro Chicken Mac and Cheese: $10.99
Chocolate Brownie Sundae
Original Price: $6.49
Our Price: $0
*Splurge of the Day*
Soda: 3 dad gum dollars and seventy-nine racken-fracken cents (thank heaven for free refills)
TOTAL
Original Price (adjusted to include actual tax and tip): $62.69
Our Price: $30!
With a savings margin like that, I can't blame Eric for ordering that blasted soda, even though it did account for a whole 10% of our bill for the evening. For a dinner date and movie night all rolled into one, including leftovers for TWO meals, I'd say that's pretty darn good!
Jackson's Really Big Day
In January I wrote a post entitled "Jackson's Big Day," about his senior recital. I also mentioned in that post that he was engaged to be married, so it was kind of silly for me to call the recital his big day (although it was pretty big) when I knew even then that a really big day was in store just a few months later! So we'll call the wedding Jackson and the Wonderful, Magical, Not Bad, Very Good Day, even though there's not enough space for all those adjectives in the post title.
As you know, in my previous post, I left off narrating on Saturday, May 28, when Eric and I had retired from sightseeing at Arlington National Cemetery to regroup with the family at our hotel suite in Annapolis. That very same night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with Evelyn's entiiiiiire family. That girl has six siblings and two siblings-in-law, one niece-to-be, and two parents, of course, but by the end of dinner I had learned everyone's names and I still remember them all as I type this (even the unborn baby June!), I'm proud to say. A little later that evening, we all reunited for ice cream in downtown Annapolis by the water. As we quickly scanned the sights with what little time we had downtown, Eric was having pangs of regret because, even though it was a bit busy due to Naval Academy's graduation weekend, Annapolis seemed much more his speed than downtown D.C. Maybe we'll get the chance to vacation there sometime.
The next morning, the Pinder girls (Mom, Annie, and I) had planned to get our nails done before the rehearsal. Eric's feet were a bit achy from sightseeing and a bit rough from his ballooning adventures, so he decided to tag along for a pedicure, and before you know it, we'd all convinced Dad and Jackson to join us, too! So all six of us lined up in the massage chairs for mani-pedis before heading off to the venue for the mid-afternoon wedding rehearsal. Annie and I got to sit in the shade while we watched the wedding party parade by, but I took lots of pictures because everyone looked so cute and happy.
That night, Mom and Dad hosted a lovely rehearsal dinner, complete with Maryland crab cakes, for the wedding party and our families. They had picked a cool restaurant right on the water, not far upstream from the ceremony venue we'd be heading back to the next day. I enjoyed a delectable salmon and Eric devoured a fat juicy steak. We packed some leftovers for the soon-to-be newlyweds to take along on their honeymoon, but we saved a few s'mores dessert bites to bring back to the suite for ourselves. (What? They wouldn't fit in the takeout containers.)
Mom and Dad also threw a luncheon at the hotel the next day for all of the guests who had traveled so far to attend the evening's ceremony. It was mostly our paternal (south Georgian and a few Ohioan) and maternal (central and southwest Floridian) relatives, but we were grateful that a few good friends from Waycross were able to make the trip as well. Jackson and his barbershop quartet, the Vigilantes, even stopped by for a bite and to treat us to a song.
It wasn't the last treat we'd get from the Vigilantes that day. After the quaint and lovely ceremony at London Town and Gardens, the quartet serenaded Evelyn with a medley Jackson spent over two years arranging. It sure was a scorching hot day, but there was beautiful music, remarkably delicious cake, and the most fun dancing I've had at a wedding in the shortest amount of time. At the end of the evening, we saw the happy couple off to their honeymoon and showered them with rose petals as they went down the path to sail away on the South River toward their honeymoon destination in North Carolina. Eric got to be in Jackson's wedding party, and I got to spectate and take in all of the little moments that added up to make a gloriously memorable day that I'll look back on fondly for many years to come!
I noticed that my last few posts with pictures included have taken up quite a bit of page space, making my readers deal with lots of unnecessary scrolling, so I decided to condense the photos from the wedding weekend into one big cheesy heart-infested slideshow.
