Magazine deals for 2/1 thru 2/7!

If you haven't tried Best Deal Magazines yet, you should! I've been ordering magazines from them for years. I do recommend that you keep a note about when you ordered, so that if you don't receive your magazines within 14 weeks, you can let them know. I've only had this happen a couple of times - once was due to the publisher denying the subscription, and the other was due to the magazine being discontinued. Both times I was offered a choice of a refund or a credit.

This week's daily deals:

• Monday, 2/1 - Woman's Day 1 yr. $5.39 - magazine devoted to the contemporary woman with articles on issues important to women. Each issue is filled with information on food, nutrition, fitness, health, careers, money management, law, relationships, beauty, fashion and values of home, family and children.
• Tuesday, 2/2 - Motor Trend 1 yr. $4.29 - a contemporary world car magazine. You'll find evaluations of automotive products for all varieties and styles of cars, motor sport and technical departments, auto industry news, styling and engineering details, safety reports, race car reviews, equipment and accessory buyers guides and more.
• Wednesday 2/3 - Wine Enthusiast 1 yr. $4.39 - a lifestyle magazine that is comprised of expert information on gourmet food, spirits, travel, entertaining, and of course, wine. Its wine ratings encompass a large portion of the magazine, which are conducted by well-seasoned reviewers in major wine-producing areas all over the world.
• Thursday 2/4 - Natural Health 1 yr. $5.39 - your guide to a healthy lifestyle! Each issue brings you information on naturally-oriented food and nutrition, alternative health practices, exercise and self care. Natural Health focuses on the mind/body connection, illustrated exercise, preventative medicine, healthy cuisines and much more.
• Friday 2/5 - Weight Watchers 1 yr. $4.29 - designed for women committed to change and seeking a healthy lifestyle.  Each issue brings you great advice on health, fitness, fashion, beauty and food, plus many other issues designed to help you develop healthy living for a lifetime.
• Saturday 2/6 - Taste of Home 1 yr. $4.29 - American's #1 cooking magazine with a commonsense approach to family-pleasing meals.  Each issue features family tested favorites, hints on cooking for one or two, as well as healthy home-style recipes for meals on a budget for every size family.  Recipes so good you'll look forward to each and every issue.
• Sunday 2/7 - MAC Life 1 yr. $6.49 - designed for the people who love their Mac computer! Each issue features product reviews, ratings, how-to's and recreational uses. Mac Life not only tells you about the latest Mac-compatible software and peripherals but also provides you with information on how and when to upgrade your computer and troubleshoot errors.

There are almost always codes out there for an additional 17-18% off - so definitely search for them. The ones I have expire today, but if I see more, I will add them to this post. Also, if you sign up for their emails, they will send you an email on Sunday with the following week's daily deals. They also email you codes to get 17-20% off the reg/sale prices.

SpringPad it!

I just received my daily email from CouponGeek, and I saw a little blurb about SpringPad - which is a free online personal organizer. What caught my eye was that you can save your favorite recipes here - all in one place! You can type them in or add them by URL. How cool is that? Now I don't have to bookmark or print out 100's of recipes from 20 different sites - I can just add them to my SpringPad and they're all in one place! Genius!!

There are other things you can do with your account - you can connect to your Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, or Gmail accounts - and you do have the option make all/some/none of your info private.

There are apps you can add to your account - things like weekly meal planning, household budget, notes, grocery lists, blog post planner, diary, travel checklists, calorie tracker, workout tracker, etc. So if you prefer to have things centralized, it seems this site might be a good option. Mostly I'm just excited about being able to organize all of my recipes in one place!

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps (by Paula Deen)

Let me start by saying that I love Paula Deen! I would've loved to have been born a Southern girl - and Paula is the perfect Southern mama! I don't think I've ever tried a Paula Deen recipe that I didn't like - and this one is no exception.

For Christmas Eve 2009, I made a lot of different appetizers as our meal. I had watched Paula & Bobby make the Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps, thought they looked delicious, and decided this was the perfect time to try them. Can you say finger-lickin' good and magically delicious?? Bless her heart, these were full of melt-in-your-mouth Southern goodness!!

Paula Deen's Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
• 1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp. 

