No Place Like Movies at Home: Swing Time

 We are off to the second half of Astaire and Rogers movies. Today's movie rom them is Swing Time.

Lucky (Astaire) is all ready to get married. He is ready to leave behind his dance company and move forward with his wife. Problem is he is on stage and is already running late! When he gets off the stage he runs to get dressed to make it to his wedding. However, the fellow members of his company are not happy with him leaving. So, they trick him into staying in his dressing room by telling him that his pants are the wrong style and that he has to go and get them fixed. He sends his buddy off to get them fixed and then they get him to gamble. Since he has a problem with gambling this is not a good idea. He ends up missing he wedding. When he get to the venue he works out a deal with his fiancé, and her father, that if he is ever worth $25,000 he can get married. So, he goes to New York to find his fortune and runs into Penny (Rogers) upon arrival. After making her late, and giving her his lucky quarter, he finds that she is a great dancer and could possibly land jobs in a great show, and get him the money he wants. However, when he gets the money that he has to figure out who he is really in love with. 

When I first got this collection this was one of the ones that I watched a few times and that was it. It quickly became forgotten in the love of some of their other movies. However, the one thing that did stay with me in the movie is the first black dress Ms. Rogers wears in the movie. It's so flowey! I want to dance and twirl in it myself! I will say I appreciate this movie more this time around. I loved the music more, and the dancing. I found the jokes funnier and the story line was great! It's still a cute Romantic Comedy musical but it was great re-watching it!

Up Inside the Cyclone: February

 I am not late for once! My last plot twist for this month had actually come up a few hours before this post! So, that is why I am just now doing this!

However, let's get to the movie first!

How can you ever go wrong with an Alfred Hitchcock film? This movie starts our with theft, then goes to murder, then goes to a schizophrenic state. Marion Crane is in a bit of a situation. She wants more out of her life but it's not going how she wanted it. She is working for a mortgager when a client comes in with $40,000 cash. Her boss doesn't want it in the building cause there is no safe place to keep it. He asks her to take the money to the bank and put it in their safe deposit box. She takes the money and runs instead. Without a plan, she packs a bag and drives all night to get out of town. She sells her car when she thinks she is going to be caught, and then drives until she has to take a break. She pulls over the the Bate's Motel. After checking in she starts to let her guard down. Everything is going well until she is murdered in the shower. After a few days of no one hearing from her, a private investigator is put on the case to search for her. However, it's not long after he shows up to the Bate's that he is murdered too. Can this mysterious murdering mother of the Bate's hotel be stopped? 

So, I have to say that this is the second time viewing this movie. The first time I saw it I was in the theater with my mom and it did scare me. I thought it was going to be a not so scary movie cause it was older but Hitchcock scares you on a philological level not a jump scare kind. The best part of that first viewing is that was some how spared getting the ending spoiled for me all of those years. 

So, let's see what my friends had in mind for me this month.

So February was one of the months that had to be split with two people. No one signed up for the solo person for the month so the task was one bonus day each of Jeannie and Nikki! Thankfully, both of their plot twists did not happen on the same day. Since I am not privy to the days they are planning I am at the mercy of the fact they could have ended up on the same days. However, that was not the case. 

Jeannie got hers in first!

This is the result!

It was the most delicious plot twist so far this year. Nikki got hers in just a few hours ago!

I miss movies so much and I can't wait till we get to go back!

Since we are only just getting started we have many more months to go! We have so many things happening that it's gong to be fun to see what my friends come up with next!

You're the Best Friends Anybody Ever Had: February

 Well, Hello! 

We are at the last day of the month and I have a few other posts to get done today. I want to be able to start next month off better than this one. So, today we are going to be doing three posts and then hopefully we will be better! 

So, this is one of those off months were I don't have one person to talk about for my Best Friends Project. So, I will be talking about my thoughts on friends, the movie that I watched, what this month's theme is and what I did send to my Best Friends. 

Let us start with the movie. 

This months movie shows a whole bunch of BFFs in many different stages of life. Some of these friendships are mom and daughters and some have been with each other many many years. Some start anew at the very beginning of the movie. However, the whole movie is about a group of women who celebrate, laugh, cry, and mourn with each other. The best parts is that all of these ladies have many different personalities and you would think don't mesh well together but they work wonderfully. They help with life lessons, and they prove that they are going to be with each other no matter what. 

It's been a very long time since I have seen this movie because the first time that I did watch it made me cry very hard. I knew that enough time had passed and that it was going to make me cry again. It did, for the record. what I really love about this movie is one of the things I love most about best friends. Friendship develops over time. Well, at least a lasting one does. We have all had those friends that we are super close to for a while but then they fade. The great things about Best Friends is that no matter where you are in life those people still support you. They love you. They listen when you are going throw very different stages in life. 