As you know, in my previous post, I left off narrating on Saturday, May 28, when Eric and I had retired from sightseeing at Arlington National Cemetery to regroup with the family at our hotel suite in Annapolis. That very same night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with Evelyn's entiiiiiire family. That girl has six siblings and two siblings-in-law, one niece-to-be, and two parents, of course, but by the end of dinner I had learned everyone's names and I still remember them all as I type this (even the unborn baby June!), I'm proud to say. A little later that evening, we all reunited for ice cream in downtown Annapolis by the water. As we quickly scanned the sights with what little time we had downtown, Eric was having pangs of regret because, even though it was a bit busy due to Naval Academy's graduation weekend, Annapolis seemed much more his speed than downtown D.C. Maybe we'll get the chance to vacation there sometime.
The next morning, the Pinder girls (Mom, Annie, and I) had planned to get our nails done before the rehearsal. Eric's feet were a bit achy from sightseeing and a bit rough from his ballooning adventures, so he decided to tag along for a pedicure, and before you know it, we'd all convinced Dad and Jackson to join us, too! So all six of us lined up in the massage chairs for mani-pedis before heading off to the venue for the mid-afternoon wedding rehearsal. Annie and I got to sit in the shade while we watched the wedding party parade by, but I took lots of pictures because everyone looked so cute and happy.
That night, Mom and Dad hosted a lovely rehearsal dinner, complete with Maryland crab cakes, for the wedding party and our families. They had picked a cool restaurant right on the water, not far upstream from the ceremony venue we'd be heading back to the next day. I enjoyed a delectable salmon and Eric devoured a fat juicy steak. We packed some leftovers for the soon-to-be newlyweds to take along on their honeymoon, but we saved a few s'mores dessert bites to bring back to the suite for ourselves. (What? They wouldn't fit in the takeout containers.)
Mom and Dad also threw a luncheon at the hotel the next day for all of the guests who had traveled so far to attend the evening's ceremony. It was mostly our paternal (south Georgian and a few Ohioan) and maternal (central and southwest Floridian) relatives, but we were grateful that a few good friends from Waycross were able to make the trip as well. Jackson and his barbershop quartet, the Vigilantes, even stopped by for a bite and to treat us to a song.
It wasn't the last treat we'd get from the Vigilantes that day. After the quaint and lovely ceremony at London Town and Gardens, the quartet serenaded Evelyn with a medley Jackson spent over two years arranging. It sure was a scorching hot day, but there was beautiful music, remarkably delicious cake, and the most fun dancing I've had at a wedding in the shortest amount of time. At the end of the evening, we saw the happy couple off to their honeymoon and showered them with rose petals as they went down the path to sail away on the South River toward their honeymoon destination in North Carolina. Eric got to be in Jackson's wedding party, and I got to spectate and take in all of the little moments that added up to make a gloriously memorable day that I'll look back on fondly for many years to come!
I noticed that my last few posts with pictures included have taken up quite a bit of page space, making my readers deal with lots of unnecessary scrolling, so I decided to condense the photos from the wedding weekend into one big cheesy heart-infested slideshow.
Our Leather Anniversary Trip: Days Three, Four, and Five (well, Four and a Half)
Thus continues my recount of our D.C. vacation. Day Three was a Smithsonian day all day! Our morning was spent at the Air and Space Museum, a bit of a bore to two central Floridians comparing its (somewhat outdated) exhibits to KSC and the like. Even Eric--who, as you know, is fascinated by flight--was a little let down. We were still impressed by a few genuinely cool pieces of aviation history though, including the Wright brothers' original flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the plane that broke the sound barrier, and other cool crap unrelated to space flight. It honestly didn't seem like it had changed much since our Pinder family trip there in 1996.
We also hit the Natural History museum that afternoon, which we would have probably enjoyed lots more if every grade school class within a fifty mile radius hadn't chosen that particular day to travel there for an end-of-school-year field trip. Despite the crowds of squealing tweens underfoot, we still enjoyed everyone's favorites--kick-@$$ prehistoric and geological exhibits, including mummieeees, dynasarrrs!! and a special edition setting of the Hope Diamond.
On the way back to the hotel to retire for the evening, we popped in and out of the National Portrait Gallery and then paid our respects to Honest Abe at Ford's Theatre.
So Day Three was a little anti-climactic, but still oodles more fun than being back at work in Florida, where reports say fourteen babies were born at Celebration Hospital that day. They were probably awakened by my cackles of delight all the way from the rooftop pool at my hotel.
