Happy Monday! I know its been a while, but I thought I was hop back into blogging with a post I have been looking forward to writing for SO long. The Oscars is my favorite award show and I look forward to it every year. I love the discussion of movies for the few weeks that leads up to the show and then the glitz and glamour the day of the show. It would be my dream to have my hair and makeup done, and get into a gorgeous gown to walk down that carpet. Although knowing me, I would definitely stumble and fall...but at least I would have something in common with Jennifer Lawrence. Since being away and work has consumed my life lately (not complaining, just busy!), I wasn't able to get around to watching three out of the eight movies nominated for best picture (Spotlight, Room, and Bridge of Spies). Aside from that, I am super excited to talk about my favorite and not so favorite moments of the show and, of course, the dresses!

Best Dressed

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

// Jennifer Garner looks like royalty in her gown. Seriously a force to be reckoned with (especially after her latest interview with Vanity Fair!)
// Naomi Watts' style never fails to disappoint. I thought this was such a fun choice for her!
(Also no matter how many times I switch the code around, I cannot get the top right picture to not be spaced away so I am just going to accept that my blog has a mind of its own)
// With Brie Larson being the front runner (and eventual winner!) for Best Actress, I figure her gown would be a good one! It did not disappoint. Especially loved the combo of the fuchsia lip with the blue dress.
// My favorite would definitely have to be Saoirse Ronan's slinky green gown. Also I loved how casually she wore her hair...seems to be gorgeously windblown!

Not So Best Dressed:

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

// Come on Kate Winslet! She is usually so on point with her style but I felt like this was an odd choice. It was just so boring!
// I was super curious to see what what Lady Gaga would present to the red carpet wearing and I was just plain confused when I saw what it was. I like the structure of the top, but felt like there was just too much going on with the bottom half. I know this will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I was in love with her Emmy 2015 look, so I guess I was expecting something totally different last night.

Favorite Moments:

~ Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe's presenting bit for Best Adapted Screenplay. Did anyone see them being interviewed during the pre-show by Michael Strahan? He did not know how to handle them!
~ Jenny Beavan's (Mad Max's costume designer) outfit...she had a big sequin skull on the back of her jacket! I am guessing it was representative of Mad Max, but I just thought it was too funny and so bold.
~ Tina Fey and Steve Carrell presenting together...would love to see them host together!
~ Mad Max: Fury Road winning so many awards. Like I said in my post mentioning it a few weeks ago, it was such a cool/arty film to watch. So much better than I had anticipated!
~ I loved the segment with Andy Serkis and visual effects... I didn't realized that movies with characters like apes and other creatures were made using actual actors and their facial movements.
~ R2-D2, C3PO and BB8 all appearing on stage together!
~ The acceptance speech from the writers of Inside Out, "You can make stuff. Make films. Draw. Write. It will make a world of a difference!"
~ Lady Gaga's performance...her voice is incredible.
~ Alejandro Iñárritu ignoring the musical shoo off the stage.
~ Jacob Tremblay's excitement after Brie Larson won Best Actress...he is so stinkin' cute!
~ I feel obliged to put Leo winning Best Actor. Not that I think he doesn't deserve an award for all he has contributed to in Hollywood, but I just was so not wowed by his performance in The Revenant. There's a scene where was he is dragging himself along in agony, and I know this was suppose to be a major acting moment for him...but I was just thinking "haven't we seen this before in Wolf of Wall Street?!" I really thought he should have won two years ago for WOWS, but competition was so stiff that year with 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, and Gravity. Oh well.

Not So Favorite Moments:

~ That damn instrumental music that chases people off the stage. I cringe watching winners look so sad as the are shooed through their acceptance speeches. Just let them thank who they please!
~ The "(fill in winner here) would like to thank" banner going across the bottom of the screen (seems dumb IMO).
~ Sarah Silverman's bit was just a bit painful for me. I know its part of her whole brand to be awkward but it just didn't translate well last night.
~ I think everyone was confused when Stacey Dash came on stage...I had to look up the explanation behind that.
~ Eh, not a big fan of the minions presenting...
~ Tom Hardy not winning for Best Supporting Actor in The Revenant. His character had so much depth and I was really captivated by his performance!