The other great thing about friendships is that age doesn't really matter. Truth be told it does until you are an adult yourself. When you are a child it's hard to be BFF's with someone who is older but two of my best friends are my mom and my friend Jeannie, who is another one of my BFF's mom. They are older than me but we can still be friends and supportive. It's great to to have different ages of friends because they have already been through my age and can give better advise for me now. Trust me I have been given a lot of that. 

I know that I have done many a great things with my friends in the last few years. I have seen many get married, and have been in their weddings. I am an aunt to four of their children. I have gone of vacations, and random trips, and good restaurants over the years and we are all at different stages of life. However, none of that has ever stopped us from loving and caring for each other. We all try to help each other in any way we can no matter what is gong on in our own lives. 

I believe if your friendships don't develop and grow they are never going to last.

This month's theme is Honesty. We have all gone through rough patches of having to be really honest with our friends. We also need to be honest with ourselves to be better friends. So, the question is, how do you represent honest with a gift? Well, in the research that I have done in honesty most of the things that I have found to be helpful is journaling. If you journal you are being honest with your inner most feelings about yourself or a situation. So, I bought everyone a little notebook that they can use to journal in, or to use as anything really. In the first page I wrote everyone a note of how I honestly feel about them. I also gave them a little pen for them to use in the journal. I told them they as long as they use the journal honestly they will be using this gift correctly. 

Remember how I said that there would be extra fun surprises along the way? Well, this month kicks them off! In everyone's list that was given to me everyone had at least one funny trait listed. This month I used the one that Jeannie gave me. Her trait was "not clingy". I was thrilled to have these bonus gift because then they would be funny! So, I gave everyone a little bag of dryer sheets. They make things not clingy! They also smell really good when you are working with them! So, that was everyone's fun little bonus gift!   

I am very excited to say that next month I am ahead of the game! I already have the gift bought! I just have to get them ready to send out! 

No Place Like Movies at Home: Follow the Fleet

 We are halfway there and I am a little sad about it. We have five more movies until we are done with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. I am sad because all I want is to have many more movie but they only made 10. At least once we move on from here I don't have to go back to the drudge of bad Sinatra films. 

Today's movie is Follow the Fleet.

Two sailors are finally getting the chance to go on leave! They have been waiting for this moment for some time and they want to dance and see all the pretty girls! Bake Baker (Astaire) is ready to get to shore and call up an old girl of his, whom he had asked to marry at one point and was denied. Bilge Smith (Randolph Scott) is ready to meet all of the girls that he can. They go to a dance club, and as movie magic would have it, Baker runs into his old flame Sherry Martin (Rogers). Sherry's sister, Connie (Harriett Nelson), is trying to get into the club but they won't let her in unless she has a man with her. Standing outside at that same time is Smith. She uses him to get into the building to find her sister but he doesn't pay much attention to her because she is on the plain side. However, once her sister and her friends at the club help her to get dolled up a little she is back out there with Smith and he can't get his eyes off of her. Problems arise with both couples as they usually do. In order to make up for the lack of work that she has been getting, Baker starts sabotaging a girl during an audition for a buddy of his without realizing that it's Sherry. Smith is avoiding Connie because, while he is crazy about her, the idea of settling down and getting married terrifies him. Hopefully, they all can make it work out in the end. 

I am not sure why some of these Astaire and Rogers films are ones that I don't watch that often. I mean, Flying Down to Rio is the only one that I can say that I don't watch much because they aren't the real stars of that movie. Follow the Fleet I love every time I watch it so I am not sure why I don't just sit and watch it when the mood strikes for one of their films. However, this film is funny and has some great dance numbers in it. Astaire always looks good in a Sailors uniform, most men do just saying. I am glad that this film has a different plot than the rest. The only mistaken identity in this film is when Astaire thinks that the girl in the audition is not Sherry and it really is. 

Now, is this my all time favorite movie of theirs? No, but it's still a great film to watch. I have to say that I am glad that I am only back and watching these because some of them have been years since it's last viewing. A number of Years. So, I am glad that I get to watch these with fresh eyes and get to appreciate them more now that I did then. 

Looking in My Own Backyard: February

Seeing has I was playing catchup last week, I am again. This time I am playing catch up in the hope that I will be ahead for the next month. I don't want to be constantly behind. This weekend is all about trying to get ahead. 

The movie that I chose to watch for this month is a movie I have watched during my Best Picture Challenge, You Can't Take It With You.

