Country Strong

  To be honest, I wasn't sure how this was going to be.  It didn't do to well in theaters & there wasn't a lot of talk about it but I decided to get it from the library.  Surprise, surprise I actually really enjoyed it.  It wasn't the greatest thing I've ever seen & it had its flaws but overall it was pretty decent.  The best part of it for me was the music though.  It had a really great soundtrack & all the stars in it did their own singing.  Gwyneth Paltrow plays a famous country singer just getting out of rehab & heading back out on tour with her husband, played by Tim McGraw.  His performance was ok, nothing worth writing home about & Gwyneth Paltrow was decent but her character became pretty annoying pretty quick & it made her unlikeable.
   In my opinion, this movie was carried by what seemed to be the supporting characters played by Garrett Hedlund & Leighton Meester who also go on tour with Paltrow.  The way their roles played out they almost seemed to be the main stars rather than Gwyneth Paltow as it was advertised.  Like I said, the music was probably the best part of the movie.  Garrett Hedlund had a lot of good songs that he sang himself & same with Leighton Meester & the best part about that was that I didn't know either of them could sing so that was a nice surprise.  They also did a duet on a song called "Give in to Me" & I LOVED that song & immediately went & bought it on itunes.  I especially loved the chemistry between these two & like I said, they really carried the movie & I wish they would have gotten more attention for their roles rather than just put all of it on Gwyneth.
   The ending of the movie did not play out at all how I expected & that was a bit of a bummer so if you plan on seeing it just prepare yourself for somewhat of a surprise ending.  All in all, I would suggest it, if not for the movie then for the music!

PS:  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!  HOPE IT'S FABULOUS & BRINGS YOU LOTS OF LUCK, LOVE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS!!

XO, Lauren

Love & Other Drugs

  I just got done watching the movie Love & Other Drugs that came out this year I think & starred Anne Hathaway & Jake Gyllenhaal.  I wasn't really sure what to expect from this, I think I thought it was going to be a cute romantic comedy but it was a lot more than that.  It was more of a romantic drama actually & there was much more substance to it than I thought there would be.
  Basically the movie is about Jake Gyllenhaal's character of Jamie who becomes a pharmaceutical rep & meets Anne Hathaway's character of Maggie who has been recently diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease.  The disease plays a main role in the movie & that is part of what makes it more substantial then your average rom-com.  You really follow these characters (especially Jake's) & the journey they make through the movie which makes it extra interesting.  It was breath of fresh air to see Jake's character really turn around in the movie also.  He starts off as a womanizer but becomes such an incredibly caring, romantic individual that you really root for him.  He is the kind of man every woman would want  & it's wonderful to see him stand by Anne's character through all her ups & downs even though she doesn't want someone supporting or helping her.  She is mad because she is sick but has learned to live with it but because of that she tends to push people away but he won't let her.
  I would definitely recommend this movie-it's a must see!  You may want to have a couple kleenex nearby just in case the sniffles start.

No Strings Attached

So I don't know what my deal is lately but I have just not really been impressed with anything I've seen recently (other than New Years Eve).  No Strings Attached was no exception.  I watched this last night & really wasn't that impressed.  It was cute & somewhat funny but I'm someone who doesn't really laugh at 50000 different sex jokes.  A couple?  Fine.  But every other word about sex just gets to be a little much, it makes it seem like you couldn't really think of a story so you just throw in a bunch of sex talk/jokes.  I've never been a huge fan of Natalie Portman & I don't think she really fit in this role.  She just doesn't come off as a friends with benefits type & she really wasn't all that funny in this.  Ashton Kutcher on the hand?  I really liked him in this.  He was cute, funny & a tad neurotic & he seemed pretty perfect for the part.  The big problem however was that it didn't seem like there was much chemistry between the two of them.  But maybe that's just me.  Another disappointment?  Cary Elwes.     I think he was the third name listed in the credits at the beginning so I thought he was going to have a pretty big part.  Well, I was wrong.  He played a doctor that worked with Natalie Portman's character & he had maybe 5 lines.  That was quite the bummer.  I really like him & was really hoping to see more of him since that's what it seemed from the credits but not so much.  All in all, I guess I would recommend it.  Actually, on second thought, I seriously don't know.  It was fine but nothing to write home about it.