Best Picture: Spotlight
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Best Actress: Brie Larson (Room)
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vykander (The Danish Girl)
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu (The Revenant)

Overall I felt like this year's Oscars was kind of boring. Yes Leo finally won, but I am totally counting this as a "career" Oscar for him...not so much one for The Revenant specifically. I was happy that Spotlight won (even though I hadn't seen it) but with a cast like that, how could it not be a winner? After seeing so many clips of the movies throughout the show, I still think I will watch Spotlight and Room, but don't think Bridge of Spies is really high on my list to watch. Also, The Danish Girl and Carol are two that I am putting on my list. As far as hosting goes, I think Chris Rock did a great job and I am curious to see the reviews of his performance today. There was so much controversy about the show this year, and I think he was able to acknowledge it well. Hopefully there will be changes in the future to how movies are cast and thus leading to more diverse nominees.

What did you think of the Oscars this year? I would love to know your opinions!

2016 Academy Awards Best Picture Nominee Reviews: Part 1

"My name is Meghan and I like movies" said me, on the first day of lacrosse practice in sixth grade. We had to go around and say our first name and something that we liked that started with the first letter of our first name. Naturally, I thought movies and my friends have laughed about it ever since. But it's true! I remember being in kindergarten and loved going to Blockbuster every Friday to pick out a movie with my mom. Growing up I used to ask for DVD's as presents because I loved being able to watch my favorite movies over and over again. Like with reading, I just loved being immersed into stories and their characters. Because of my love of movies (and of celebrities and of glamorous dresses) I grew to love watching the Academy Awards too. Most years I have seen just some of the movies that are up for best picture or have a star nominated for best actor or actress. This year, however, I plan to watch all of the best picture nominees and this weekend, I was able to cross three off of the list. Let's talk about them!

I just want to say that I hate surprise spoilers and I just want to tell you that you will not be reading any major plot spoilers here. As fas as plot summaries go, there are vague ones that give away less than what you would get in a movie trailer! 

The Big Short //

I literally had no clue what this movie was about when I hit play in the beginning. All I knew was that it had been nominated for a ton of awards and that Steve Carell was in it, so I figured there would be a pretty good chance I would enjoy it. It was ultimately about a few random groups of people who had predicted the 2008 financial crisis. What I liked most about this movie was how it simplified what actually happened that allowed the crisis to occur. I'm sure that what actually happened is so much more complicated than the movie made it seem (at least I hope anyway) but it helped me to understand something that I, honestly, didn't think I had interest in understanding before. I know that watching a movie about the banking industry doesn't sound promising, but I can assure you that it is eye opening and completely entertaining at the same time. If that doesn't catch you, then I'll tell you that Ryan Gosling is in it, and maybe that will?

Mad Max: Fury Road //
Unlike The Big Short, I knew what Mad Max was about before watching it and I was NOT interested whatsoever. If it wasn't for telling myself that I would watch all of the best picture nominees, then I would have never in a million years picked this movie for myself to watch. Post apocalyptic action movies are just not my thing. After I got the eye-rolls out of my system and saying "I just can't believe a movie with this sort of plot would even be considered for a best picture" about a hundred times, I attempted to put my attitude aside and start the movie with an open mind. Although I'm stubborn and don't like to admit when I am wrong, I am surprisingly pleased to tell you that this was actually an interesting movie. Yes, there is a lot of action and fighting and driving scenes, but the whole movie in general felt more like an arthouse film, rather than a generic "I'm only here to please audiences and make millions" action flick. So if you ever get suckered into watching it, know that its not bad and you might surprisingly enjoy it! 

Brooklyn //
I don't even know where to start with this movie. I just loved it so much and I don't know how to put it eloquently! First, this movie had all of the elements that make a movie great in my eyes...historical fiction, romance, and an independent and sassy main character. After finishing the movie, the only thing that I wished would have been different was that I wish I could have somehow watched it before going off to college four and a half years ago. I don't want to give too much away, but it just has so many good quotes and lessons about leaving home and growing up. This is the only movie of the three that I watched without John and I'm sure he would have had no interest in watching it with me...although he will probably have to watch it some time because I'm pretty sure it easily falls into my top ten favorite movies ever.

