While I was pregnant with Ben, I took my old copy of the book for my baby.  And when he was finally at the age where he would listen to the story without trying to eat the pages, I would attempt to recreate the magic my father produced for me.  However, I’m pretty sure I never got it just right.

So when earlier this year I saw they were making the movie, at first I was scared.  How could they replicate this fantastic world?  Would they destroy it?  Ruin it forever?  But as I began to see the trailers I was mesmerized.  It was as if the book came to life.  I wasn’t only one that was shocked and in heaven by these trailers, Ben also couldn’t get enough.  We promised we would see this movie the day it came out.

To be honest I had sort of forgotten that the release date was upon us when my mom called me at work last Thursday and said, “Tomorrow let’s all go to see ‘Where The Wild Things Are’.  Even Dad wants to go!”  So that is how my parents, Ben and I all went together to see this wonderful movie on it’s opening day.

It sounds magical right?  Idyllic in fact.  Yeah, except it wasn’t.  This movie was a great disappointment.  Don’t get me wrong, the costumes were amazing, James Gandolfini was perfect and so was Max.  However, unlike the book, which had what I think is a positive message, this movie was so depressing!  I understand that they needed to expand the story from this 48 page book into a 99 minute movie but why move so far away from the overall message?

I’m being sort of cryptic because I hate movie reviews that give away the whole movie.  I’ll simply say there was such an odd dark, almost bitter feeling about it and there were some parts and even characters that made no sense.  I’m very surprised that the author, Maurice Sendak, not only approved of the movie but has told concerned parents to “to go to hell”.

Perhaps that’s how he intended the book to be too and I’m just a Pollyanna who saw it as upbeat.

Regardless, all four of us left the theater feeling disappointed and Ben even scared.  I definitely would not suggest bringing children younger than 10 to this movie.

So am I in the minority?  Did you see it?  Did you bring your kids? And if so, what did you (they) think?

Due to the sucky-ness that has been the month of April, I decided to present to you with three things I could have done without, I didn’t care of and that down right sucked.  

1) Recently I ran out of my favorite mascara so I hightailed it to Target to replenish my supply. Only to find, to my great horror, they no longer carry it!
So instead I got what I thought would be a comparable second since Loreal makes this one as well.  Not to mention it claimed to lengthen my little lashes to 80% of their normal length. WHOA!  Sign me up!  

Little did I know, it isn’t really Loreal who makes this product.  It’s the Devil.  Yes folks, Satan himself is now getting into cosmetics.

Behold!  The hell that is this mascara (pun intended):

I’m fairly certain it’s no coincidence that it’s packaging is RED!  For once I applied Lucifer’s black goo upon my innocent eyelashes almost immdediately my eyes started to sting. 

“Hmm,” I thought, “perhaps I got a little in my eye.  No worries.  I’ll continue.” 

As I foolishly went forth, the mascara not only smudged all over my eyelid but due to the inferno going on in my eye ball, they were so watery I could barely see.  The last time this much water came out of my eyes was during a recent episode of Grey’s.  Because I’m an idiot who thought this would pass and that somehow after 23 years of applying mascara I had forgotten the process, this pain was all my fault.  Finally somewhere around mid-day I was able to see again. 

Later on that night, barely getting through the day with my near blind status, I went to wash my face.  I should have known the evilness that is this make-up wouldn’t give up that easy.  It refused to come off! Instead of leaving my lashes like any other sane mascara, this crap came off in clumps, which were close to the consistency of rubber.  I checked the Tube From Hell to make sure I didn’t mistakenly get waterproof and nope, that’s just the gem that is called “Double Extend”.  

Let’s recap shall we?  It burns the eyes, smudges to the eyebrow and back and then to add insult to injury, won’t come off.   So unless you are auditioning for a a lead role as a tearful Tammy Faye Baker, I suggest staying far far away from this wonder.

2) For my birthday, Aveda sent me a postcard announcing that I could come in, pick out my favorite scent and have it added to either have a shampoo, lotion or small spray.  What girl doesn’t love a free gift? (ok so this doesn’t fall into the “wasting my money” catagory) So with all the hope and joy of a puppy I bounded into Aveda and was eager to get some lotion since I was also out of that. (clearly I need to work on this “running out of stuff” stint I’m on.)  I smelled many a different scent and finally settled on one that was very nice. 

The next morning I was excited to use my new lovely scented lotion.

I put the normal amount in my hand and proceed to rub it on my skin.  And I rubbed.  And I rubbed.  And I rubbed.  Twenty minutes of rubbing with now sore arms and very late for work, I gave up.  WHY WOULDN’T THIS SINK INTO MY SKIN?!?!  Last I checked I wasn’t made of some synthetic material.   I decided to just get dressed and let the lotion work it’s way into my skin on it’s own.  