Money. Not a lot of things in this life screw everything up as money does. You need it to live, you work yourself to death to get more of it, and when you get more it never makes you as happy as you think. However, the Sycamore family is not like that in the least. They do what they love because they love doing it. They explore their talents and the things that they want to do and do them even if they are terrible at them. However, Money can't stop love no matter how bad you want it to. The Kirby family is in love with money and always getting their hands on more. However, the son is not that way at all. He has fallen in love with Alice Sycamore and is going to marry her. When it's found out that they don't' have money and they can't be bought, the Kirby parents want the engagement to end. The hilarious outcome of the night concludes in the engagement over. However, love always find a way as long as you have a loving family on your side.

I love this movie, it's got a special place in my heart. I was excited to see it again and I love how this family works. They welcome everyone into their home with all of the lovely ideas they bring. With how they see the world. The family shows those that they welcome that not everything they do in life has to get them rich or they have to stay were they are told. They can enjoy their hobbies and not be ashamed of them. I love that they are supportive in all that they do even if they don't share the same love of music or art. They do love each other enough to encourage everyone in the house to grow in that art. It remind me of my family and friends. Once I came clean 5 years ago about watching the movie to try and predict the Oscars they didn't look at me like I was crazy. They encouraged me and asked me about the movies I was seeing and what number I was on. My dad went with me to see my 100th film and my mom bought me a "100" cookie cake to celebrate. I would not have thought that would have happened at the beginning of that year. My friends did the same. They kept up with what I was doing and asked questions and thought that it was amazing what I was doing. All of my family and friends in the years after have been very supportive about all of the stuff I did or my projects. Now they are helping me with them this year! This is why family is important because they will support you even when you do things that seem crazy sometimes.  

Last month we talking about someone on my mom's side of the family. This time I am going to talk about someone on my dad's side of the family. 

Today we get to talk about Joel Church and his wife Caroline. 

So, while my mom and her whole family are really from the St. Louis area, my dad and his whole family are from Grundy, Virginia area. When I say that everyone know everyone they really do. My dad has some amazing, and often times shocking, stories of growing up on a mountain in Virginia during the 60s. It's great to hear some of these stories cause on the rare occasion that we do go back there it's really like some things have never changed. Like all of those houses are still standing, and all of the roads are the same. How you did live now is pretty similar as it was then. 

I always seem to forget the the stat of Virginia plays such a historical part of our country. Our nation's capital in in Virginia, it's part of the original 13 colonies, and it's where my family lived, grew, and died for 100s of years. The problem with researching that area of family members is that it all starts to circle in the tree, and there are so many similar names you get confused as to are you starting a circle or is this really a different person. I am starting to get there with the circles and confusion. However, not before I got to know a little bit more about my 5 times great grandparents Joel and Caroline. 

Someone, a distant cousin I am sure, on ancestry has greater knowledge, and more patients than I do found a lot of interesting information about these two. Unfortunately, there is not a lot to say about Caroline. It appears that she lived until the age of 54 and died of measles. Joel on the other hand there seems to be some information about. There is a book called Looking Back One Hundred Year" by Hannibal Compton. It's all about the area where by dad was born, and many other family members. I don't have my hands on this book yet but I will be getting it and reading it. Joel is written in this book to be one of the first Mountaineers in Dismal area in Buchanan County Virginia. He was a trapper and a farmer. He was also an excellent bee hunter. I had to look it up too. It's someone who finds, traps, marks, and follows wild honeybees so they can find their honey in a tree in the forest. He built a cabin in what is now known as Bill Young Branch. I am not sure if the cabin is still there. However, the story goes that during the Civil War his wife dies of the measles and she had to be buried. However, there weren't many many around at the time to build a coffin and help to bury her. So, the story goes that Joel got permission from a land owner to bury her on his property. He was given the ok. However, the lack of a coffin means they had to place her body in a hollow of a large log and buried her. 

I do not have any pictures of them, however, I do have a picture of their burial site.

 

It's not the greatest of pictures but it's something I would love to go and see one day myself. 

I will say, that I really am enjoying learning about my dad's side. I love it because my dad has this crazy insane memory of all sorts of stuff that he experienced or was told when he was young. I mean we have unsolved murder mysteries in my family. One day I would like to like voice record him telling the stories so that I have them and that I can add them to ancestry when I get to those names. The reason I say this is because while I was writing this I was asking my dad questions if he knew where the place might be where Joel's cabin might have been built. I asked him if any of the old names, and some "modern" ones, rung any bells. He told me that he used to work in Dismal, the area where the cabin was built, and knew the name of the road. He also knows where Ward's Cemetery is where Joel and Carolina are buried. It would be cool to go back where dad grew up and get a "grand tour". I will give myself on one day if I can't with him. I need to get all of the stories down first.  

No Place Like Movies at Home: Top Hat

 Coming in at movie number four of our Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers run in a favorite of my friend Bradley's, Top Hat.