Day Four was by far the most kick@$$ of our D.C. experience. I had reserved a White House tour months in advance and anxiously awaited it since. Of course the civilian tour doesn't lead you past any of the "good stuff," like Malia and Sasha's Bieber-fevered bedrooms, the West Wing buzzing with activity, or the War Room a la Dr. Strangelove, but we still got to see some really cool and important pieces of history. I was really interested by the library (of course), each administration's china services on display, and the awesome custom Steinway complete with bald eagle piano legs and etched depictions of eras in American musical traditions. Then, when we turned the corner out of the State Dining Room, we were greeted by, in celebration of Military Appreciation Month, a concert by a jazz combo from the Army Band! (They even played a Disney song, Someday My Prince Will Come!) After lingering for a while to listen to the trio, which we regarded as an extremely special treat, we decided it was time to move on to the next item on the itinerary to make the most of the time left in the day. So we exited...right out the dad gum front doors of the White House. And underhandedly snapped a grainy cell phone photo.
Next on the list was the American History museum, which easily became our favorite of the three Smithsonian museums we visited. Overall, its exhibits were the coolest: the collection of First Ladies' inaugural gowns and a huge presidential exhibit, the flag that inspired Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, an extensive and interesting travelling Lincoln exhibit, Julia Child's kitchen, and Kermit the gosh dang Frog!
That evening we met up for a (yep, free) tour of some of the sights of the National Mall, including a look at the Jefferson Memorial from afar, and up-close looks at the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II memorials. We encountered a huge group of Vietnam veterans who had motorcycled across the country to "the wall" for Memorial Day weekend, which made visiting that memorial a very different experience. The Lincoln Memorial illuminated at night was magnificent. The sculptor in Eric was fascinated by Lincoln's statue, and the emotional wreck in me was moved by the history that had come to pass there and in awe of the sheer physical beauty of the place.
We fumbled around in the dark to find the Einstein memorial on our way back to the hotel. It's not well marked, but thankfully we stumbled upon it somehow because it is really cool-looking!
The next morning, we checked out of our hotel (thanks for all the free apples, Four Points by Sheraton!) and met up with my family who had driven up through the night for the wedding. While everyone else power-napped, Eric and I explored Arlington National Cemetery. It's a beautiful and hallowed place, but we were honestly pretty tuckered out by four previous days of walking all over the District, so we made sure to hit the highlights and then called it a half-day (thus, the title of this post). After visiting the graves of JFK and RFK, having much-felt memorial moments at a few grave sites picked at random, paying our respects at the Challenger memorial, and witnessing the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns, we headed off to the next hotel to relax and prepare for the weekend of wedding festivities!
This plane was hanging in the same spot 15 years ago
We also hit the Natural History museum that afternoon, which we would have probably enjoyed lots more if every grade school class within a fifty mile radius hadn't chosen that particular day to travel there for an end-of-school-year field trip. Despite the crowds of squealing tweens underfoot, we still enjoyed everyone's favorites--kick-@$$ prehistoric and geological exhibits, including mummieeees, dynasarrrs!! and a special edition setting of the Hope Diamond.
*drool*
On the way back to the hotel to retire for the evening, we popped in and out of the National Portrait Gallery and then paid our respects to Honest Abe at Ford's Theatre.
I'm trying to look solemn! A crazy actor shot someone here (with her camera...monopod at work)
and this is also where John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln.
So Day Three was a little anti-climactic, but still oodles more fun than being back at work in Florida, where reports say fourteen babies were born at Celebration Hospital that day. They were probably awakened by my cackles of delight all the way from the rooftop pool at my hotel.
Day Four was by far the most kick@$$ of our D.C. experience. I had reserved a White House tour months in advance and anxiously awaited it since. Of course the civilian tour doesn't lead you past any of the "good stuff," like Malia and Sasha's Bieber-fevered bedrooms, the West Wing buzzing with activity, or the War Room a la Dr. Strangelove, but we still got to see some really cool and important pieces of history. I was really interested by the library (of course), each administration's china services on display, and the awesome custom Steinway complete with bald eagle piano legs and etched depictions of eras in American musical traditions. Then, when we turned the corner out of the State Dining Room, we were greeted by, in celebration of Military Appreciation Month, a concert by a jazz combo from the Army Band! (They even played a Disney song, Someday My Prince Will Come!) After lingering for a while to listen to the trio, which we regarded as an extremely special treat, we decided it was time to move on to the next item on the itinerary to make the most of the time left in the day. So we exited...right out the dad gum front doors of the White House. And underhandedly snapped a grainy cell phone photo.