(original recipe can be found here at foodnetwork.com)

my sweet chicken bacon wraps

This is a picture of my finished product. They had the perfect balance of sweet & hot and were so tasty that I had to seriously force myself to stop eating them, LOL! I did make a couple of changes to the recipe: I used center cut bacon so that there was more meat & less fat, and because I was afraid they might be too spicy, I only added 1 TBSP. of chili powder. For us, 2 TBSP. would definitely have been too much. Super easy to make!

Enjoy!!

Gamer (on DVD)

I just watched Gamer with my husband. My son watched it a couple of nights ago & assured me that I would love it. He knows what type of movies I like, so I was anxious to see it. After all, Michael C. Hall stars in it - and he is one hot nerd/serial killer as 'Dexter' on Showtime. Gerard Butler has those sexy blue eyes, and I like Kyra Sedgwick, too - so that's a good start.

Lots of action in this one - lots of violence, blood, gore - some nudity, sexual situations. Definitely not one for the little ones.

I found the first 15-20 minutes so-so. Kind of weird, not quite sure what was happening, etc. Thank goodness it picked up a bit after that, LOL. Michael C. Hall, Gerard Butler, & Kyra Sedgwick were all good - and Michael C. Hall takes off his shirt. Eye candy with a capital 'E'! Ludacris was good, as was Terry Crews (loved him in 'White Chicks' as Latrell) - cameos by Maggie Lawson & James Roday (Juliet O'Hara & Shawn Spencer from 'Psych'). Something about the movie reminded me a lot of 'Death Race' (with Jason Statham & Joan Allen).

The confrontation between Michael C. Hall and Gerard Butler was probably the best part of the movie (as would be expected). But the movie ending left me feeling like there should have been something more, so that was a bit disappointing. The movie is only 95 minutes long, so if you like action and need a 'short' movie to watch, it's probably worth seeing. I'd give it 3-3.5 stars out of 5.

If you are really into gaming (like my son), then you will probably like the movie much more. He thought it was great. I think he'd give it 5 stars, LOL.

National Wear Red Day - Feb. 5!

Don't forget to wear something red on Friday, Feb. 5, to support Women's Heart Health!

If you go to Go Red For Women website, you can register (free - and you can download the Wear Red Day tools without donating or fundraising) 

You can also become a fan of Go Red For Women on Facebook.

This is a subject that is very close to my heart. My beloved Grammy, who passed away in 1998, died from heart disease. She had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. After several heart attacks, she underwent angioplasty, two open heart surgeries with bypasses, and a carotid endarterectomy. My mother also has high cholesterol and high blood pressure and has suffered a major heart attack, which resulted in the need for angioplasty. I, too, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, so you can see why I worry about what is in my future cardiac-wise.

The March issue of Woman's Day has several good articles about women's heart health. They also have some articles available online:

True Stories from Heart Disease Survivors

Test Your Heart Smarts

Matters of the Heart: What to Ask Your M.D.

Your Daily Heart-Health Schedule 

The Facts About Trans-fats

Your Heart-Healthy Action Plan 

The ABC's of Heart Disease 

Heart Healthy for Life 

The Heart-Healthy Kitchen Makeover 

Heart disease is the number one killer of women - stroke is the number three killer. Women have different heart attack symptoms than men and are more likely to die from a heart attack! Ladies, let's take care of ourselves! Men, let the ladies in your life know that you care about their heart health!

Who knew paint could be so much fun?

I am fascinated by the types of paint available these days. If I had little ones, I would seriously be creating the most fun rooms ever for them. Maybe I'll do it for my grandkids, but hopefully that's a long way off!  

Rust-oleum has 4 types of paint that would make any kid smile. Home Depot, Lowe's, and Ace Hardware, and several online stores carry the Rust-oleum brand. They have a store locator on their website.

 

Chalkboard paint - chalkboard paint isn't new, but I still think it's really neat. When I was a kid, I would've loved to have had an entire wall on which I could draw/write. It's available in a spray, tintable base, and brush-on chalkboard paint.The tintable base can be tinted to 12 different colors! What could possibly be more cool than a pink or purple chalkboard wall? The spray is only available in black, and the pre-tinted brush-on is available in black or green. Latex paint that can be applied to metal, wood, masonry, drywall, plaster, glass, concrete, unglazed ceramics and hardboard. A 30 oz. can costs around $15.