Fast forward a couple hours…  I’m sitting at my desk at work and scratch my arm.  And then scratch it again.  Huh.  Wow, this really itches.  Ow, now it burns.  I pull up my sleeve to find my whole arm is broken out in hives.  For fun I rolled up my other sleeve to find that arm too was covered in nice red welts.  I have been known to have sensitive skin but I have never broken out from a lotion.  Especially one that I didn’t buy from a flee market in Tijuana. 

Now I’m all about a free gift, but I rather it doesn’t take an hour to apply and subsequently give me hives.   Clearly, not a fan.  But nice try Aveda.

3) You all know by now I love to read.  Obsessively so.  One of my guilty pleasures is reading the memoirs of the rich and famous.  Were you a celebrity? Were you found walking the streets of Hollywood in just your bra?  Did you sleep with your cousin while putting your entire paycheck up your nose?  PLEASE TELL ME YOU WROTE A BOOK!  

Granted more times than not, these books are not well written.  That’s fine.  I get that.  You’re a celebrity… you can’t be expected to be able to write too. But surprisingly some are actually very entertaining and almost good.  Goldie Hawn’s book?  Good!  Tatum O’Neal’s memoir?  Very interesting.  Sadly even Tori Spelling’s ridiculousness seemed like Chaucer compared to this complete nightmare of a book.

Carrie Fisher.  Carrie FISHER!  What happened to you, Honey?  You were Princess Leia for Christ sake!  You wrote Postcards from The Edge.  You have talent!  So what the hell was this?  I realize you had electric shock therapy recently but not even THAT is a good excuse for this thing called a book.   Ben could have written something infinitely better.  And not even a piece that was plagiarized.  

I should really sue Fisher for Botox injections since the entire time I read this book my eyebrows were furrowed in a “WHAT THE F***IS THIS!” expression.  Seriously, on one page I counted, 6 out of the 7 paragraphs started with “Anyway”.  The other one?  That started with “Well.” 

The book made no sense.  There was no rhyme or reason to it.  The chapters didn’t flow in regard to subject, timeline, nothing!  I did read the whole thing because not only was it like watching a train wreck, I had a glimmer of hope that Carrie would finally say, ”JUST KIDDING!” and it would end really well.   She is a comedian after all.  Sadly, that never happened. 
I searched every page hoping to find the whack job that edited this catastrophe, only to find nothing.  I don’t know how this even got published other than perhaps Princess Leia used The Force.  Although this ended up on the Dark Side.  Help her Obi Wan, you’re her only hope!

*****
So there you have it, Internet.  Don’t say I never did anything for ya.  Let my misfortunes be your guidance.  Oh and for the record, I checked out “Wishful Drinking” (GAH!) from the library so techincally I only wasted money on the mascara.  But isn’t my time worth MORE than money? 
Yeah, don’t answer that.

Unlike Oprah, I won’t be mailing all of these treasures to your home.  Sorry, that’s not in the budget.  And also, unlike my girl O, all these treasures are under $20!  So take that O.  I got the cheap ladies version of fabulous things.

The first is M.A.C’s new Pro Longwear Lustre Lipcolour.   Shelly is the one that got me started on this.  She bought it months before me and I would always say, “Are you wearing that Will Never Leave Your Lips MAC lipstick?” 
“Yep!  Put it on hours ago.” 
Brat!  
Because her lips always looked fantastic (yes, I check out my friends lips.  You have a problem with that?)  I couldn’t stand the jealously anymore and finally broke down and got myself some.

Sweet Baby Jesus this stuff rocks.  It’s so pretty with the gloss and the color truly does not move.  I wore it all New Year’s and never had to reapply the color just the gloss.   Which I did in earnest, especially as the night went on. 

My next most favorite thing is the Caress Exfoliating Beauty Bar, Tahitian Renewal. 

I hope my fellow Eskimo’s are reading this because for that awful dry winter skin, this soap can’t be beat.  Not only is the smell amazing (because who doesn’t need some tropics your January shower?) but the exfoliating is ridiculous.  I finally have human skin again.   I am no longer going to get mistaken for a snake.

And finally, if you need a good escape and a great laugh, either buy or better yet check this book out from the library.

Chelsea Handler is one of the funniest women out there and this book doesn’t disappoint.   Is book great writing?  Not really.  Is it ridiculous funny?  Hell! YES! 

Even though I consider myself a fairly humous person who also enjoys a good joke and a funny story, I rarely laugh out loud when watching movies or reading books.  Unless of course my wirey 8 year old buddy is sitting next to me and he’s laughing.  Then all bets are off.

But with this book I found myself laughing out loud.  To myself!  A lot!  Especially at the last chapter.  Folks, that just doesn’t happen.  This book is that funny.

So there you go readers.  Until my next installment of My Favorite Things, go forth and purchase!  Stimulate this economy!

