Home is Where the Heart Is

The blog has been a bit MIA for the past couple of months.  Some things have come up and priorities/interests have shifted.  One of the most recent and major changes is that my husband and I bought a house.  Granted, it's been about 7 months since that happened, BUT I haven't really had a chance to write about it.

It has been a very exciting and sometimes daunting new journey in our lives.  Going from apartment living to owning a house is a big leap.  You now have to furnish that larger space, decorate, mow, garden, clean (about an hour longer than the apartment took), and pay a mortgage.  We are now responsible for this big chunk of property.  But at the end of the day, I can look at it and think, "wow, that's ours" and that's a damn good feeling.  

Through the process of decorating and furnishing a home, you quickly learn the difference in how men and women view owning a house.  My husband is constantly asking me questions like "why are we buying a dining room table that we're never going to eat at? why are you buying a $15 bouquet to put in a vase that's just going to die in a week? why do we have to have candles for every room?"  While I'm quickly learning that I can't furnish the entire house in a week, I do feel a sense of accomplishment in finding the perfect throw pillows for the couch upstairs...or the set of pictures that coordinates perfectly with those throw pillows.  But now, I'm to the point of wanting to hire a decorator because I'm tired of trying to make things cute and coordinated.  Any volunteers?      

Oh, and I'm pretty sure I've helped Target stay in business throughout this whole process.  So, you're welcome for that Target!

Here are some items I've purchased for the house (most are pre-decorated and instagrammed so not the best quality) and where I got them:

Target: Threshold Avington 5-shelf bookcase in Espresso

Target: All candles purchased from Target.  The sweet sangria on the bottom right is very fragrant and fills up the entire room with the smell. 

Target: Threshold Grid Shower Curtain in Blue

Target: Threshold Windham Accent Cabinet in red (comes in several other colors as well).  This is one of my most treasured pieces.  Adds a great pop of color to any room.  

Ashley Furniture: Counter height dining table.  Dark wood and has a place for wine storage underneath 

Bed, Bath, and Beyond: I think that is where I got this vase centerpiece.  It has a wrought iron base surrounded by 6 votive sized candle holders.

As you can see, Target is my go-to for decorating ideas.  Do you have any staple pieces in your home or apartment that you would recommend?

Oscar Fashion Run Down

I'm not going to talk about the actual show, because let's face it, it was a POS.  It was not at all funny and went about 6 hours too long.  BUT, I will talk about the dresses.

Let's just face it, fashion is very subjective.  We all have those particular aspects that we either love or hate.

Example #1 I LOATHE gold detailing on dresses. I have no idea why, but it just ruins the whole dress for me.

Example #2 Dresses you love but makes a particular friend's skin crawl every time she sees it.

With that being said, we like what we like.  There's no need in making apologies for it.  So, let's breakdown the dresses from last night.

Naomi Watts: 

Wearing: Armani Prive

 Undoubtedly one of the best looks like night in my opinion.  Her dress stood out among the other Oscar nominees.

Stacy Keibler:

Wearing: Naeem Khan

One of my absolute favorite Naeem Khan dresses. The detailing, metallic tone, and fit of this dress=NAILED IT

Zoe Saldana:

Wearing: Alexis Mabille Couture

One of the more unique and stand out dresses of the night.  Visually stunning.  And that sheer black and grey lining underneath really made the dress pop.

Amy Adams: 

Wearing: Oscar de la Renta

Many people thought this was too much dress for her, but I thought she looked like a freaking princess.

Jessica Chastain: 

Wearing: Armani Prive 

At first, I was a bit underwhelmed by this dress.  I thought she should have went bolder since she was a nominee.  But the detailing and fit and her perfect red hair made up for it.  This looked absolutely stunning on her. 

Nina Dobrev:

Wearing: Naeem Khan

Okay, so she wasn't technically on the red carpet but she was at an Oscar party.  This dress is GORGEOUS.  Her hair and makeup are flawless.  She pretty much always nails it with her style choices.

Kristen Stewart: 

Wearing: Reem Acra Bridal Couture 2009 Collection

So many mixed feelings about this look.  She came out on crutches because of a foot injury.  I felt for her because when I'm in pain, I don't want to do anything or be near anyone.  So kudos to her for being such a trouper.  

I have an issue with how the dress fitted in the waist area.  It gave her no shape.  From a straight on angle, I don't like it very much.  But when she moves, it was beautiful.  MUCH better in motion.  And it was so gorgeous from the back.  Wasn't a huge fan of the pink eyeshadow...I thought it made her look tired and a little washed out.  Also, still sitting here waiting for someone to do something different with her hair.  That being said, she was just a presenter, so I do understand to an extent the understated look.  Kind of.....

Jennifer Lawrence: 

Wearing: Dior Haute Couture

LOVE.EVERYTHING.ABOUT.THIS.  The hair, the makeup, the jewelry.  This was a winner's dress.  She pulled out all the stops.  It was her night to shine, and this dress was the right pick for that moment. 