Now I know that these are just three out of the eight movies that are nominated for best picture, but picking from just these ones, I think that The Big Short would win. I know I just went on and on about how good Brooklyn was, but The Big Short has broader appeal and is just more unique as it takes a boring and complicated topic, like the 2008 financial crisis, and boils it down to something entertaining and digestible. Although Brooklyn wins in my heart, its just not something I see winning overall. And, well, Mad Max is cool looking and I think probably has a shot at winning best visual effects and/or cinematography, but I don't think its a top contender for best picture overall.

Have you seen any of these? Let me know what you think if you have!

My 5 Favorite Christmas Movies

Happy Wednesday! I am feeling back to 100% after feeling not so great this weekend, which is good because I am wrapping up classes and putting final touches on projects left and right! I am very borderline stressed about about finishing up the semester, graduating, rushing back to Maine and jumping right into Christmas there. To ignore all the stuff I have to do relieve some of that anticipatory stress, I have been watching a lot of movies because I think they are great ways to continue the Christmas spirit. I thought I would share some of my favorite Christmas movies!

1// Elf // I think this might be on everyones favorite Christmas movies list...its just a classic! For me, the best thing about this movie is how quotable it is. John and I can never ever say "10 AM" without following it up with "Santa's coming to town!"

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2 // Home Alone // Once again, I would assume that this is a pretty popular one as far as Christmas movies go. That being said, I think it is a well deserved favorite. How many times can I watch the end where Harry and Marv are subjected to Kevin's clever booby traps? The limit does not exist. 

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3 // A Christmas Story // Watching this movie on Christmas Eve night was my family's tradition for a long time so I have such positive memories of it. Its also SO funny, so its one I highly suggest. 

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4 // Eloise at Christmastime // I always try to catch this movie on ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas and every year I tell myself I need to buy it! It is such a cute movie...Eloise is the sassiest little girl and I would love to have a day in her shoes living at the Plaza Hotel! 

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5 // National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation // I'm not sure if I have mentioned it on here before, but my family's favorite movie is National Lampoon's Vacation...and Christmas Vacation is not far behind on that list! Like Elf, it is often quoted in our house. Its subtle in the movie, but we love "I don't knowwww Margo!" 

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What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? 

Linking up here today!

Hello, Halloweekend!

Happy Friday friends! I hope you all had great weeks and are ready for a fun Halloween weekend. I think I am going to have a relaxed Halloweekend...complete with scary movies, snacks and face masks galore (my new favorite beauty treat!). Let me know what you will be doing in the comments below!

For this five on Friday, I have picked out five links that I come across this week (and last!) and hope you will enjoy them just as much as I did!

1) Misunderstanding about Introverts

At one point this week, I got stuck on the "Introvert" subreddit page on Reddit for an hour, just looking through the forum at different thoughts/opinions/stories of all the introverts that post there. I was just fascinated because I never realized how much of my personality is related to the fact that I am an introvert. For example, I love spending time with my friends (i.e. homecoming last weekend) but after a while, I like spending time by myself to recharge and get recollected/centered (hence why I cherished my alone time this week). I did more research into introverts and came across this article about common misunderstandings about introverts and I related so much to all of them! Anyone else an INTJ here?

2. Marvel Calender
Earlier this week, I watched Avengers 2 with my roommates (one of which is a HUGE Marvel fan) and afterwards, we were discussing what was the next Marvel movie to come out. We did a little research and found this great schedule of when all the movies are set to come out for the next few years. I know it'll probably be just a really small segment of you that'll check out the schedule of movie releases, but if it helps one person, I will be glad!

3. Star Wars Trailer 
 I know this was so last week, but I forgot to mention it in last week's post...but wasn't the new Star Wars trailer amazing? I am so excited for the movie, and its really all John can talk about. He is so excited in fact, he already bought me and my family tickets for the movie as everyone will be here in VA for my graduation because I graduate the day after the movie comes out. You can guess which event John is more excited about (if you say my graduation...you're probably wrong!).