I hope President Obama wrote me into his new stimulus package.

Wordless CANNOTWAITFORTHISMOVIE Wednesday

Since I have no time for anything else in my life, this blog included, I have a guest blogger today! 

See that cute “Barefoot Books” ad below?  See?  Down there?
Yeah that one. 
Well my dear, life long friend Leo (really we have been friends since FIRST grade) is a part of Barefoot Books.  Since I also love this company, I was happy to host a banner for her.

As Leo writes:

Barefoot Books is a small, women-owned, independent publisher that creates award-winning children’s books. Barefoot is committed to enhancing multicultural understanding, supporting global conservation, and promoting the benefits of childhood literacy.

I run a small home based business as an independent consultant for Barefoot, while raising 3 young boys. As a Barefoot Books Stallholder, I provided a traveling bookstore (home, school, and community), and an online store for shopping or fundraising.  I run a wide range of events including school book fairs, story-time/play-dates, festivals, markets, vendor fairs, expos and home parties. I also have earned the status of Team Coordinator, coaching a national team of Stallholders with their Barefoot Books careers.

At Barefoot Books, we celebrate art and story that opens the hearts and minds of children from all walks of life, inspiring them to read deeper, search further, and explore their own creative gifts. Taking our inspiration from many different cultures, we focus on themes that encourage independence of spirit, enthusiasm for learning, and sharing of the world’s diversity. Interactive, playful and beautiful, our products combine the best of the present with the best of the past to educate our children as the caretakers of tomorrow.

Huh?  I’m back on?  Shoot!  OK, just one sec… almost done with this chapter….

OK!  I’m back!   So yeah, there you have it.  Take a look at her website, buy some books for your kids, or friends and um…. ah…..

Whoa!  Sorry!  God THIS BOOK!  I’m telling you! It’s THAT good.  

So yeah.  Go Books!  And Go Barefoot Books!  and rock on!

But that was then.  This is now.  It seems dear Internet, that Shelly, my dear friend, and I… well we are addicted.  Addicted to… you might want to sit down for this.  We are… oh god this is so hard to say.   Let me try it this way…

“Hi.  I’m Becky.  And I’m addicted to reading!” 
“Hi Becky!”

It started with just a book here and there.  “Hey, Shelly.  Read this.  It’s really good.”  And then she would say, “Hey, I just finished this… you should read it.”

In the beginning it was fine.  A book a month or so.  And then we got into some Teen Sci Fi trilogies and that’s where the spiral into addiction started with a fevered pace.  You see, when those were done, panic set in.  “WHAT WILL WE READ NEXT!??” 

If that wasn’t bad enough, we then discovered the one thing that will render a reading addict useless.  Our kryptonite.  Our crutch.  Also known as… The Library.  And not only just the library my friends, but also the most evil thing.  Their website.  If you are weak, and don’t have much willpower, please don’t try it without a trained professional.   It is like crack for the literary nerd.  
Since it’s 2008, all that separates you and the book you want is just a click of the mouse.  And In 3 days (OR LESS!) you get an email that your book is in.   This all sounds fine and dandy until you hit bottom.   Rock bottom in the library sense is bad.  It’s ugly. It is what keeps Shelly and I up at night in a cold sweat.  We like to call it, BOOK STRESS!

If you think that you or a loved one is suffering from Book Stress please look for the following signs.  It is similar to Netflix Stress but much more serious.

Do you wake up in the middle of the night with your heart racing wondering when your book is due?  Is it on the “Too Good To Miss list” and therefore, NOT RENEWABLE!?  Do you find that the dust bunnies are taking over your house and that your laundry pile is now a jungle gym for the neighborhood kids?  Do you bring a book with you every where you go because there might be a minute of time that you could get a few pages in?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please know you are suffering but not alone.  During such Book Stress, things are known to fall apart.  Laundry is not done.  Children go without food.  WHO HAS TIME TO GROCERY SHOP AND COOK WHEN YOU COULD BE READING?!  Boyfriends are ignored.  At work, we long to be home… reading.

When things get this bad, try to get away from the books and go out to have a good time.  Like these two. 

See?  Look at the good time they are having out on the town.

(This guy’s name was Justin and HE WAS A PLUMBER!  So of course I had to get a picture with my new friend Justin The Plumber!)

But wait?!?  What’s this! 

Oh no!  It can’t be!  Is that a BOOK EXCHANGE IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE BAR!?

So instead of having a nice night out, LEAVING THE BOOKS AT HOME, they turned this outing into a rouse!  An excuse to exchange more of their drug of choice.

Apparently this has gotten to the point where an intervention is necessary. 

Which I will get to as soon as I’m done with this chapter….

And not that I want to drag any of you into enabling this addiction but if you have some good book choices, please, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY AND GOOD IN THIS WORLD, ah yeah, just let me know.