(Don't tell the Secret Service we took this photo)
Next on the list was the American History museum, which easily became our favorite of the three Smithsonian museums we visited. Overall, its exhibits were the coolest: the collection of First Ladies' inaugural gowns and a huge presidential exhibit, the flag that inspired Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, an extensive and interesting travelling Lincoln exhibit, Julia Child's kitchen, and Kermit the gosh dang Frog!
Kermie with arms outstretched for a hug for yours truly
That evening we met up for a (yep, free) tour of some of the sights of the National Mall, including a look at the Jefferson Memorial from afar, and up-close looks at the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II memorials. We encountered a huge group of Vietnam veterans who had motorcycled across the country to "the wall" for Memorial Day weekend, which made visiting that memorial a very different experience. The Lincoln Memorial illuminated at night was magnificent. The sculptor in Eric was fascinated by Lincoln's statue, and the emotional wreck in me was moved by the history that had come to pass there and in awe of the sheer physical beauty of the place.
Great moments with Mr. Lincoln
We fumbled around in the dark to find the Einstein memorial on our way back to the hotel. It's not well marked, but thankfully we stumbled upon it somehow because it is really cool-looking!
Come sit on Uncle Al's lap!
The next morning, we checked out of our hotel (thanks for all the free apples, Four Points by Sheraton!) and met up with my family who had driven up through the night for the wedding. While everyone else power-napped, Eric and I explored Arlington National Cemetery. It's a beautiful and hallowed place, but we were honestly pretty tuckered out by four previous days of walking all over the District, so we made sure to hit the highlights and then called it a half-day (thus, the title of this post). After visiting the graves of JFK and RFK, having much-felt memorial moments at a few grave sites picked at random, paying our respects at the Challenger memorial, and witnessing the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns, we headed off to the next hotel to relax and prepare for the weekend of wedding festivities!
Among the fallen
Changing of the guards
Our Leather Anniversary Trip: Days One and Two
For the past three years, Eric and I have done something special to celebrate our anniversary. The first year, our anniversary coincided with the opening of the Treehouse Villas near Saratoga Springs Resort where Eric worked at the time. To test the operational capacities of the villas, all of the managers were offered a free night, so Eric cunningly planned his test date to be on the night of our anniversary. Last year, we escaped to beautiful Miami for a few days.
For a while we had been thinking about taking a vacation to Washington, D.C., so when Jackson and his fiancee Evelyn announced they were getting married on Memorial Day weekend like we did, and that the wedding would be near her hometown in Maryland, we decided to kill two birds with one stone and take a fantastically fun and educational vacation to the D.C. area to celebrate the anniversary of our wedding during the week before their wedding!
We flew in to Dulles on our anniversary, Tuesday the 24th, and took the MetroBus into the District. Upon arrival, we immediately partook in a DC/MD/VA tradition, eating Five Guys burgers. (Adventurous.) I count these as our leather anniversary gifts since they come from the same source.
After that, we knocked out several items from the itinerary right off the bat. We walked from our hotel to the National Gallery of Art's East Building, stopped to see the Charters of Freedom (Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution) at the National Archives (no photos allowed there, to my dismay), and then hoofed it a couple of blocks to check out the Capitol Building. Then we said "eff that" and got weekly bus passes apiece.
There were no tickets available for the Washington Monument elevator ride all week, so we (read: I) researched a worthy alternative for an aerial D.C. view and came up with the Old Post Office. The view was lovely but an unexpected draw for me was the tower bells. Totally fascinating for a geek.
We were up bright and early on day two, only to find out that none of the attractions on our list opened before 10am. So we killed a little time outside the gates of the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden.
After a stroll through the sculpture garden and a look through the National Gallery West building, we stopped for a highly recommended lunch at the Museum of the American Indian, and then we spent way more time than we thought we would at the U.S. Botanical Gardens. What a cool place!
Our next stop was my personally most anticipated itinerary item: the Library of Congress. The idea I had in my head--a cavernous palace stacked with ancient and colorful books from floor to ceiling--was much more romantic than the real thing, where books actually are largely brought in from other storage areas upon request. However, since I had taken the advice of some sage friends, I had at least had the foresight to register for a reader's card, so I still got to go inside the main reading room, an architectural wonder, which most visitors don't get to visit. There were also some really interesting exhibits, including Jefferson's personal book collection, which restarted the Library after the British burned it during the War of 1812, and a Gershwin brothers gallery. We also took the free tour (yes, everything we did on the whole entire trip was free), led by a very dedicated if ditsy volunteer. She graciously agreed to lead Eric and me off the beaten path after the tour to see the beautiful chamber venue and a nifty collection of musical instruments. All in all, even though it wasn't at all what I expected, the Library of Congress was still really, really cool and one of my highlights of the vacation.