Glow-in-the-dark paint - I can just see moms & dads painting little stars all over the ceiling with this! It is a latex paint that glows for up to 2 hours and can be applied to wood, metal, plaster, masonry or unglazed ceramic. A 7 oz. can costs about $10.

 Magnetic paint - I don't care if I am an adult, I want this paint!! LOL! This is a latex primer that is a dark gray colored base coat that allows you to create a surface that attracts magnets. Can be applied to wood, metal, masonry, drywall, and plaster. Can be followed by any latex paint - even chalkboard paint. One quart costs about $22.

Dry-erase paint - I'm not a huge dry-erase fan simply because there's always so much residue from the pens (and they stink, LOL!). But I do think it's amazing that you can now create your own dry-erase "wall". Can be applied to drywall, masonite, wood, cement, or metal. Comes in a kit - two part water-based system. Kit costs about $25 - not sure how much area it covers.

I read a fair number of bad reviews for the Rust-oleum Dry Erase paint. IdeaPaint also makes a dry erase paint - and theirs goes on in one coat. Their CRE-8 is a water-based paint and is available in 10 colors. It’s high performing, easy to install and is backed by a 5-year warranty. CRE-8 is available in kits that each cover 25 sq. ft. ($99) and 50 sq. ft. ($175) of surface.Kit also includes a foam roller, stir stick, can opener, & wet paint sign. So it's significantly more costly, but works better. I'm not sure I could ever want a dry erase area enough to pay $99 for 25 sq. ft., LOL!

And this one just intrigues me because it's supposed to smell like a milkshake!!  
Anna Sova Food Paint is made with up to 90% food ingredients! It's a zero VOC paint that is easy to apply & is also scrubbable (according to the website). The down side is that it's $69 per gallon.

Some of my favorite blogs

I always like to check out Shopaholics Daily. There's a great article called "Dress Yourself Slim"  and I love, love, love the outfit that is pictured with the article!

Sugar Buzz Girl blogs about cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and everything sweet. It all looks too pretty to eat...well, almost.

Hair Thursday has tons of great hair pics, advice, etc. And she even featured my friend Kathy's pixie haircut (just search for "pixie")!!

Mommy Beauty is a blog written by one of my online friends. She has a beautiful little girl that she blogs about and she also has some super makeup reviews & tutorials.

I love A Beach Cottage {life by the sea} because just seeing the pictures of all the beachy furnishings makes me happy. Envious, but happy. Someday, I hope to have my own beach cottage & then I can blog about life by the sea, too. 

I really enjoy reading iGriza - it's informative, it's fun - it makes me smile.

Design*Sponge is another decorating blog that I follow. Lots of great ideas!

What are your favorite blogs?

Public cellphone usage tips

People, people, people - if you're going to use your cellphone in public, think about where you are, what you're saying and how loudly you're saying it.

I admit, there are times when I talk too loudly on my phone. But if I can't hear, then the person on the other end can't hear either, right? LOL! I'm trying to work on talking normally all the time and my kids are happy to shush me as needed. But the extent of my conversation is usually "Hi", "Can I call you back", or "Why didn't you tell me you needed that before I left home?".

So many times I've been in the grocery store, shopping & minding my own business, when suddenly I heard a voice so loud that my first thought was, "It's the emergency broadcast system! I must seek immediate shelter"! But wait - no, that's not it - the emergency broadcast system doesn't use 4-letter words - it's someone on a cellphone IN THE NEXT AISLE! Can you repeat that? I think someone over in aisle 10 missed it.

And let's talk about the doctor's office. If you're in the waiting room & decide to use your phone - for the love HIPAA, take it outside! Everyone in the waiting room is shifting uncomfortably in their seats, trying not to make eye contact with you as you proceed to talk about why you're there. No one wants to hear about your rash or your husband's erectile dysfunction.

I do not need to know your business. I do not need to hear your extensive vocabulary of profanities. I do not need to know anything about your baby daddy/mama. I'm terribly embarrassed for you, especially since you're obviously too clueless to be embarrassed for yourself. Get an unlimited texting plan - and use it. And don't forget to put your phone on vibrate.