We have another case of mistaken identity when it come to Top Hat. Jerry Travers (Astaire) is a dancer who makes is big on the London stage thanks to producer Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton). While rehearsing a number in Horace's hotel room, Travers wakes up Dale Tremont (Rogers) in the room below. She goes up to the room to make him keep quiet the sparks start to fly! However, they are quickly burnt out when Ms. Tremont mistakes Travers for Horace, who is married to Dale's friend. However, Dale has never met Horace so she didn't know she had the wrong person. Broken hearted she accepts the proposal of another suitor. The question then become can they get everything straightened up before the spark is totally gone?

This movie does my heart happy. Let's face it though all rom-coms in the 30s were basically this plot. However, all of these movies are so cute, and the music so great, that the plot is really not the high light of the movie. It's the dancing and the fashion and the music that really sells in these movies. I know that the future movies are theirs doesn't stick to the plot much longer but you still can't help but smile when this movie is on. We also have to talk about the famous dress in the film! 

 This dress! The gorgeous dress is the very dress that Fred Astaire hated! He didn't like that the feathers got in the way! Also the fact that Ginger Rogers designed the dress!  I mean actor, singer, dancer, designer that is an impressive list there! 

I don't think Astaire and Roger have ever made a bad movie. I recommend all of them. This was was sweet, funny, and I think it's the one were Ms. Rogers looks the prettiest so far. I am shocked that we are almost halfway through their collection. 

Looking In My Own Backyard: January

This past month I have started the overwhelming process of working on my family tree on Ancestry. It's been over whelming because you start off with hints, and the you follow the leaves till you run out of them on part of the family tree. Then you start looking at extended family hints and then you have lost count how many cousins you have seen and how many articles you have read. You like get really into it for a few days and then you need a break. I have learned a lot about my family so far, and there are a couple of things that I am going to be looking into this year but it will take a bit before I can do that. 

Let's talk movies first. The movies that I have chosen this year to go along with this are going to be movies all about family. Some are classics, some of new but they are all about family. This month I knew I wanted to watch Little Woman. I was originally going to do the classic movie version but I ended up doing the 2019 version instead. 

The story of the March sisters is a classic tale of how wonderful a simple story of what life can be. The love, tragedy, the silly, the fun. All of it can be summed up and loved no matter what your walk of life is like. Births, deaths, parties, sadness, hardships are all part of the experiences we all have in the this life and they all create memories that we can all understand. This is what Little Women shows and this is what it helps us to remember when we experience it again.

I really love this story and I really loved watching the new take on the movie. Not much was changed and the telling of the story was more in flashback form rather than telling it from start to finish. However, I liked the flashback take on it because that is what a family tree reminds me of. A Flashback on family, or parts of use that live on from other family members that you never got to meet. People that you hope look down on you and are proud that they played a part in your existence. That even sometimes you find that you find parallels that you didn't see coming.

The first person in my family tree that I would like to introduce is a man that before I had access to the tree on a subscription had me chomping at the bit to find out more about him. 

The is my Great-Great-Great Grandfather Henry Frillman. 

He was born in 1843 and died in 1932. He had 10 Children and seems to had a good life while he was alive. He fought in the Civil War and witnessed the first World War. I Found out some places where he had lived, and things like that. The first thing I saw on the list that I wanted to get more information on was the fact that he was a Postmaster. 

I didn't really find out much more, other than confirming that fact with my grandma, that it's true. He was a postmaster. The reason that I wanted to know was because of the projects I am doing this year I will be visiting the post office the most in my whole life this year. Also, I have the very weird love for the movie series from Hallmark called Signed, Sealed, Delivered and I really just want to know more when I found out he might be one.

I am very lucky to have really great records and details about his time in the Civil War. I found out he was a Union Soldier that volunteered out of Ohio. However, his records show something really touching to me. He was part of the 15th Ohio Regiment in the Civil war. This regiment has been a lot of places during it's time in the war. They were in the Battle of Shiloh, Liberty Gap and The battle of Chickamauga, just to name a few. However, from November 28- December 8 in 1863 they were apart of the March of the relief of Knoxville, Tennessee. My three times great grandfather was in the same city that I live in and hold near and dear to my heart. 

What I love about Knoxville that there is history everywhere. You turn a corner something has happened there. We have had artists, authors, and many historical events take place here! I am not from here. My family is not from here. We ended up here over 20 years ago and I have loved living here. I never thought that I would have any relationship with my beloved city other than being apart of the history being made now. When I found our my three times great grandfather was here I cried. Was it for a terrible reason as war, yes. However, never in a million years would I have ever thought that I could have walked the same streets that he did. I mean where my parents live they are a stones throw away from where soldiers where known to be marching and fighting. For all I know my grandfather could have been standing in the same grass that I used to play in growing up. He could have leaned against the same tree that I used to climb. It makes me want to find the streets and places that his regiment was known to walk to get to Knoxville and follow it just for a bit. I might do that at some point this year. There is a Historical Marker in Maryville that says where they gathered to come to Knoxville. I will try and see it myself. 