Also, this happened and it was the greatest thing ever.

Now that we all seemed to have survived the mess of a show last night, what were some of your favorite looks?

Movie Moments that Give You Chills

Do you remember those moments....those moments when you were in a dimly lit theater with 100 other people or in the comfort of your own home curled up with a cup of coffee staring at the screen in front of you  and you remember...remember that feeling you had when something amazing happened?

Movies, just like books, have the ability to evoke the most powerful emotions inside us. We've all experienced those moments of absolute rage, chills that make your hair stand on end, smiling so hard you feel like your face is going to crack, or crying so hysterically that you start hiccuping or making other really strange inhuman noises. <---don't lie, you've been that person too.

There is something incredibly extraordinary about seeing a story unfold and come to life on screen. Some will tell you that movies allow them to escape. And in a way they do. They transport you into another world, even if it's just for a mere 2 hours. But something unexpected and amazing happens in those 2 hours. There is a moment that sticks. Whether it was a moment that made you cry, laugh, gave you chills , or made you go OH SHIT! you remember it.

So, here are those moments for me........

The Notebook:

THE kiss that sparked one of best MTV Movie Awards "Best Kiss" acceptances EVER

YES.PLEASE.

Jurassic Park:

right before this, the sister is staring at her brother with a spoon of jello shaking in her hand. true story-my brother and I used to reenact this scene at the dinner table ALL THE TIME

Chills

Dirty Dancing:

pretty sure we've all tried to do this move once or twice since seeing the movie

Titanic:

And we all screamed "NOOOOO...WAKE UPPPPPPPP!'''' and then collectively wanted to murder Rose for not making room on the door because LBR, he could have fit...I don't care what Myth Busters said.

Pearl Harbor:

The friendship they still possessed even after falling in love with the same girl. Watching this scene feels like someone is continually driving a knife through your chest.

Armageddon: 

I sob....EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.  "Daddy no."  This was one of those hysterically sobbing moments where you make the weird hiccuping noises.

Breaking Dawn Part 2: 

I feel like I should preface this by saying, there was a LOT of hype surrounding what the big twist in this movie would be. Even though many fans had their own idea of what it was, I don't think we were at all prepared for what actually happened. SPOILER ALERT: Carlisle's head gets ripped off, Jasper dies, some wolves die, BUT OH WAIT, IT WAS ALL A DREAM. But before you found that out, it was one of the most intense, edge of your seat moments ever. 

My best friend always accompanies me to these movies. She isn't a die hard fan, but likes them well enough. I wish I could have recorded her face in the moment where you saw Aro holding Carlisle's head. Pretty priceless. 

Unfortunately, since the movie isn't on DVD yet, it is hard to accompany this part with LEGAL gifs. Sooooooo, I will try my best to improvise.  

first this happened

and then this song started playing and everyone just started running without a word being spoken. CRAZINESS. It was a pretty epic scene.

There is also a montage at the very end of the movie where Bella shows Edward her memories of them together.  As the credits start to roll, Bill Condon did this amazing tribute to all the major cast members. The very last shot is the last page of Breaking Dawn that fades to black on the word "Forever."  And then a massive amount of tears were shed by all. It was a pretty epic farewell to this crazy saga. 

Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves: 

I was obsessed with Kevin Costner when I was younger. And this was one of my favorite movies growing up. This is, hands down, one of my all time favorite movie moments. That slow mo shot paired with the sound of the arrow whistling through the air lsakdjflskjfd.

What are some of your major movie moments? I know there is a handful more I could have picked, but these stood out the most when I was writing this. 

The Start of Something New Part 4

Day 4

Anytime I have a fashion question, I always go to Kim.  She got me interested in this whole fashion world.  So naturally she was the first person I went to with my premiere look idea. She literally had her picks to me in like 10 minutes.  I, of course, am a very indecisive person. I'm still not sure what my #5 pick is, and I post mine tomorrow. LOL.  While browsing through looks last week, I sent her a picture and said "Do you know where this event was?" She responded with, "That's not a premiere, that was a fan event." 

this

and then this

Jill then joined in on the whole debacle. The conversation between the 3 of us went something like this:

yes, that was Kim's idea to title our chat group "Mean Girls." the reasoning behind that is a story for a different day.

Who knows if we ever actually came to a consensus.  So, without further ado, here we go for day 4....

Jill's @JRollin5 picks 

#5 LA BD2 Premiere

(The Gold dress.  I would have preferred it to have a thin silk underlay or something so it wasn't just the see through lace, but meh. What can you do? lol.  Not that I don't thoroughly enjoy seeing as much of K as possible, but in this case I think it would have been a little better.  I REALLY liked the bodice and the way it fit. It was PERFECT.  And her HAIR. OMG.  It made the look SO old Hollywood.  It was so gorgeous.  All curls and flowing and HNNNNG.  Her makeup was fabulous, too!!  She looked so amazing in that color.  She looks good in every color.)