Deals 1/28/10

LORAC

• LORAC's Star Style Set $25 ($108 value) - includes Full size aquaPRIME oil-free makeup primer, On Screen Duo Powder Highlighter & Cream Eye Shadow/Liner in Fame and Fortune, mini deluxe TANtalizer Baked Bronzer for face and body, Starry Eyed baked Eye Shadow Trio in Star Style, Glamorous gold makeup bag
• free shipping on orders over $50

Stila

• Stila's Long Wear Lip Color - 8 new shades! Free shipping with the purchase of a long wear lip color with code NEWLWL. The email I received said the product is $20, but when I went to the Stila site, the price is $18.

Bloomingdale's

• Lauren by Ralph Lauren Tienna Long Halter Orig. $129.00, Now $90.30, and an extra 25% off brings the price down to $67.73. So cute for summer - or a cruise! No code needed, extra 25% off is deducted when you add the item to your shopping bag.

 

 

Nine West

 

• Katie tote - large synthetic tote with hardware and top-stitching detail. 15 1/2"L x 13"H with a 10" drop. Orig. $89.00, now $49.99
• sale/clearance shoes - some are an extra 30- 50% off lowest price when added to your cart
• sale/clearance boots - some are an extra 30- 50% off lowest price when added to your cart
• sale/clearance sandals - some are an extra 30- 50% off lowest price when added to your cart
• sale/clearance accessories -  some are an extra 30- 50% off lowest price when added to your cart

Deals! Updated 1/27/10

Here are some deals I found - I'll add more later if I see some interesting ones - enjoy!!

Barnes & Noble

• DVDs/Blu-Ray – buy 2 get 1 free – includes all titles, in-store and online, through 2/2/10
• Romance paperbacks – buy 2 get 1 free – over 2000 titles, online only (as far as I know), through 2/2/10 
• All 2010 calenders now 75% off
  

*UPDATE: I just tried to use the B2G2F offer for romance books by adding 6 books to my cart, hoping I would get 2 free - but you can only use the offer for 3 books at a time. 
I'm a B&N member, so this is what I did:

• added 3 eligible books to my cart (one was free - savings: $7.99)
• members get free 3 day shipping for orders over $10 (savings: $6.96)
• used members code R9B9y3P for 15% off one item (savings: $1.20)
• members automatic 10% discount (savings: $1.48)
• Paid $14.20 for 3 books w/ 3 day shipping   Total savings = $17.63

Then I placed a second order:

• added 3 eligible books to my cart (one was free - savings: $6.99)
• members get free 3 day shipping for orders over $10 (savings: $6.96)
• used code F3L8Y9F for 10% off one item (savings: $0.80)this code is only good through 1/24/10
  
• members automatic 10% discount (savings: $1.42)
• Paid $13.53 for 3 books w/ 3 day shipping   Total savings = $16.17

Sephora (updated 1/27/10)

• Free 4-step skincare bag w/ orders over $25 using code 4STEPS (choose from oily, dry, normal/combo –each set includes cleanse, treat, moisturize, and protect)
• Free 10-day supply of Bare Escentuals BareMinerals foundation (available in 7 shades & includes a baby buffing brush), valid w/ any purchase online, use code BEBARE for original or code BEMATTE for matte; also valid in-store, no purchase necessary
  
• Valentine’s Day gift set – Give Me Some Lip - A deluxe lip sampler packed with 7 of Sephora's most sought out shades of red and pink (and a full-size Korres lipstick!). $25
• Almost 200 items on clearance/sale! $3-$140 
• Beauty Insiders only - free Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Shine Control Powder sample with any purchase; enter NOSHINE at checkout 
• Philosophy 4 oz. Chocolate Chip Cookie 3-in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath - $5, no code needed
• Benefit Bestsellers Set $10 - includes .08 oz Posietint: A poppy-pink tinted lip & cheek stain, 0.06 oz Some Kind-A Gorgeous: The foundation faker, 0.25 oz That Gal: A brightening face primer, 0.09 oz High Beam: A luminescent complexion enhancer; no code needed
  

The Hip Hostess

• 20% off demi-aprons (sale prices are still up 1/27/10)
  

Aromaleigh (updated 1/25/10)

• current 2-week coupon sale runs through 10 AM E.S.T. 2/5 – save 25% off the items shown on this page. Follow the instructions on the page to receive the discount.