New Years Eve

New Years Eve (2011)
   So I got to see this movie the other day for free which is the best way to see a movie.  My mom got free tickets from work plus a free popcorn & pop which for me is a treat because I never get anything at the movies!  Now I know a lot of people have been saying that this is a really bad movie & it only got 1 star & a pretty bad overall rating on imdb.com but I actually really liked it.  No, it's not a movie that is going to win an Oscar for best picture & noone said that it would & yes it has a lot of celebrities in it but that's kind of the point.  People need to just take it for what it is.  A fun, cute, entertaining movie.  No, it was not the best thing I have ever seen but it in no way  was the worst.  I enjoyed the movie Valentines Day & this is the same kind of thing except on New Years Eve.  It's made up of a lot of small stories & they all go together somehow or another at the end.  I enjoyed all the little stories & I enjoyed all of the celebrities in it, I thought they all did pretty well.  I especially liked the story between Zac Efron & Michelle Pfeiffer.  And also, um when did Zac Efron get so hot?  Wowza!  Also Jon Bon Jovi-HELLO!  And getting to hear Lea Michelle sing Auld Lang Syne was pretty amazing.  So if you like cute, fun, romantic movies then I would highly recommend this.  If you are looking for a crazy thought provoking movie, or insane car chases, etc then I would say this is probably not for you.  You just have to be able to take it for what it is.  If your expectations are ridiculously high then don't waste your money but if you like to laugh & look at hot guys (or pretty girls-yes there is eye candy for you men), then go see it!

La la la la la

I have been crazy busy studying for finals this week & last & on top of that I broke out in shingles so needless to say, I haven't had much time to watch anything but here are a couple reviews:

Gossip Girl (Season 5)

So this season has been pretty damn good & this weeks midseason finale episode was great.  As most of you know Blair is engaged to Prince Louis & pregnant with his child (we think) but their future isn't looking to hot.  The end of the episode had Blair running away with Chuck (yay!) while being pursued by paparazzi.  The paparazzi caused their limo to get in an accident & ended with them in the hospital.  Now personally, I don't think the accident seemed that bad but whatever.  Everyone was told that Blair would be ok but that it wasn't looking good for Chuck.  I think it was last season that ended with Chuck getting shot, hasn't the poor guy been through enough??  The show doesn't come back until January so we will just have to wait and see what happens!!
PS:  Is it just me or was everyone else holding out hope that maybe Blair and Dan would end up together??  Maybe it's still possible.

You Again

I got this from the library the other day thinking it would be pretty hysterical considering the talent in it (Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, & the oh so fabulous Betty White) but it was quite the let down.  There were a few funny parts but overall it was pretty lackluster.  Plus, Betty White wasn't even in it that much so that kind of sucked.  And the character that Odette Yustman played was so freaking annoying but then again, Kristen Bell's character was kind of annoying too.  All in all, I would suggest to pass on this one.

New In Town

To be honest I'm probably not even qualified to review this because I turned it off after about 20 minutes.  Yes, it was that bad.  I'm not a fan of Renee Zellweger & she was not good in this movie.  I know it was supposed to be a comedy but I didn't last once.  There were scenes where you could tell that line was supposed to get a laugh but sorry, no such luck.  Definitely pass on this one!  But hey, maybe you could finish it & really like it.  Like I said, I may not be qualified to review this one.

Right at Your Door (2007)

I had never heard of this movie until about two days ago when I noticed it was on TV.  I thought it sounded like it might be interesting so I set my DVR & when I got home from finishing my last exam today I thought I'd give it a try.  It's basically about these bombs that go off in LA & a husband & wife are separated by it.  He thinks she's dead so he boards up the house like the news says to do & then she comes home.  But because she's contaminated by the stuff in the bombs she can't come in the house.  So basically the movie is two hours of this husband & wife communicating through a window & plastic.  This movie was alright, not amazing but a heck of a lot better than You Again.  If you're into the sci-fi kind of stuff then I would suggest this.