On the way back to our hotel, we made a brief stop in Chinatown for dinner...at Ruby Tuesday. And that completed Day Two.
Near our Miami hotel
For a while we had been thinking about taking a vacation to Washington, D.C., so when Jackson and his fiancee Evelyn announced they were getting married on Memorial Day weekend like we did, and that the wedding would be near her hometown in Maryland, we decided to kill two birds with one stone and take a fantastically fun and educational vacation to the D.C. area to celebrate the anniversary of our wedding during the week before their wedding!
We flew in to Dulles on our anniversary, Tuesday the 24th, and took the MetroBus into the District. Upon arrival, we immediately partook in a DC/MD/VA tradition, eating Five Guys burgers. (Adventurous.) I count these as our leather anniversary gifts since they come from the same source.
Adorable upholstery on our express bus
After that, we knocked out several items from the itinerary right off the bat. We walked from our hotel to the National Gallery of Art's East Building, stopped to see the Charters of Freedom (Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution) at the National Archives (no photos allowed there, to my dismay), and then hoofed it a couple of blocks to check out the Capitol Building. Then we said "eff that" and got weekly bus passes apiece.
A favorite Renoir (Little Girl with a Watering Can) at the National Gallery
*salute*
There were no tickets available for the Washington Monument elevator ride all week, so we (read: I) researched a worthy alternative for an aerial D.C. view and came up with the Old Post Office. The view was lovely but an unexpected draw for me was the tower bells. Totally fascinating for a geek.
We were up bright and early on day two, only to find out that none of the attractions on our list opened before 10am. So we killed a little time outside the gates of the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden.
Eric found a head rest in my monopod
After a stroll through the sculpture garden and a look through the National Gallery West building, we stopped for a highly recommended lunch at the Museum of the American Indian, and then we spent way more time than we thought we would at the U.S. Botanical Gardens. What a cool place!
Stunning da Vinci at the National Gallery, the only one of his in the western hemisphere (and it's gosh dang double sided!)
Some type of tropical curiosity at the Botanical Gardens
Our next stop was my personally most anticipated itinerary item: the Library of Congress. The idea I had in my head--a cavernous palace stacked with ancient and colorful books from floor to ceiling--was much more romantic than the real thing, where books actually are largely brought in from other storage areas upon request. However, since I had taken the advice of some sage friends, I had at least had the foresight to register for a reader's card, so I still got to go inside the main reading room, an architectural wonder, which most visitors don't get to visit. There were also some really interesting exhibits, including Jefferson's personal book collection, which restarted the Library after the British burned it during the War of 1812, and a Gershwin brothers gallery. We also took the free tour (yes, everything we did on the whole entire trip was free), led by a very dedicated if ditsy volunteer. She graciously agreed to lead Eric and me off the beaten path after the tour to see the beautiful chamber venue and a nifty collection of musical instruments. All in all, even though it wasn't at all what I expected, the Library of Congress was still really, really cool and one of my highlights of the vacation.
Geek out!
On the way back to our hotel, we made a brief stop in Chinatown for dinner...at Ruby Tuesday. And that completed Day Two.
Ni hao
This vacay recap has become rather lengthy, what with the myriad photos and rambling stories and whatnot, so I'll continue with the next two and a half days in the next post!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
A Day at D23's Destination D
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Magic Kingdom, so to commemorate the occasion, the official Disney fan club, D23, recently held a weekend event for its members at the Contemporary Resort. It included information sessions led by experts on all things Disney, covering favorite attractions and films from years gone by, sneak peeks at upcoming projects, and even a look into the Walt Disney World that never was. The weekend culminated in a concert called Magic Journeys that celebrated the music of Walt Disney World.
Why should you care? Because I was in that concert! I shared the stage with some of my Encore favorites (1) and Disney legends like the Kids of the Kingdom, the Main Street Philharmonic, Dreamfinder and Figment (6), and none other than Richard M. Sherman (2), a songwriting hero of mine who has won Oscars, Grammys, a Walk of Fame star, and the hearts of millions of film-goers and theme park visitors. Sherman and his brother Robert wrote the songs for the most beloved Disney films of the 1960s and 1970s such as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Richard Sherman sang and played all of them at this concert that I also performed in! I geeked out to the max! It was a major highlight of my career to perform with such a talented and well-respected performer.