The other fascinating thing I found out about his service is that that next July his regiment was there at the Siege of Atlanta. That is more wildly known as the burning at Atlanta. The one thing that we have seen in many movies and have read in many books, my grandfather was there to see it. Again, when I go to Atlanta I will have to look at it in a new light. I will want to research more about it and find where his regiment may have been for that too.

However, the greatest thing I was able to find is something I can not believe. On Ancestry someone had a picture of him. 

 

Henry Frillman is the man all the way to the right. My linage comes from Henry's youngest child Ester Frillman. Although she is not pictured here her brother Edward is. Edward is all the way to the left. Edward was the oldest of the children. In the middle there is Edward's son Elmer, and in his lap is his son Robert. In below is the only picture that I know to have of Ester with her daughter Gladine. Gladine is my great grandma, she is on the right, who I was very blessed to have met. I am sure there are more but my mom doesn't have all of the documentation.

You can see a family resemblance of Henry, Ester, and my grandma sis. 

Finding our this bit of my family has really mad me excited to see what else I can find. I did do a DNA test and I am waiting to get those results back. However, I am found some other characters in the family. I have some great stories that my dad has told me that I want to record and maybe put on here. I also have a few mysteries that I might share too. All I know is that I have been wanting to do this for a number of years and I am so glad that I am finally able to actually put it together and find out more of what makes me who I am. 

No Place Like Movies at Home: Roberta

 No we are moving on to the second movie Astaire and Rogers did together, Roberta

We are once again hanging out with a band! Coming from America to Europe was a grand adventure that was never going to be topped! It was supposed to be the most exciting trip they were going to take. However, everything goes wrong once they land. The club owner that hired them to play got the names mixed up and didn't want to use them anymore. However, the band's manager has a trick up his sleeve. He has an aunt, Roberts, who is famous in Europe for her fabulous dress designing business. He goes for a surprise visit to her and ends up meeting her assistant and sparks fly or course. The same time the band is here so is Roberta's most valuable client the wonderful singer Lizzie Gatz (Rogers). To his amazement she is a childhood friend or the bands Conductor Huck Haines. They are reunited and find love and enjoyment while singing and dancing together at the club she works for. Things aren't all rainbows forever. Roberta passes away in her sleep leaving the shop to her nephew and her assistant. Can they find a common ground to and keep Roberta's shop alive?

I don't know why I always think that this one is not good. It's so funny. It's like my head has a lapse of judgment when it comes to this movie. Like I watched it near another movie that I didn't like but I don't remember what that movie was. I am glad that I re-watched it thought because it's hilarious and so much fun to watch. It's not like the first movie they did together that they were there but not the center of attention. They are not the primary couple of this movie but that are almost as much screen time together at the primary does. It's so good I almost want to watch it again instead of the next movie. I won't but it's really that good. 

No Place Like Movies at Home: The Gay Divorcee

 If anyone on here happens to read anything, I doubt it but I still enjoy writing it, you might remember this movie. This was one of the movies I made Alaina watch a few years ago when I was having her watch classics. I am very excited that I get to share The Gay Divorcee with you again. 

The movie stars us off at a ship port meeting our wonderful cast. Mimi (Rogers) is meeting her aunt at the ship to pick her up. We are informed that Mimi is unhappily married and her husband refuses to grant her one. She comes to her aunt for help. While Mimi's aunt is getting things sorted out she meets the charming Guy. However, they she doesn't take to him at first as much as Guy does. Don't forget this is a movie so they meet up again soon. Where they end up meeting up is at a hotel where Mimi and her Aunt have a plan to have Mimi "caught" with another man to have her husband file for divorce rather than keep begging him for one. However, things get messed up with Mimi thinks that Guy is the man that is hired to play her lover. The real man is still running all over the hotel trying to find the right woman to give the password to so they can put on the coup. Everything goes sideways when the man finds her and the three of them have to spend the night in the hotel room together to have this plan work. The question is will it work or will still things go wrong when her husband shows up the next morning.

I love this movie so much. It has to be on of the ones I watch the most. It's probably my second favorite that they do. I really like another one more but this one is great. This is the first movie that they are the star couple together. This is their 3rd pairing together. I didn't mean to watch them out of order but that is how they are up into my collection was out of order. This is always that one I recommend to someone when they want to watch Astaire and Rogers. It's funny and their dancing is superb as always. I am really excited to be revisiting these films cause it's been a very long time since I was able to watch all of them. 