SuzyRocksDesigns on etsy.com 

• Not a sale, but still a great deal! SuzyRocksDesigns on etsy.com – Suzy makes beautiful jewelry and right now until further notice, SuzyRocksDesigns and SuzysWeddingRocks will donate a portion of all sales (and all of certain items sold) to Haiti relief.

Loft (updated 1/27/10)

• additional 50% off all sale items, in-store only, for a limited time (no expiration date listed)

Stila (updated 1/25/10)

• Become a Stila Cosmetics fan on Facebook today and receive a 20% off coupon code.
  How? It's simple.
  Post "I am the ultimate Stila Girl!" on their wall & they will message you your coupon code for 20% off your next purchase!
  Already a fan? Don't worry, you are not left out. Just post "I am the ultimate Stila girl!" and they'll send you a coupon code too!
  

LORAC 

• VIP discount - 31 items available - great prices! (Limited time offer,
  only while supplies last)
  

Snapfish

• 100 prints free with any order using code PRINTSNEW (expires 1/27/10)  expired
  

Annoying drivers...

As I was driving to the post office today, I was reminded of just how many annoying drivers there are out there. I live in an area that is very close to the city, but it's also very close to a rural area. It's a straight, 4-lane stretch of road between my house & the post office, passing mostly through rolling farmland. There is usually a fair amount of traffic on this road considering that there are no retail stores or gas stations. The speed limit is 55 mph - yet you rarely find anyone going that speed. What happened today is not an unusual occurrence - there was a car in each of the southbound lanes, and neither one of them was going over 45 mph. They drove side-by-side - and neither one seemed to be aware of the traffic piling up behind them. And no, neither one was an international harvester, so there was no excuse. What, may I ask, is the reason for having two southbound lanes if they're both going to be used by slow drivers?? I have no problem with them driving 45 mph - but don't use both lanes. Argh.

So that made me start thinking of all the other annoying things that drivers do - and I made a list. Amazingly enough, typing out the list made me feel better, LOL!

I hate...

• drivers that pull out in front of me at the last minute, then drive so slowly that I have to slam on my brakes. For the love of burnt rubber! You couldn't have waited 5 more seconds for me to pass by? You had to pull out RIGHT NOW, so you could GO SLOW?
• drivers that slam on their brakes for no apparent reason. Why in the world would you suddenly slam on your brakes while driving 40-50 mph? Did you think you saw a red light? A deer? Were your kids driving you crazy & you threatened to stop the car 'right now' if they didn't stop fighting? 
• drivers who don't maintain a steady speed on a straight road with no traffic lights or stop signs. They drive along at 65 mph, then they slow down to 50 mph - then just as I start to pass them, they speed up to 65 mph. So I stay put, only to find them going 50 mph a minute later. WTF? Two words. Cruise control.
  
• drivers who 'merge' onto the freeway at 35 mph. Um, hello? The cars that you're merging with are going at least 55 mph - how do you think you're going to merge at 35 mph? I bet you can't follow someone into a revolving door either, can you?
• drivers who see a red light/stop sign a half mile up the road & think they should start slowing down way back here. My husband does this & it drives (ha!) me insane. **beats head on dashboard**
• drivers who creep along in parking lots. Yes, it's a parking lot - no, you shouldn't speed - but I CAN WALK FASTER THAN YOU'RE DRIVING!! And I have really short legs, too. Good grief, if there's not a spot, move along - the cars aren't going to magically disappear if you drive slowly enough.
• drivers who can't park their car between the white lines. If you park so close to me that I can't open my car door far enough to get in/out, I'm not going to be very happy. If you've left your young children in the car alone (and don't even get me started on that), they're probably going to hear some really colorful language. And if YOU hit MY car with YOUR car door - well, let's just say it's not going to be pretty.
  
• drivers who talk on their cellphones while driving. For Pete's sake, if you must talk, PLEASE GET A HEADSET. They swerve into the other lane, drive too slow, drive too fast - heck, the other day I passed a cop who was talking on his cellphone while driving.

I really do try to think of all the possible reasons a person could cut me off, or drive like a bat out of hell, or even drive on the side of the road - but I just can't think of ANY good reasons why people would do any of the above, LOL!


Do you have pet peeves about other drivers?

Deals!

• Coach Factory Outlets - through Sun. 1/31, enjoy an additional 20% savings with this printable coupon.
• Find the Coach Factory Store nearest you!