Last Man Standing

Ok so I love Tim Allen & was super excited to find out he was returning to TV.  His new show Last Man Standing is pretty funny, not nearly as funny as Home Improvement, but really what is?  This time around he is a father of three girls, one which has a baby of her own & they all live together.  His wife is played by Nancy Travis who I really enjoy & she is pretty good as his wife but I just don't quite feel the dynamic between these two as he & the one who played his wife on Home Improvement but that could be because the show is still new so give it time.  All in all, I would say if you haven't checked it out it's definitely worth your time.  It airs Tuesday nights at 8!

The Walking Dead midseason finale!! *Spoiler Alert

WOW!  WOW!  WOW!!

So The Walking Dead midseason finale was insane!  Laurie is pregnant & Shane finally found out & confronted her about it.  Let me tell you-that guy is one giant douchebag!  I didn't think he was quite that bad in the first season but this second season he is just nasty.  Plus he killed someone, so there's that.  I also am loving the relationship between Daryl & Sophia's mother, Carol.  I don't think it's going to be anything romantic but it's sort of a mother/son relationship & it's nice to see someone reaching out to Daryl like that.  He seems to be afraid of someone liking him though so that is kind of sad but also kind of sweet.

So the big reveal was what happened to Sophia.  Sophia went missing in the first episode of this season & the group has been looking for her ever since.  Daryl even got hurt while trying to look for her but did find her doll so it made it seem like she was going to be found & that she would be ok.  But at the end of the episode we finally found out.  The group has been staying at Hershel's farm & he has a barn that is filled with walkers & during one of Shanes crazy moments he opens the barn & lets the walkers out.  The group shoots & kills all of the walkers & then after a few seconds we see the back of one more walker coming out.  Well, dun, dun,dun...it's SOPHIA!!  She has been in the barn all along & is now a walker!  It was crazy, I literally threw my hands over my mouth, I just couldn't believe it.  Her poor mother was standing there watching her walk out along with the rest of the group & it was terrible to watch.  Daryl came to Carols comfort which I thought was incredibly sweet & unfortunately there is only one way to get rid of walkers & that is to shoot them in the head.  So after a little while of everyone watching Sophia, Rick finally stepped forward & shot her!  CRAZY!!

What really sucks is now the new episodes don't start until February.  How dare they!!!  How are we supposed to wait??

Also I DVR'd the new episode of The Talking Dead (the aftershow) afterwards because their guest was Daryl Dixon himself Norman Reedus.  Well it was supposed to be an hour long episode & for whatever reason my DVR decided to only tape a half hour so I missed 98% of the Norman Reedus interview!  Grrr....

Fast Five & Morning Glory

So here are two of the most recent movies that I've watched:

Morning Glory (2011)

Personally, I thought this was a waste of 2 hours.  I am a big fan of all the stars; Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton & the ever so dreamy Patrick Wilson but I just didn't get it.  There were a few funny parts but overall it was pretty boring.  The plot centers on Rachel McAdams character as a morning show producer who works with Ford & Keaton who play anchors.  Her love interest is played by Wilson who works in the same building a & that goes pretty much the way you'd think.  Sorry, but I wouldn't recommend this.

Fast Five (2011)

Now this I really enjoyed!  I have always been a fan of this franchise & have seen all of them except for the third one since none of the original people are in it.  I know these movies are really unrealistic but they are just so entertaining & I was really surprised that by the fifth one they still held on to that.  I've always been a big fan of Paul Walker & since these are pretty much the only movies he does anymore I guess that's where I have to get my fix!  But believe me, they are definitely worth it!  You should for sure check this one out, even if you haven't seen the others!!

Just some updates

Is it just me or is everyone rooting for Rob Kardashian to win Dancing With the Stars tonight??

I know a lot of people are rooting for JR Martinez & don't get me wrong, he is definitely good, but there is something about Rob that is just so charismatic.  He obviously doesn't have a dancing background or a performance background but he just seems like a natural & I really hope he wins.  I'm not seeing what all the fuss is about with Ricki Lake & I don't really think she is going to win but we shall see tonight!  Make sure you tune in!!