Up Inside the Cyclone: January

 Well, looks like I am starting the year off as usual.... late. 

Before we get to the craziness that happened this month lets talk about the movie that I watched in coordination with this month. The Illusionist. 

 

This movie is about a young man who finds he joy in life by performing magic. However, in the process he finds that love of his life. She is a duchess, and is not of such a high rank. They meet as children and then are separated. When he finds success in his career his love comes back to him. However, she can't be his love for long for she is engaged. the man she is to wed is a bitter and angry man that wants to rule with an iron fist. In a plot to get her away from him things go sideways. This leads to death, arrests, murder, and a whole slue of other things. Does is all seem as it appears though?

I have to say that I am not an Edward Norton fan. The only thing that I have liked him in was Birdman but that's it. So, finding out he is the star of this movie I wasn't expecting to enjoy it much. However, there is always a saving grace. The co-star of this film is Paul Giamatti. I always remember him most from Big Fat Liar. but everything I have ever seen him in has been wonderful. He made the movie. He made joyous to watch, and interesting to watch, and rally make it feel like it was on the edge of the seat. When Mr. Norton's acting fails to get you involved the movie Mr. Giamatti makes Mr. Norton more intriguing. The plot twist at the end is not the biggest and most impressive twist in movie history but it's really a enjoyable movie to watch. 

Now for my Plot Twists

Nikki Day was my first.. twister I guess you can call it. She is the one that wanted to do this and she wanted to go first. She got what she wanted! There are two people that I am really scared of having control of my life for a little bit. She was one of them, but it ended up not being nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

The first one on her list started off like this...

When I went to look online of where this was it made no sense. I knew the area, Nikki and I have gone to this little shopping center before, but The added was to an empty store.... I thought she was going to have me murdered!

Here is what happened.

I didn't get any picture of us painting said pottery, but this was the end result a week later after everything was glazed and what not.

Plot twist two was revealed after this picture was taken! 

Nikki wanted me to make a vision board. I have never really been big into these. Nothing wrong with them but not really my thing. Nikki gave me everything I needed to make one and I did. 

Nikki has not seen it in person yet. However, she will soon.

The last one....... Nikki got a little bit of help from the other person that scares.. Jeannie! Jeannie is someone you should be scared of when you are giving them control. Nikki came over for a game night that we had planned at the end of the month. When had people come in from all over the state of Tennessee to come to game night. It was so much fun! We had kids running around and grown up dying a laughter. We had good food and played the best board game ever, Chameleon! However, Nikki used this opportunity to cash in her last twist. I had to do the Cupid Shuffle in front of everyone. Thankfully, not by myself, but I had to. 

Please note I am not a dancer.... be kind when judging!

As you can see we had a lot of fun! 

So, thank you Nikki for keeping life interesting for a month! 

No Place Like Movies at Home: Flying Down to Rio

 We are finally here! We are finally out of the Frank Sinatra movies! We are now back in the land of musicals! Not just any land but the land of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers!

We are kicking things off with their very first movie together Flying Down to Rio.

The movie centers around a band working at an exclusive resort but with strict order not to mingle with the guest. However, the band leader can not help himself. When he is caught the band the band is cut. However, as luck would have a friend of the band leaders is a manger of a new hotel that is opening up in Rio and they need a great orchestra. The other stoke of luck comes when the girl the leader was caught with is also going to the same hotel. Will love bloom wile Flying Down to Rio?

So, before we begin I have to say that this is their first movie together but they are not the star couple of this feature. They are a great side couple but it's not really about them. Funny enough they were so loved in this movie together it kicked off what ended up being a 10 movie collaboration. It was great seeing them being cute and dancing together, but this is not my all time favorite movie of their. This one is probably my least favorite out of all 10 and it's really because I know what is coming. I know the love, joy, heartache, tears, and just pure wonder that around the corner. I can't wait to share all of it with you. 

This movie I will say has one great highlight. The finally of the film comes to a head with they don't have the proper permits for entertainment for the new opening day at the hotel in Rio. They have to get creative. By that I mean they get some hands on plans and have the girl dancing on the plans while they are flying around the hotel. It's really well filmed and a really fun moment in the film. 

I hope that you will also watch it one day cause it's a cute film but I hope you also follow-up a few other of their movies to see how great they can become.

You're the Best Friends Anyone Ever Had: The Sweetest Thing

 So, after I got done with writing my brilliant post about Nikki Day I realized that I didn't include the movie she wanted me to watch. I wanted to go back and add the movie in but I really did love that post and didn't want to edit it, so now I have two posts to every month. Well, almost every month. 

