"Sarah" written all over it.

-To say the new show Once Upon a Time has ME written all over it, would be an understatement. I love make believe, I love magic, I love fairy tales, I love Ginnifer Goodwin and I love Lost. So, it's safe to say that I am destined to fall in love with this show.

Spoilers ahead! So, if you haven't yet seen the first episode of this freshman series go watch it and come back and then proceed with the rest of the blog!

On Snow White's (Ginnifer Goodwin) wedding day, the Evil Queen (Lana Parilla) interrupts as the ceremony is concluding and promises that an evil curse is coming. This curse not only freezes them in time, but puts them in our reality where they live as regular people and have no idea that they are actual fairy tale characters. There is a little more of a twist to it than that, but I will let you figure that out on your own.

I really love this concept.  Each character basically has a new, modern day persona but stays true to their fairy tale selves at the same time. It was fun figuring out who each character was in the present time and it was fun to see them flash back to how they had been before the curse. In a TV show like this, there is so much room for creativity and that is a fantastic thing. The look of the city, StoneyBrook (where they all live) is quaint and homey. The look of the forest and the castles in the flashbacks are elegant and so pretty. I love the costumes and the book that they refer back to (Once Upon a Time) is very reminiscent of the big book that Bastien carries around with him in The Neverending Story.

So yeah, I liked it. But do you know what the icing on the cake was for me? The fact that this show is brought to us by Lost alums Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. That alone was reason enough for me to watch and the fact that there were no less than 5 Lost references made my fangirl heart smile happily. Even if they don't continue to do that with the rest of the episodes, I'll be ok with it because at least they had me reminiscing and squealing with delight for one night and it showed that they still care about all those Lost fans out there who miss the show. And THAT, I love.

-As most of you know, Season 2 of The Walking Dead premiered last week. I thought the 90 minute opener was a little slow but I was happy to see Rick Grimes again. For anyone out there who says this show is just about disgusting zombies, it's not. In fact, there were only a few scenes in the last episode that had zombies in them. It's more about the emotional toll an event like this can cause and how it affects the relationships with the people around you. Sure, the zombies are super gross but I will say this: no other show has made me cry this season like The walking Dead has and we are only 2 episodes in.

-Over the weekend, I watched Pearl Jam Twenty. It's a documentary by Cameron Crowe that celebrates the band's 20th anniversary. Before they got all political and whatnot, I used to really love this band. I had a huge crush on Eddie Vedder and was always mesmerized by his voice. Ten was the first CD I remember REALLY loving and would listen to it from beginning to end, over and over again. I've talked about the release of Vs. on here before and how excited Dennis and I were for it  (SO excited!) and when Vitalogy was released, I remember staying up late the night before and taping the entire cd off the radio because some station (I can't remember which) was playing it in its entirety before it went on sale. After that album, I was disappointed with the rest of the stuff they put out. Every once in awhile a single would grab me and I would like it, but I was never able to listen to the CD's all the way through like I did with those first 3. Anyway, the documentary instantly had me hooked. They showed it on PBS and it was 2 hours of them telling stories from Mother Love Bone, all the way to present day. There are interviews with Chris Cornell, as well as some old footage of Kurt Cobain talking about how nice of a guy Eddie is. They discuss their dissatisfaction with all the trials and tribulations that come along with being famous and they talk about their relationships and the respect they have for one another. The "big" Ticketmaster battle is touched on as well as Kurt Cobain's death. It was interesting and entertaining and I really enjoyed it. It also made me immediately want to start listening to their music again. Which, I did. And I enjoyed. A lot. There is also a coffee table book that is for sale to go along with the documentary and the 20th anniversary CD. If you are or ever were a Pearl Jam fan, you won't be disappointed.

-Just an FYI for my fellow Chuck/Nerd Herd fans, the 5th and final season premieres THIS Friday (the 28th) on NBC at 8pm. So excited to have this show back!

-I know it's still a little early to talk about Christmas, but the She & Him Christmas Cd (<---- click on that) is out today!! Yay!

-Joss Whedon + Shakespeare? Yes, please. Check this out -------> Much Ado About Nothing

31 Wishes.

Last year for my 30th Birthday, I made a Birthday Wish List <-------- click on that if you would like to see what I wished for a year ago.

I've decided to go ahead (as long as I have this here blog) and make this an annual thing. Yes, I am aware that my Birthday isn't for a few more weeks (November 8th) but this is a wishlist and I have to give you all time to make them come true, so without further ado, I bring you my 31 wishes for my 31st Birthday.

1.) A Dyson vacuum cleaner. Or, just any really great vacuum cleaner that would be able to withstand sucking up Logan and Bristow's hair without breaking down a week after I buy it.

2.) For Bristow to stop trying to run away. Really, we are good dog owners. We pet him, feed him, play with him and put up with his anxiety-ridden quirks, yet once a week, for the last couple weeks, we find him in my neighbor's yard.

3.) For Derek to stop being such a hole on Greys Anatomy. You are no longer McDreamy, you are McPoopyPants.

4.) An Ipad.

5.) For a website to hire me to blog for them full time.

6.) For Stephenie Meyer to finish Midnight Sun.

7.) A really fantastic (red) stand mixer.

8.) To have Ben Folds come to my house for dinner and bring his piano, so he can play some songs for me.

9.) To some day own a book store.

10.) Hoodies in every single color.

