Mustache Cup

Where, exactly does one put a paper mustache collection? Hmmmmm. . . .

I made mustaches for my daughters (yup) awhile back by tracing mustaches (from mustache templates, wouldn't ya know) onto pretty scrapbook paper, cutting 'em out and hot-gluing 'em onto little craft sticks. My girls LOVE dress-up and a mustache collection just seemed like a must-have all of a sudden.

Come on. . . you want 'em, too. I KNOW you do!

But where to put 'em. . . .? Too fragile to toss into the dress-up bin for sure.

I found these wood candle holders at GoodWill (I think I paid $3 for the pair). One had a tall glass with a half-melted candle inside it, the other was empty. I had to break the glass to get the candle out, then I just ModPodged cute paper to the inside of the candle holder to cover the holes (so stuff doesn't fall out. . . plus the inside is kind of ugly and I doubted my ability to match the paint). It was a bit too tall, so I dropped an empty yogurt cup in to the top and it was a PERFECT fit--hurray.

And: ta-da!  We have a pretty way to display our mustache collection, on top of the book shelf in my living room. It proudly stands next to our wooden dominoes sets and framed kids' art. . . and below my NEXT project: our Reward Center, which I'll post on next!

And the twin of my mustache cup is my MUCH-anticipated bookmark holder. Sits on my brand new (to me) bedroom dresser.

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Movies of 2011

Since I'm keeping a record of what books I read this year, let's do movies as well. Any movie I've already seen within the last five years does NOT count on this list (so that'll exclude watching ET for the umpteenth time with the littles).  But if I go back and re-watch a movie I haven't seen in a long time, that'll go on the list.

Also included: a ten-second review of each film.

1. Shutter Island (2010). Just as predictable and dull as the book (did ANYone not see this "twist" after the first 10 minutes--or 30 pages?!)
2. Inception. (2010). Everyone seemed to love this movie, but I wasn't expecting much; I don't usually like things everyone else loves. But I did enjoy this one. I saw some major flaws that I won't go into (except pointing out that infuriating aspect of most action movies: the bad guys can't shoot for SHIT, but the good guys manage to kill at least TWO bad guys with every bullet fired. Ugh). Also Leo and that kid from "third rock" seemed really out-of-place in this movie. I've seen enough Leo to last me another ten years, I think.
3. The Golden Compass (2007). I finished reading this series (His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman at the end of 2009 (and I LOVED it), so I figured I'd give the movie a whirl, though I KNEW it wasn't going to do the book justice. It was a travesty. I think they wanted to cram in every single aspect of excitement & battle, but the left out the heart. It was oddly action-packed AND extraordinarily dull at the same time. There was no depth to it whatsoever. What a shame.
4. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (2009, Swedish). I read the first two books (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire) and while the story was interesting, the books didn't hold my attention very well--the writer (may he RIP) was very, VERY into mundane details. So I wanted to see how the story wrapped up without struggling through another way-too-long book. All these films were good--nothing mind-blowing, but they were good. . . as long as you don't mind subtitles. They're re-making 'em here in the US and I can't imagine them being anywhere near as good as the Swedish versions: the US will play up the sex and violence and probably lose most of the plot intricacies. I do LOVE how the actors in the Swedish films look like real people (lacking make-up and boob jobs, etc.). Lends an air of REALITY to the movies. US should take note: it's ok for haggard  middle-aged women to look like haggard middle-aged women.
5. Eclipse (2010). So, so, so bad. Hated the books, hate the movies--but it's such a pop culture phenomenon, I kind of feel drawn to it, just to see what all the fuss is about. I don't get it.
6. Dreamcatcher (2003). Worse than Eclipse. I'm embarrassed on behalf of everyone involved in this movie. The book was bad, the movie was worse. WHY did anyone think a movie about aliens that are called "shit monsters" (because they explode out of your butthole after a rough bout of horrible gas) would be a good idea?! I had to see this movie just to see how they dealt with that (they dealt with it poorly, very, very poorly). I need to widen my movie-net to include items NOT in Netflix instant-play line-up. 
7. All About Eve (1950). Love old movies. Had no idea that Single White Female was a re-make (lol). Been wanting to see this one for EVER and I'm so happy I finally sat down to watch it (unlike when I finally sat through all 40 hours--it seemed--of Lawrence of Arabia: HATED that one).