4. 18 of Coach Taylor's Best Quotes

I finished Friday Night Lights yesterday and then spent an obscene amount of time looking through Buzzfeed at all the FNL quizzies and articles. My favorite was this article that listed out 18 of Coach Taylor's (*swoon*) best quotes. He is so inspirational! Also, according to the Buzzfeed, my soulmate is Matt Saracen, lucky me!!

5. Helene In Between's Post about Photo Editing
Helene's post on photo editing yesterday really helped to introduce to me the other photo editing websites and computer apps that are out there to edit with. I am usually a dedicated PicMonkey user, but off of her recommendation, I had to try Canva! I played around with it last night (see the picture quotes above, haha) and loved how easy it was to use and all the different fonts/layouts available. From now on I will definitely be switching back and forth between the two! Thanks Helene!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Netflix Picks #2: Quentin Tarantino Films

Way back in March, I had the intention of starting a series of Netflix recommendations (click here to see the first set of picks!) and while it was one of my more popular posts on here, I never followed up with more picks. But that is all about to change today because I have three more picks for you and they are all movies by the famous director/screen play writer/ actor/ producer, Quentin Tarantino! If you are familiar with his movies, then you know that they can be dark, yet funny..and slightly gory. If you aren't familiar with his movies then you should read these recommendations, open up Netflix, and get watching.

Kill Bill, Vol 1 & 2

 via Netflix

Plot in one line: An assassin goes after her boss and his other employees after she is left for dead on her wedding day.

Thoughts: I would have to say that these two movies are my favorites of Quentin Tarantino's. Uma Thurman plays, "The Bride" a kick-ass assassin who stops at nothing to get revenge. She is a powerhouse in this movie and you are rooting for her every second to finish her revenge. As cheesy as it may sound, what I liked most about this movie is how much girl power there is. Other assassins are played by strong women like Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, and Daryl Hannah. 

Just a warning: There are a lot of fighting scenes in these movies with swords, and you can imagine the kind of gore that can come from that...

Mood to be in to watch: Ready to go to the gym afterwards because you'll want to start training to be in as good of shape as Uma Thurman is in this movie.

My Rating: 5/5

Django Unchained

via Netflix

A freed slave, Django, and his unconventional bounty-hunting companion, Dr. King Schultz, travel across the west seeking out Django's wife, all while cleverly capturing outlaws. 

Thoughts: You know how earlier, while writing about Kill Bill, I said that they were my favorite Quentin Tarantino movies? I decided, after writing the one line summary of this movie, that I can't actually pick a favorite because they are all so freakin' good. This movie is in the style of an old western and I remember being skeptical of that upon my first viewing when it came out in theaters. But by the end of the movie, I was completely hooked and since then, I have seen it numerous times over. Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz play a duo that will make you smile, all while acting out a plot that can be unsavory at times. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a large role as an evil plantation owner. Seeing these three powerful actors work together is incredible and if that doesn't sell you enough...Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope on Scandal), play's Jamie Foxx's wife. SOLD!

Just a warning: There are a few hand to hand fight scenes that are hard to watch and there is one scene that I always have to shut my eyes for. 

Mood to be in to watch: Be ready to hate Leo for the first time in your life. 

My rating: 5/5

Reservoir Dogs

via Netflix

After a heist goes awry, a group of robbers have to figure out which one is the police informant. 

Thoughts: This is Quentin Tarantino's first film which automatically makes it a classic in my book. It is interesting and funny, but also has a storyline that jumps around so it is not a movie that you can watch while doing your nails/scrolling through Instagram/cooking dinner all while having a phone conversation with your mom about how to make said dinner. I feel as though this is a movie where just as there is nothing happening, there is actually everything happening...I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but just watch it and then maybe you'll understand (or just think I am wrong!) 

Just a warning: You might never think the same again when you hear "Stuck in the Middle With You"

Mood to be in to watch: Ready to focus on the plot and the characters because there are a lot of them!

My rating: 4.5/5

While I know his film style and plot lines won't be appealing to everyone, I am hoping a few of you are able to enjoy these picks! If you've seen all of them already and are a fan of Quentin Tarantino, he has a new movie coming out on Christmas Day called The Hateful Eight. (Check out the trailer here!) John and I can't wait to see it, and it already has some Oscar buzz surrounding it!

Let me know if you've seen any of these movies before and your thoughts on them!