*Edit- I discovered that I also forgot to include the theme for January's BFF gift. So, I will add it now. The Trait that was used for the month of January is Kindness. The best way I thought to represent kindness was to send everyone a Thank You note. So, I actually bought these gorgeous Tennessee Theatre painted blank cards at the Tennessee Theatre. I also bought them with no use in mind cause they were pretty. When I realized I could use them for the thank you notes I was floored! I wanted them to be around and not just thrown away quickly. When I realized that my friends where going to probably hold on to them for a bit I used them. I wrote everyone a thank you note telling them how much they mean to me and what I love doing with them. I was very excited to share those with them. 

I will remember from here on out to write about the theme along with the movie. 

So, out of the many wonderful movies that there are in the world Nikki Day wanted me to watch The Sweetest Thing. 

Warning: This movie is not for the faint of heart..... The fact that Nikki suggested this movie still shocks me. This movie centers around three friends. Two of which love living the single life. The other just had her heart broken. In an effort to make her feel better they take her out on the night on the town. However, The ringleader looses her heart along the way. Throwing out the whole rule book of not falling in love she chase after the guy across the state to find the wedding he is apart of to connect with him again. She is off with her BFF on a fun and crazy road trip all in the pursuit of love. 

I find it funny that Nikki chose this movie for me to watch. One because it as filthy... I mean it was really really filthy. I mean it was one of those movies that when you think that it can't get dirtier it does. However, when it comes to trying to finding love Nikki wants to be the match maker so bad. She has tried to get me to go out with guys but the one guy that I have liked for a while, she has done everything in her power, so far, to get us connect. We are planning another trip, to a different part of the state, to make another connection.

However, I am supposed to be talking about this movie. Despite, I mean really despite, how gross this movie is the friendship in it is pretty awesome. i mean they know how to have fun, they know how to support each other. They are there when the other cries, they travel on road trips because they think that going after something that scares them is going to make them a better person. They are supportive, and know how to have fun. I loved all of those sweet moments in the movie. I also loved that they weren't afraid to call each other out when they needed to. We all need friends like that. 

You're the Best Friends Anybody Ever Had: Nikki Day

 The month of January belongs to the person who inspired a lot of things in my life. She inspired me to do my Cyclone project early. She has inspired me to do crazy things in my life. I mean she even inspired me writing a blog. She has one that celebrates her and her nephews. When I started writing all of those years ago I never thought I would still be doing it all of these years later. 

It's all thanks to the marvelous Nikki Day!

Nikki Day is one of those rare work friends that even after you quit the job and never return, you still are friends with her! Work friends usually don't do that. Yes, they do hang out with you before and after work, and yes we are super close while you are working there. It almost never stays that way after one of you leaves. This awesome lady didn't let that happen. Nikki and I actually met at a work event 10 years ago in 2011. We did the Buddy's Walk for Cancer with our hotel company that we worked for. The next few years were spent talking to each other over the phone about how our nights were going across the street. Then led to cross training at each other's hotels, and the working together almost none stop because we were the best team those hotels have ever seen! We were always laughing but we always got the job done and done well! 

We hung out together after work a lot. Our first outing was when we went to see the movie Pitch Perfect together. That whole movie has been an inside joke ever since. 

Our friendship got kicked up to high gear in 2013. Nikki asked me if I wanted to go to CMA Fest with her. She had told me how awesome it was, and how you can meet all of the country music stars. It sounded like fun and she knew I love country music. So, I said yes. Not only did I say yes to going to a week long vacation with who I didn't know super, super well, but I didn't help plan any of it. I let her take the wheel and just went with it. If you know me.... I don't do that super well. I have gotten better over the years but when it comes to trips and things I like to be in control. We had a blast! We got to meet so many people, and got to see so many live performances. We ate so much good food! However, we had some bumps on the way. Nikki booked for one night earlier at the hotel, and our week long reservation was totally canceled. However, that was more the hotel's fault than Nikki's, they never called us or anything to see if we were coming. So, we had to book a hotel room for one night, and had to find other hotel rooms for the rest of the week! It's one of the best trips I have ever been on.

Nikki is my adventure buddy! We are always planning trips and going places. Even if it's not out of town, if it's a new place to eat she is always down to go! She will do the craziest of things with the little amount of planning and notice. However, she is also laid back and down to earth. She is super easy to talk to and you can tell her literally anything with no judgment. It's hard to find a friend like that. She will also call you on your crap too. Like if I am not being bold enough in parts of my life. Or if I'm scared to do something. She always like to point out the craziest things I have done in my life and then ask me "why can't you talk to this boy?! You went skydiving how can you not talk to a boy. He's just a boy just talk to him!". I can't explain it to you why I can't talk to a boy but it always baffles her. 