• New Year's Neutrals collection - over $130 value, sale-priced at $19.50 - includes Cheek Stamp in Golden Glow, Cappuccino Eye Shadow, Beige Eye Shadow, Mesmerize Eye Shadow, Cocoa Eye Shadow, Mocktail Flavored Lip Gloss in Peach Passion, Cream Lipstick in Karma

• free Eyeshadow Trio in Glow-On (value $28) with  any $65 purchase, use code VDPINK - expires 2/15/10, not valid with any other offer
• Blushing Pink Beauty Kit  $39 (value $70) - includes Fusion Soft Lights in Illuminate, New! Lip Enhancing Gloss in Baby Pout, Bionic Mascara in Jet Black - travel size, Luxe Gold Makeup Bag - available online now (not in stores yet)
• free standard shipping on any order
• free jumbo samples - 3 deluxe-sized samples + get a bonus sample with every order
• Get your lunch time beauty fix every Tuesday + Thursday!
  A free product will be automatically added to your cart when you check out between 9am to 2pm PST.
• Sign up for a free Pretty Points account & earn 5 Pretty Points for every dollar spent at Smashbox.com (not including tax, shipping & promotional discounts). For every 500 points you earn, you get a $10 gift certificate. You will also receive a free bonus deluxe sample with every order & a special birthday gift set during your birthday month.

Free 27-pc. makeup kit with purchase!

For Valentine's Day, e.l.f. is offering a free 27-pc. mini makeup kit with any purchase ($80 value), using the code REDMINI at checkout. The kit includes: 9 eyeshadow shades, 1 cream eyeshadow, 1 blush, 1 bronzer, 10 lip glosses, 1 brow powder, 1 eye liner pencil, 1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator and brush, 1 face brush and 1 lip brush. (Closed:4"L x 4"W x 1"H Open:8"L x 5"W x 1"H)

I'm not a big fan of e.l.f. cosmetics, but if you have a daughter or niece, something like this would make a cute gift. You could even give it as a Christmas gift.

You cannot stack codes at e.l.f.

Upcoming movies!

I've seen a few trailers over the past couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts here.

From Paris With Love (Feb. 5, 2010) - directed by Pierre Morel; starring John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden. I love, love, love John Travolta. And he is at his best when he's playing a crazy guy with a gun - plus he looks kinda hot with an earring & no hair, LOL. Looks like a good action flick - and with John in it, there will undoubtedly be humor as well. I'll definitely be seeing this.
 

The Wolfman (Feb. 12, 2010) - directed by Joe Johnston; starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik. I love werewolf movies. I love Anthony Hopkins. I'll definitely be seeing this one, too. 
 

The Crazies (Feb. 26, 2010) - directed by Breck Eisner; starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker, Joe Anderson. Um, no. Make that 'Hell No'. The trailer creeped me out & scared the bejeezus out of me. I'm all for scary movies, but I don't think I'd like this one.
 

Death at a Funeral (Apr. 16, 2010)- directed by Neil LaBute; starring Loretta Devine, Peter Dinklage, Ron Glass, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, Martin Lawrence, James Marsden, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, Columbus Short, Luke Wilson. Star-studded cast that was hysterically funny in the trailer. I will definitely be seeing this one! Who knew a funeral could be so funny? Do yourself a favor - if you like irreverent humor - watch the trailer!
 

MacGruber (Apr. 23, 2010) - directed by Jorma Taccone; starring Will Forte, Ryan Phillippe, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph. I liked the MacGuyver TV series, and I like humor - and I'm assuming this is supposed to be a comedic parody of that. Not feeling it, though. And it's not just because Val Kilmer looks bad & should never, ever wear a Steven Seagal ponytail. I probably won't even bother to see this one on DVD.
 

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Apr.26, 2010) - directed by Samuel Bayer; starring Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz, Katie Cassidy, Connie Britton. I'm not a fan of Freddy, so this didn't look that great to me. However, my son loves all of the Freddy movies & he assures me that he won't be missing this one. So if you're a fan, you'll probably want to see it - even if it's just to see how it measures up to the original.
 

Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010) - directed by Jon Favreau; starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg, Olivia Munn. Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Ironman - need I say more?? I love the Marvel Comics movies, and I expect this sequel to be just as good as the first Ironman. And plenty of AC/DC tunes! It's unfortunate that Mickey Rourke is in it, but I'll get over it.
 