Another show that I am really into this season is Hart Of Dixie

It's one of the new shows this season & airs on The CW.  I'm telling you the CW has done a really good job this season of sucking me in.  I am a huge One Tree Hill fan & have never missed an episode & am also a big fan of Gossip Girl so I will always be tuning into the CW but they have brought me three new shows this season that I can't miss: Hart of Dixie, Ringer, & The Secret Circle (my new obsession ).

Hart of Dixie is a little cheesy but overall it's fun to watch.  I've never been a huge fan of Rachel Bilson but she fits this role pretty well.  She plays Zoe, a New York doctor who moves to Alabama to work for a family practice that belonged to her father whom she didn't know.  I actually enjoy the supporting characters better than the main character on this show.  Lavon is the Mayor of the town she moves to & also owns the house she is living in.  Wade is her neighbor who is a total studmuffin & not someone she would normally be interested in but you can tell that eventually they will get together.  And for the ladies out there I suggest you youtube the episodes where he has his shirt off-wow!  Jamie Kings character of Lemon is pretty annoying but I don't think Jamie King is all that great of an actress so that could be what led me to this opinion.  Also, who names their kid Lemon?  The character of George Tucker (Lemon's fiance) is very charming & very cute & seems to have a connection with Zoe but we will have to wait and see where that goes.  Also one of my favorite actors, Tim Matheson, is on this show.  He doesn't have a huge role, he plays the other doctor at the family practice where Zoe is working & he's not a very nice guy but I'm just glad to see him back on the screen again.

Well, The Walking Dead has still got me hooked this season.  I actually just finished rewatching the first season since I didn't care for it much the first time around & I liked it a lot better the second time.  I am loving the love triangle between Rick, Laurie, & Shance.  Although I think Shane is quite the douchebag.  Now Laurie is pregnant & though she tried to end that this week she ended up changing her mind but Rick found out about her trying to end it & she ended up telling him about her affair with Shane so who knows what that will bring.  Personally, I think Rick should kick Shanes ass.  I love that they have given Glenn a love interest this season, I think it's really cute since I love Glenn but I don't see it lasting.  Also poor Daryl.  My oh so favorite Norman Reedus played character Daryl was injured last week & then shot by Andrea because she is insane.  We didn't get to see much of him this week since he is still recovering so hopefully we will see more of him next week.  Next week is the last episode for this year however because it is the midseason finale so that sucks.  Everything starts at once & everything stops at once!  BOO!!

Well that's it for today, enjoy!

XO,
  Lauren

Bridesmaids-what a bust!

Last night I watched the movie Bridesmaids

Let me tell you one thing-I was not impressed.  I was also pretty disappointed.  I heard it was supposed to be one of the funniest things ever, funnier than The Hangover which meant I had even more hope for it because I didn't think The Hangover was funny at all.  There were a couple of funny spots but other than that I really didn't laugh at all.  I have seem a lot of things that are 100 times funnier than that.  I even thought some of the stuff was just plain stupid.  So needless to say, this movie was a bust.  I wouldn't recommend it but you may have a different sense of humor than me & think that it's the funniest thing you've ever seen so more power to you!

XO. L

Some new Fall shows

Some reviews of a few new Fall shows:

The Walking Dead (AMC)

Again something with one of my favorites Norman Reedus (as Daryl Dixon).  I didn't watch the first season but I rented it over the summer & watched it & couldn't really get into it.  But I started watching the second season from the beginning (premiered in October) & I am absolutely loving it this season!  I really have no clue why but I look forward to it every Sunday.  I have never been into the whole zombie craze, never really watched any movies & I don't think they're scary & I don't think The Walking Dead is very scary but there's just something about it this season.  From what I hear it got picked up for another season so it looks like I'm not the only one hooked this season.  Plus the Daryl Dixon character is very badass & very sexy!  Please tell me I'm not the only one :)

The Secret Circle, Ringer, American Horror Story

Ok so The Secret Circle (The CW) is my new obsession.  I love spooky kinds of stuff but have never been into much witchy stuff (other than The Craft) but something in this show has me totally hooked.  The story is intriguing & the actors on the show are very good, especially the one who plays Adam (the second picture), Thomas Dekker.  Very great performance plus the show just got picked up for another season so super stoked for that!