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Books of 2011

Let's see how many books I read (start to finish) in 2011. Also: a couple-sentence review (no spoilers, so no worries):

1. 1.3.11       The Turning by Justin Scott.  Probably one of the worst books I actually finished. Ever.
2. 1.6.11       The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman.  A great idea and an interesting story, but I wished it had taken a more personal form. Copying the simple story-telling of the bible left the characters way too dry for my taste. I just didn't care.
3. 1.10.11     Grave Site by Charlaine Harris.  Though I enjoy the Southern Vampire Mysteries (indeed, I was hoping for a new series I could devour), this was lacking the spark of those books. It was a run-of-the mill mystery, could have been written by any of those popular mystery authors. Not a bad book, but definitely lacking something that makes it unique, memorable or (I hate to say it) interesting.
4. 1.13.11     Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay. I'm kind of in love with Dexter. I recognize that the writing isn't actually the best, most eloquent or most riveting, but that dark wit gets me every time.
5. 1.16.11     Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris. Again, hoping for something Sookie Stackhouse-esque, but I was disappointed. The book was mediocre--the only thing that makes it memorable is the very frustrating way it wraps up. I HATE writers who do this and I think I may stay away from Harris for awhile. Very pissed about her cop-out ending.
6. 1.24.11     Portobello by Ruth Rendell. I didn't think I'd like this one, since it's more of a character study than a book that follows a simple plot. But I really, really enjoyed it. Best I've read so far this year, for sure. It's just kind of a look at a handful of people, how weird they are and how they're vaguely connected to one another. Doesn't sound interesting at all, does it? But it was. Give it a chance!
7. 2.5.11     Crooked Little Heart by Anne Lamott. My mother gave me this book, that she picked up at a used book sale. I didn't think I'd like it, but I did. It was about a mother and a daughter (and a handful of peripheral people) dealing with some stuff. The girl's a great tennis player and has this weird hobo-stalker guy following her around and creeping her (and her folks) out. The only thing that bothered me is that it is so--clearly--a hippie's daydream in terms of how people talk to/relate to one another. Everyone was always wanting to go for long walks and talk about deep issues using flowery prose--that really made me want to gag. People just aren't like that. Maybe a few people are like that, but to write EVERYBODY in this community like that was a HUGE (and obnoxious) reach.
8. 2.7.11     The Ruins by Scott Smith. This was a great horror novel, breezed through it in just over 24 hours. Not great literature, for sure, but it was a page-turner. Every now and then we all need a good, mindless page-turner, right?
9. 2.13.11    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.  Read this aloud to the kids. Bugger's too young, but she liked falling asleep to the sound of my voice, so she'd ask for it when she got tired. Monkey got really, really into it and by the end we had a marathon reading-night (nearly 3 hours) 'cause she wouldn't let me put it down in all the excitement. I don't plan on advancing in the series for a couple of years, 'cause they get kind of scary and violent (and my monkey's kind of sensitive), but the first book is comparatively mild (I read 'em all--to myself--when they came out, years ago). Loved reading it to my girls.

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Display in Play Area

I needed something to fill a wall in the half of my living room that's our designated "play area." I really wanted to display photos and my kids' artwork in a tasteful kind of way, that didn't involved putting tons of holes in the wall (since this is a rental house)!

I had thought about buying a pegboard to hang items on, but felt that pegboard is more conducive to holding chunky items instead of small pieces of paper--drawings & photos.

I had thought about putting up a bulletin board, but thought that had more of a "college dorm" feel, which I don't oppose, but it's not what I'm looking for in the main living space of my house. Plus pointy tacks and playrooms don't mix well.

In our old home, I had an official toy room. To display the kids' artwork in there I simply strung a piece of twine along one wall, tied to some simple wood screws up high on the wall. Very simple, kind of folksy and "clean" feeling.  I decided I wanted the same thing here, but I didn't have a long(ish) wall to string a line along--everything in the room is broken up by doorways or windows.

So I created the below display. I had to buy the wood--although most people probably have stuff like this laying around their garage/basement (cost me about $6), but everything else I already had on-hand: white paint, eye screws, twine and clothespins.  Easy-peasy and a GREAT focal point for the play-area. What do you think? It's got a pottery-barn look at a dumpster-diving price.

This'll make a great (and easily-changeable) holiday display, too. Think: holiday cards! 

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A Few of My Favorite Things

I'm not a big fan of clutter. I try to keep my nick-knack collection to a bare minimum. But I do have a few awesome pieces that make me smile. Today was a nice day, so I took some photos of the weird things I like. Here are a couple of 'em.

This is the gnome that lives in the tree in our backyard. Actually, the gnome usually sits on my kitchen windowsill, keeping me company while I do the dishes. However, every now and then he likes to sit, brooding, by his own front door. . . .

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And this is my tiny hutch (garage sale find), where I keep all kinds of very tiny, important things. Like lost monopoly game pieces ('cause they're about all that'll fit into those drawers). The hutch usually sits on my mantel where my itty-bitty giraffe print can keep watch over our daily activities. He's the only peeping tom that makes me smile.

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