Takers (May 14, 2010) - directed by John Luessenhop; starring Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Tip "T.I." Harris, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen. Can you say hunka-hunka-burning love?? Well, with the exception of Chris Brown - I hate that he gets any publicity at all. I think I would pay just to see Paul Walker, Jay Hernandez, & Hayden Christensen in the same movie. Lustful sigh. Oh - the plot looks good, too.
 

The Last Airbender (July 2, 2010) - directed by M. Night Shyamalan; starring Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub, Cliff Curtis, Keong Sim. I'm undecided. It looks like it might be a good action flick, but I'm not a fan of M. Night Shyamalan.
 

Inception (July 16, 2010) - directed by Christopher Nolan; starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine. Looks like it could be a good sci-fi action/thriller, but also looks like it might be a little too freaky sci-fi for my taste.

Legion

I saw Legion today with my son. I know the critics hated it, but as is usually the case, we loved it! There was a bit of an 'ick' factor, but there was also a lot of action/horror thrills. Paul Bettany was awesome as Michael - and for a tall, skinny guy, he was pretty hot. Is is wrong to lust after an angel - even if he's just an angel in a movie? Dennis Quaid (Bob), as usual, does a great job playing a crusty, bitter guy who has a good heart, even though he keeps it well-hidden. Tyrese Gibson (Kyle) provided some additional eye candy - although much to my dismay, he didn't remove his shirt. Lucas Black (Jeep) kind of bugged me - I don't really know why. It wasn't the character, I think it was just his portrayal. Willa Holland's (Audrey) character reminded me of Avril Lavigne and while I liked her character, I had a hard time getting past that, LOL. 

To me, the last 10-15 minutes of the movie were the best. I thought most of it was unexpected, and oddly enough, left me with tears in my eyes. I was very moved by Michael's last scene. Both the opening & closing scenes reminded me very much of the first Terminator movie where Sarah Conner is driving and talking to her unborn son. I'd give the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. I'll probably even buy it on DVD. 

You can watch the official trailer here.

Sherlock Holmes

Two weeks ago, I saw Sherlock Holmes with my family. I am a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr., and I have to say, I felt he made Sherlock Holmes his own. I'm not a fan of Jude Law at all, but I even liked him as Dr. Watson. I read a Sherlock Holmes novel many, many years ago, so other than knowing that he solved mysteries with Dr. Watson & had a nemesis named Professor Moriarity, I didn't know anything about him or have any expectations for the movie.

Overall, I thought the movie was good. There was a lot of action & humor - two of my favorite things in a movie. There is a fair portion of the movie that "touches" on the occult, so if that sort of thing offends you, you probably won't like this movie. A little adult language, a little skin, but nothing majorly offensive. The one thing I found annoying was the way they had Holmes 'thinking out' how he would do certain things - they would play the scene in slow motion with him narrating what he'd do, then they'd play it again in real time with him doing what he'd just determined was the best plan of action. Overall, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars - and most of those are for Robert Downey, Jr.

You can watch the official trailer here.

More shoes!

I was already in love with Jimmy Choo, but when I saw this video about the new 24/7 collection on the Hair on the Brain blog, I was literally drooling. I want one of each!! I love them all!!

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

I do love a pretty pair of shoes - and these $690 Prada booties are soooooo pretty.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to get Prada booties, even if they are on sale for $310 at Neiman-Marcus. So I looked around to see if I could find something similar that was more in my price range.

I found these Carlos Santana Malibu platform cut-out booties. They're not an exact match, but similar enough. These are available from DSW for $49.95.

These Glaze by Adi Slouchy Vampe peep-toe booties are available at Target for $34.99.

~~~~~

I also love, love, love these Louboutin satin halter sandals, which are on sale at Neiman-Marcus for $313 (orig. $695).

Again, out of my price range, even if it is a great deal. So I found a couple of similar styles:

 

These Nine West Desoto sandals are available at Zappos for $48.95.

Victoria's Secret has these Colin Stuart slingbacks for $49. They're not satin, but the style is very similar.

One of these days, I'm going to splurge on a pair of Louboutin pumps and Prada booties. Probably after my husband retires. Hopefully I'll still be able to walk in heels! LOL!