Ringer (The CW) is a slightly different story.  I like the show but I find it to be a little scatter brained.  The story is interesting but pretty confusing if you haven't watched it from the start.  I'm not a big fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar, I don't think she's that great of an actor but she's good for the role I suppose.  The show is about twins, one which dies & the other then takes her place & obvious issues ensue.  Like I said if you haven't watched it from the beginning you'll be pretty lost if you try to catch up now.

American Horror Story (FX) is very, very, very different.  Personally I don't think it's scary at all just very screwed up.  The plot is basically about a family who moves into "the murder house" after the husband has an affair.  I'm not sure if it's supposed to really be scary or what exactly they are going for but some of the storylines are just way out there.  All the actors do a very good job, especially Jessica Lange who plays the crazy neighbor.  I've never seen her in anything before but she is really great as the kooky character.  Plus Dylan Mcdermott is crazy hot!!

Xo, L

Movie Time!

So here are a few reviews from a couple movies I've seen recently:

Paradise Lost: (1996):
In case you don't know this is a documentary about the West Memphis Three murders from the early 90's.  Three teenage boys are charged with the murder of three little boys and are all sentenced to life, except for Damien Echols (the one in the middle) who gets the death penalty.  There was never really enough evidence to prove they committed the crime & over the summer they were let out after admitting to the crime in turn for their freedom.  I never really thought they did it (other evidence pointed to one of the boys stepfather) but I guess we'll probably never know.  But the documentary shows & details the trial of all three boys and interviews with them right after being charged.  It's very interesting to watch & I would recommend it if you're into crime tv & things like that.

Take Me Home Tonight (2011):
I am actually just finishing this, literally, right now!  I know it got some poor reviews but I didn't think it was that bad.  I am a big fan of 80's movies & this is a great throwback to those.  Topher Grace is great in the lead role of Matt & Dan Folger as his best friend is pretty hilarious.  The movie was a little slow moving but it had its moments & the music was great!  (I'm pretty sure I am the only person around who loves 80's music)!  If you like 80's movies/music then you should check it out!

The Conspirator (2011):

I really only rented this because I am a huge fan of Norman Reedus (above).  The movie is about the assasination of President Abraham Lincoln & those convicted of his assasination.  I wasn't really aware that a woman was convicted & actually put to death for allegedly being a part of the conspiracy to kill him.  Norman Reedus plays one of the men convicted of the conspiracy & I thought he was very good in it, though he didn't have much in the way of lines but that's neither here nor there.  Robin Wright played Mary Surratt the one woman convicted & she did a great job, it was a very emotional role & she played it spot on.  Evan Rachel Wood as her daughter was also excellent.  If you are into history or even if you aren't I would highly recommend this!

XO, Lauren

Today I get to hang out with my favorite little munchkin-my 2 year old niece Emelia!  I am babysitting her all day while her parents go to a wedding & we always have lots of fun together.  I am writing this while I am sitting because after 1/2 an hour of watching her-she passed out in her bean bag chair in front of the TV while eating Cheerios!

Love little kids :)

So the Tigers didn't fare as well as I was hoping so :( about that.  Was it just me or did Texas just end up being mean?  Anyway, had my Shakespeare class tonight & that was quite boring.  I was almost asleep before I had to leave so that didn't help.  Sometimes I really hate not having class until 5:30.  I was all settled in today lounging in my sweats working on homework & then I had to leave for class.  Ughh...