She doesn't like having bad days, and with her there are few! I remember one day at work, the one time both of us were having off days. Never happened before. We weren't mad at each other but it wasn't a good day. We didn't really talk to do anything other than count down the hours until we could go home. The night was dragging on and we could not figure out how to get our of the rut. A guest called down needing something for the room and Nikki said she would go and get them. It got to the point where I thought she was gone for way too long and I was scared that something had happened. Right at that point the woman comes down dressed as Santa! In the middle of summer! 

I think everyone needs a courageous, funny, and beautiful friend like Nikki Day! She is honest and she will tell you the truth and won't tell you in a demeaning way. She can always bring a smile to your face and encourage you no matter what is going on! She is such a strong human being and an inspiration! All the world needs a Nikki Day and I am glad God put her into mine.

You're the Best Friends Anybody Ever Had: Official Introduction

I made the post back the the very start of the year talking a little bit about my Best Friends Project. I didn't want to say much because I didn't have the chance to tell the people I am doing the project for much about it. Now, all of my friends have been given the their first gifts so I can actually say what is going on.

So, you know every month has a theme, and everyone is getting something that matches the theme. I told you have the themes were chosen. The one thing I didn't get the chance to say at that time is that it all leads to something. Every gift will come with a slip of paper that tells about the theme of that month. They will also be getting a puzzle piece. This puzzle is a picture with me and every person I am doing this for. They all have their own puzzle. I have spent MANY nights getting everything measured, and traced, mod poged. They will be getting one piece a month for the whole year and have the whole picture at the end of the year. 

The other thing that I will be doing and I will be writing a blog post about all of them through the whole year. There are eight people I am doing this for in total, but since there are 12 months in the year... I don't know what I am going to be writing about on those months yet! However, it's gonna fun. How I have decided to choose who I am writing about that month was picked at random but for another project.

My Cyclone, that I am also doing this year, needed these same eight people to give me stuff to do. I had them pick out their own month that they wanted to torture me in. So, I am using the month that they chose as their month for me to watch their movie and write about them!

I already know that I am a month behind, January is a terribly busy month for me every year. So, I have done everything I have needed to do for January's theme and post, but I have not gotten to write about it yet. I will be getting it done at some point this weekend. 

I am so very exciting to be celebrating my friends this year! I can't wait to share them with you too. 

No Place Like Movies at Home: Lady in Cement

 IT FINALLY HAPPENED! We got to the end of the Frank Sinatra films! Well, for a little bit anyways. I do have a few most scattered through my collections but the near 30 in a row was hard to watch! The finish this lovely row of Frank Sinatra with the sequel to Tony Rome with the movie called Lady in Cement. 

Tony Rome is at it again! Trying to get rich quick he stubbles into another mystery that need solving. While looking for doubloons at the bottom of the ocean he comes across a lady who's feet are incased in cement.

I have to say. The best thing going for this moving the charm that Frank Sinatra ha. I remember enjoying this movie when I first watched it all of those years ago. Watching it now I have realized that I have seen far better Frank Sinatra movies and this doesn't have the same zing as the first time around. It's a decent movie and if you are looking for something to be on that's mildly entertaining in the background this would be a good pick. 

No Place Like Movies at Home: The Detective

 I am not going to talk about this film long because...... well it was hard to watch and I'm still trying to process all of it.

The really short description of this is Frank Sinatra is a detective who is asked to work on a degusting and grizzly murder of a homosexual in a time when being one mean you have to be hidden.

This is a harsh movie that calls to attentions lots of questionable acts of many different people for many different reasons. It's a movie that is made to make you feel outraged, and bitter. It makes you think and realize what some of the things that are going on in the world even today. It's not a feel good funny Frank Sinatra movie. I recommend it but with a warning that it's not meant to be an easy watch.

No Place Like Movies at Home: Tony Rom

Tony Rome is one of those Frank Sinatra films that I really have enjoyed over the years. I know that it's not exciting compared to today's spy films but it's a fun and funny journey to go on.

Mr. Rome is an ex-cop turned private detective who has a gambling problem. When an ex business partner asked for a favor he tries to help him. This turns into a new investigation when he shows up and a young woman is unconscious in the hotel room. He agrees to take her home but when he gets there her father tells him that she has been acting weird. He hires Mr. Rome to investigate what is going on with his daughter. 

I think that I really like this movie because I like Frank Sinatra. This is not one of the ones that goes down in cinematic history as one of the greatest movies ever made, but if you are a fan you will enjoy it. Mr. Sinatra is smooth and funny in this role. It did well enough to make a sequel, I will be watching that later this week.