#4 LA The Runaways Premiere

(She surprised everyone I think because up until then she wasn't really a fashion risk taker and not really into fashion at all.  She really started experimenting with color on this promo tour and this especially seemed WAY out of character for her.  But, she owned it.  She went funky with her hair and she looked AMAZING.  Just like a rock star, baby.)

#3 NYC The Runaways Premiere

  (Pucci. I love you.  The dress was so itty bitty omg, but it just showed off her AMAZING ROCKIN ASS BODY.  It fit like a glove.  Her skin, as per the usual, was FLAWLESS.  And with her hair so dark, it just made it so much prettier because of the contrast.   And, she didn't over-do it with the makeup which I loved.  The dress was busy and the makeup was minimal.  Good combo I think.)

#2 NYC Eclipse Premiere

(LOVE.  Her HAIR is my FAVORITE.  The color is amazing and the styling?!!!!? The braid is absolutely the BEST and the little pieces hanging down loose?!  HOLY SHIT. I loved it.  AND HER MAKE UP? One of the best looks on her ever.  Just the color of the eyeshadow and her green eyes popping... OMG. GORGEOUS.  The dress was great bc it brought out the color of her hair and make up by making them pop! but otherwise just a black dress I suppose.  IDK, I just adored this look)

#1 Cannes Cosmopolis Premiere

(DUH.  Fucking A I love her in red.  That dress was just.... GAHHHHHH.  Reem Acra, well done. WELL DONE, Kristen.  She was stunning. And the pic where you can see all of the photographers... just takes my breath away. It feels so MOVIE STAR.  It is easy to forget sometimes what their life on the red carpet entails.  creepy side note: SIDE BOOB UNFFFFFF)

Kim's @kimmcarr picks

#5 LA Adventureland Premiere

(And oldie, but a goodie. I almost chose Eclipse NY as my final look, but when I really started to think about her premiere looks, I kept coming back to this one. I feel like this was when she really stepped up to the fashion plate to take some risks. She had Twilight under her belt and this smaller movie coming out where she wasn't the only ticket seller and I think she took that opportunity to take a risk (or at least I like to pretend that was her motivation as, in reality, I have no idea why she chooses one outfit over another since I'm sadly not a part of her styling team - OMG DREAM JOOOOOB). I liked how this was one of her first uses of color. And I loved the hair and makeup. And I'm pretty much obsessed with her eyebrows from this night.)

#4 LA OTR AFI Premiere

(I have my issues with a lot of Balenciaga's designs. But the Spring 2013 collection was by far the strongest collection in many seasons and I was really excited to see many of the pieces on Kristen. I was so happy that she wore this particular look! I really like when she wears pants to events, and boy did she wear these pants! I like the feminine/masculine combination in this outfit, not quite androgynous cuz that top was allllll woman, but definitely kick-ass. And that makeup! She was not playing around that night. It was like all the elements aligned to form a really badass Kristen Stewart.)

#3 London BD1 Premiere

(This was the first time I saw her in a long dress and thought omg she really can wear these without them overwhelming her. The dress was so flattering on her, adding the belt was genius, she looked long and curvy and very confident. Her makeup was also just perfect.)

#2 Cannes Cosmopolis Premiere

(I've been in love with that Reem Acra dress since I first saw it a couple years ago. Never did I think Kristen would be the one to wear it, because 1) it wasn't current and 2) she wasn't REALLY a gown person yet. And after the mess that was the On The Road dress (sorry Jessica, and everyone else who liked that dress) I had low expectations for this. But Kristen blazed onto that red carpet looking out of this world. By far the sexiest she's ever looked. I love red. It's my favorite color on her. I love lace (again) and the hints of it on this dress are so sexy and flattering. Her hair and makeup were so perfect. The gold, glittery eyeshadow? I mean, stop it. She was flawless. If I could tie this with Breaking Dawn Part 2 in LA, I would and the only reason that edged this look out was how mature she looked in Los Angeles)

#1 LA BD2 Premiere

(When she stepped out of the car, literally in front of me, I turned to my friend and started crying because she had never been more beautiful. In person the dress didn't come off as sheer as in the photos, so I didn't even really notice that until after the movie when I was going through everything. But more than the dress, which fit her so well, and was so flattering on her, and so grown up, and just so movie star, her hair and makeup were flawless. She was old Hollywood meets modern Hollywood and she bridged the two perfectly. She also looked softer than she usually does, and I really appreciated that. And I love lace. I love that lace is making a big comeback in fashion. So many looks this season incorporated lace and I love that Kristen embraced.)

[A/N: Kim and Jill, I loved our banter over what constituted as a premiere.  I'm sure we still don't all agree, but hey, that's the beauty in it.  Thank you girls from the bottom of my heart.  ILY both!]