So on a reviewer note, I watched The Kennedys miniseries last week.  You know the one that noone wanted to air.  Well I couldn't quite figure out why, I didn't really learn anything that I didn't already know.  First thing-the movie was way to long but I guess that's the point of a miniseries.  Second of all, though I like Katie Holmes (she is from near my hometown), I didn't think she quite did Jackie O. justice.  I was a huge fan of Dawson's Creek but I just never thought her acting was all that great.  This movie was no exception.  She just always seems like she is scared of something.  Barry Pepper (Robert Kennedy) on the other hand was amazing!  I have always enjoyed his performances & he did not disappoint.  Greg Kinnear was also very good as the lead role of JFK.  Crazy, he looked just like him, especially from the side.  The part that interested me the most was the relationship between Jackie & Bobby.  The movie portrayed their relationship as almost romantic which really intrigued me.  It intrigued me so much that I got the book "Bobby & Jackie: A Love Story" from the library.  Haven't started it yet but I can't wait!

I have watched every game so far & I just wanted to say:
                                     GOOD LUCK DETROIT TIGERS!!!  Bring it home!!!

                                                              Currently reading:

                                     Quite the selection I know.  Shakespeare is strictly for my Shakespeare
                               class.  You always have to have a good romance novel nearby & the Pride &
                                Prejudice & Zombies?  Well, I love Pride & Prejudice so why not throw
                                                            in zombies for good measure?

  xo
Lauren

Ok so I have quickly become addicted to one of the news shows of the season.  It's called The Secret Circle & it's on the CW on Thursday nights @ 9.

  If you haven't seen it you should definitely check it out.  I wasn't sure if I would like it at first because it's about a group of witches & I'm usually not into that kind of stuff.  Don't get me wrong-I loooove Horror movies but I usually stray away from witch themed ones (except for The Craft which I love) & I still can not get into the whole vampire thing, I have yet to allow myself to see any of the Twilight movies.  But I don't know this show just captivated me from the first night & I find myself excited for Thursdays.  Am I lame?  Maybe.  But I don't really care-I freaking love this show.  I highly, highly recommend it!

PS:  The guy who plays Adam...what a stud ;)

Enjoy!

                                                             Xo
                                                         Lauren

        Here are some of my Fall must haves:

I MUST have my Uggs for when the weather gets cool, that is my complete & utter must have.  Also I love, love, love chunky sweaters for Fall, in fact I just picked up the one in the picture.  I also love to carry around a great tote, something cute & functional that I can carry a book or a drink or whatever else may suit my fancy in.  I just picked up this adorable new Vera Bradley one & I am in love.  Last but not least is chili.  And not just any chili, oh no, it has to be Cincinnati chili (my grandmas recipe).  This actually isn't a Fall must have because I eat it all year round but chili is just so good when the weather cools off isn't it?

So I discovered these candles this season & let me tell you-I am officially addicted.  They are from Bath & Body Works & they had a new candle line that was called Bakery Shop I think & they are the most amazing smelling candles ever.  I am not joking.  You should run to Bath & Body right now & scoop up a whole bunch of the little ones.  that's what I buy-you get 3 for $5 & they last a really long time & that is dirt cheapt when you want to buy 500 of them!  So run, hurry, before they are all gone!  But even if they are all gone, the knew Winter/Christmas scented ones are pretty amazing too!

XO

Lauren

Ah, Fall

                                                  You make me fall more in love with you ever year.

                                                                   My baby Ellie!

                                          Went for a walk tonight & took my camera just
                                                        so I could take some tree pictures!

Fall is upon us

 Well, my absolute favorite time of the year is upon us-Fall. I love everything about it, some of which include:

• Halloween


• Chilly Nights
• Oversized sweaters
• Uggs
• Pumpkins
• The changing of the colors
• Pumpkin pie/pumpkin ice cream


• Hot chocolate
• Corn mazes


• Falling leaves

So it's easy to see, I love pretty much everything about Fall. Also can I say how much I love that my school now serves Starbucks! I love that I can make a quick pit stop before class, it makes it a little more bearable.

I love to read. I especially love reading during the Fall season, snuggling up with a good book while watching the beautiful colored leaves falling from the trees. But over the summer I read the book Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares. It's the final book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and it was seriously amazing. I have read all of the other ones so that could be why I loved it so much but I think you would really enjoy it even if you haven't read the other ones, but I could be wrong.

PS: Can anyone tell me why I can't get my pictures to post. And if they do post I can only get them to post at the top & it drives me nuts. Any suggestions?