Why should you care? Because I was in that concert! I shared the stage with some of my Encore favorites (1) and Disney legends like the Kids of the Kingdom, the Main Street Philharmonic, Dreamfinder and Figment (6), and none other than Richard M. Sherman (2), a songwriting hero of mine who has won Oscars, Grammys, a Walk of Fame star, and the hearts of millions of film-goers and theme park visitors. Sherman and his brother Robert wrote the songs for the most beloved Disney films of the 1960s and 1970s such as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Richard Sherman sang and played all of them at this concert that I also performed in! I geeked out to the max! It was a major highlight of my career to perform with such a talented and well-respected performer.
(1) Cristi, Antony, me, Lynn, Tommi, Cliff, and Gretchen
(2) Our view of RMS on the Jumbotron from backstage
Backstage at Magic Journeys
A close-up on the choir
Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand
(6) Finale with everyone onstage
Feast or Famine
Here's the problem with keeping this blog up to date. It seems that we're always either so busy that I don't have time to write about all the exciting things we're doing, or alternatively, nothing's happening and I have lots of free time but nothing to write about. Since my last real update, there's been a little bit of both, but I'll catch you up on the highlights as far as our careers go. Me first! You can always visit my website for the latest on my career, but here are some of the most exciting recent developments.
After a great holiday season with Seraphim, my spring picked up with some really rewarding opportunities. A group called Sing cast me as their swing performer. (This basically means I learn all the parts so I can step in when someone in the cast isn't available.) Sing is inspired by Glee and does performances for conventions and special events all over the nation--most recently Dallas, Miami, Denver, and Las Vegas! I also joined Earth Beat, a classic cover band, as a lead singer! Dr. Bill Picher asked be to sing in an a capella concert with the choir at the Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. It was an unforgettable day and Getting to sing with these awesomely talented groups is a dream--getting paid for it is even better!
We did another opera at the Bob Carr this season, La Boheme. My same old girlfriends--Lauren Langa, Lara Larberg, Jillian Rosich--and I had a blast cutting up in the chorus. Simultaneously, I was rehearsing the role of Maria in The Sound of Music at Garden Theatre! Since I was doing Boheme at the same time, I was just the understudy, but I had the chance to work with some truly amazing people and performers. I wouldn't have had it any other way. And I got to do the show twice :)
After a great holiday season with Seraphim, my spring picked up with some really rewarding opportunities. A group called Sing cast me as their swing performer. (This basically means I learn all the parts so I can step in when someone in the cast isn't available.) Sing is inspired by Glee and does performances for conventions and special events all over the nation--most recently Dallas, Miami, Denver, and Las Vegas! I also joined Earth Beat, a classic cover band, as a lead singer! Dr. Bill Picher asked be to sing in an a capella concert with the choir at the Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. It was an unforgettable day and Getting to sing with these awesomely talented groups is a dream--getting paid for it is even better!
Earth Beat
We did another opera at the Bob Carr this season, La Boheme. My same old girlfriends--Lauren Langa, Lara Larberg, Jillian Rosich--and I had a blast cutting up in the chorus. Simultaneously, I was rehearsing the role of Maria in The Sound of Music at Garden Theatre! Since I was doing Boheme at the same time, I was just the understudy, but I had the chance to work with some truly amazing people and performers. I wouldn't have had it any other way. And I got to do the show twice :)
How do you solve a problem like me? O:-)
As for Eric, he has always been fascinated by hot air balloons. So for his birthday, I got him a Groupon for a balloon ride. The ride itself was beautiful and peaceful. Then right after the ride, Eric talked himself into a job on the team's chase crew! He helps unpack and pack all the gear for rides, and he communicates with the pilot by radio and drives to drop off and pick up the passengers at the take-off and landing sites, because you can't steer a hot air balloon!
Eric hard at work
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Live Blogging the Oscars (sorta)
I actually live-Facebooked (there should be a verb for that, like "tweet" or "blog") the ceremony, but I thought I'd reformat my comments into a blog post with pictures. (I know most of my blog readers are already my Facebook friends, so you've probably already seen this, but here it is for posterity.) Re-enjoy!
7:43pm: Katie thinks Matthew McConaughey's lady's dress is the loveliest she's seen so far...
7:43pm: Katie thinks Matthew McConaughey's lady's dress is the loveliest she's seen so far...
Matt's baby mama, Camila, on the red carpet
8:00pm I take it back! Halle looks fabulous!
History book entry Halle Berry
8:44pm: Katie is amazed by this awesome virtual reality stage!
Just one of the stage's many disguises of the night
8:46pm Yay! One for Disney right off the bat :)
Alice in Wonderland's Art Direction Oscar got a little Mad Hatter treatment!
9:09pm: Katie got thanked in an Oscar speech! (What? He thanked everyone at Disney and I'm someone at Disney. You're welcome, Lee Unkrich.)
LU-LU accepts the Best Animated Feature statue for Toy Story 3
9:28pm: Dame Helen also looking ravishing!
Ms. Mirren graces the red carpet
9:34pm: Poor Melissa Leo is never gonna live down that f-bomb!
Charmer Kirk Douglas' escort took a couple of jabs from her co-stars and colleagues throughout the night
9:57pm: Finally, he loosens up! It's good to see Franco smile a little bit.
I'm not gonna lie, Frankie was a bit of a bore
10:02pm: Another thank you [to "everyone at Disney"] from the immensely talented Colleen Atwood! Job well done!
Helena Bonham Carter showed off one of the Alice costumer's designs
10:19pm: Miss Hathaway! Fabulous sparkly gold fringe! Best one yet, classy lady.
The gracious hostess gives her gown a wiggle
10:37pm: Katie has now had her delicious daily dose of Downey. Yum :)
Bob and Judy celebrate their bromance
10:44pm: Katie can't tell if Gwyneth is nervous or just...sucks.
Paltrow's performance was a bit of a trainwreck
10:47: Hey! One more great win for Disney! Congrats, Randy Newman--it's about time.
Disney Legend picks up his second Oscar...of TWENTY nominations!
10:54pm: Katie is crying again...why'd they have to pick this song?!
Celine Dion rehearsing Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" for the in memoriam segment
10:57pm: Oop! Comma splice. Grammar fail, Oscars.
An example of proper punctuation of the Lena Horne quote
11:02pm: Wow, it IS hard to find that microphone from the other side.
I made fun of old person David Seidler for not being able to see the microphone, but when they finally cut to a camera angle from a winner's viewpoint, it's evident that the mic is pretty darn camouflaged.
11:03pm: Hilary Swank, your platinum multimedia number gets an A+ from me!
Probably my favorite gown of the night
11:08pm: Who are those adorably polite and precocious young ladies they keep showing in the opera box?
Couldn't find a screencap of those girls, but they were as prim and proper as poppets in a painting
11:15pm: Natalie P.: Love the earrings, gown color, the whole ensemble.
Another of my favorite ensembles of the evening, although her hair was a mess by the time they got around to announcing her category
11:20pm: Katie "took a drink at home." Anne, you are hilarious! Way to be on your feet!
I thought Annie was a simply adorable hostess, overcoming her only flub swiftly and eloquently
11:22pm: That dress is a work of art!
Hathaway trumped her gold gown with this beautiful blue one
11:27pm: Three cheers for Mr. Darcy!
The glowing Brit deservedly wins, surprising no one who witnessed his performance
11:39pm: Katie always enjoys the Academy Awards ceremony, a throwback to classic Hollywood where the males are gentlemen and all the females dress like princesses.
For one night in Hollywood, classy attire reigns--even the Worst Dressed listers at least aren't calling attention to their naughty bits
Natalie's baby daddy helped her up the stairs to accept her award--so chivalrous!
11:40pm: And on that note, I'm bored by this finale. Good night, everybody! (Don't tell those kids!)
11:45pm Seriously, you don't need to breathe after every two words!
These overexposed YouTube sensations failed to win me over
Afterthoughts: After reading some critics' takes on the ceremony, I guess we didn't agree on much--they thought Gwyneth and PS22 were great (they need to have their ears checked) and Anne and James tanked (they were half right about that observation). I even didn't mind Anne's whoo-ing during her applause, which one reporter reviled. They wanted a younger audience's opinion, so here it is: her lighthearted approach to the ceremony made it less stiff and formal, unlike her zombie co-host, although he can usually charm the socks off of me. Maybe he was just tired after cramming for mid-terms? At any rate, they thought the ceremony was an overall disaster and I thought it was an overall delight. Here's hoping for a bigger dose of Robert Downey, Jr., next year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