11.) To visit New York City and see some plays.

12.) To go to a Tragically Hip concert.

13.) To visit my (insanely missed) LYBF in North Carolina.

14.) For someone to come over my house and organize C's room and toys for me.

15.) New carpet and floors in my house.

16.) For the pimple farm on my chin to go away. (Note to my skin: I am going to be 31 not 13).

17.) To have a Mashed Potato Party. HOW MUCH FUN WOULD THAT BE?!

18.) For that one person who uses the copier/scanner to STOP (S T O P) pounding on the button when they use it. It is so very unnecessary. Just. Stop. It.

19.) To hang out with Zachary Levi for a day.

20.) To go to San Diego Comic Con.

21.) To go to another Killers/Brandon Flowers concert.

22.) To sit in on a conversation between J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

23.) A Keurig coffee maker.

24.) To open a bakery with my sisters.

25.) For Hollywood to stop remaking really great 80's movies. IE: Dirty Dancing, Drop Dead Fred.

26.) More time in the day.

27.) An endless supply of energy to get things done around the house.

28.) For the end of the Sookie Stackhouse series to not suck..

29.) For (insert any Buffy/Angel alum here, preferably Alexis Denisof or James Marsters) to guest star on Bones.

30.) For the series finale of Chuck to be completely awesome.

31.) For my whole family (especially my mom) to have a really great, really happy, really healthy year.

These are...

a few of my favorite things.

I figured I would give you all a little insight into some of my favorite movies, gadgets and foods at the moment. It's sort of like an episode of Oprah's favorite things, only I won't be giving you anything for free. But, you can still check these items out and then perhaps maybe you will love them as well.

• Over the years, I have expressed my frustrations with how hard it is to find a decent, leak proof travel mug that keeps my coffee hot. I have bought several (some expensive, some not), all with the hopes that THIS will be the best mug ever, only to find that it is yet, another disappointment. Well, friends, believe me when I say that THIS travel mug is THE best mug you will ever, ever, ever buy. Carrie bought it for me back in June, and it may very well be one of the best presents I have ever received. I love it so much that I bought Dawn one for her Birthday this year. It literally (LITERALLY) keeps your coffee hot for hours. Hours! And I mean hot, hot. Not just lukewarm. It's easy to clean and it has never, ever leaked. It is, what I like to call, "The Magic Mug". They sell it on Amazon, or you can purchase it at Meijer or Target. It's about $25.00, which is a little pricey for a coffee cup, but you will never need to buy another one. I promise. Promise. 

 

•  I love cups. Can you tell? Almost every store you go into is selling these plastic tumblers (like the one on the side, there). My mom bought me one that has cupcakes all over it and I love it a lot. I use it at work every single day and when we went to Disney World, they were in all the stores there. They are convenient and fun and good for the environment (I suppose?), so hooray!

•  I make tacos for dinner A LOT. That little red circle there, is a tortilla warmer. My parents bought me this contraption that resembles an oven mit, when they were vacationing in Arizona last Spring. It's AWESOME. You stick a few tortillas in it and heat it up in the microwave for about a minute (depending on how many tortillas you have) and they stay hot for at least 45 minutes. The very first time I used it, I couldn't stop raving about how amazing I thought it was. Seriously. I went on and on about it.

• I have been addicted to ice tea these last few months (the drink, not the rapper/actor). I usually make my own with the Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker that Jeff and I received years ago at our housewarming party. It makes really great tea, really fast and it only costs around $20.00!

• Last week, I was introduced to Nutter Butter's. Yeah, I know this delicious cookie has been around for years and years, but I recently discovered it whilst searching for an afternoon snack at work and have been addicted ever since. No, this is not a healthy treat, but really, does that matter?

• A few years ago, after watching an infomercial, my sister bought me The In-Styler for my birthday. It can curl your hair or straighten it, depending on how your feeling that day. I use it to curl my hair but don't even bother with the straightening aspect of it, since I have a flat iron. It's pretty pricey, but it works well if you have the patience to use it and don't mind the sound of a chain saw in your ear. Yeah, it's really loud but it makes your hair look pretty! (I believe they sell this at Target now too).

•  The movie, Waitress. It came out in 2007 and I have loved it ever since. It stars Keri Russell as Jenna, a waitress at a small town diner, who is in an unhappy marriage and Nathan Fillion as the new doctor in town. Being that she is already in a miserable marriage, Jenna is completely disappointed to find out that she is pregnant with her husband's (played by Jeremy Sisto) baby. When she meets Fillion's character at her first prenatal appointment, her life changes for the better. On the surface, the movie sounds pretty typical but it is one of the most charming movies I have ever seen. Keri Russell's character narrates throughout the film, and she is witty and frustrated and I love it. She loves to bake and is constantly coming up with new ideas for pie's and explains them in a really funny way. Honestly, this description doesn't do it justice, just trust me and check it out. It's sweet and cute and Nathan Fillion is in it. That's all you really need to know.

•  It may be too soon to say that I love the new show Pan Am (ABC, Sundays @ 10pm), but so far, I certainly like it a lot. It takes place in 1963 and focuses on the stewardesses of  (duh) Pan Am airlines. I like the way the show has presented itself with Lost style flashbacks, explaining where the characters were at in their lives 6 months earlier. I really like the 1960's feel to it, as well as the clothing, cars and just the general atmosphere. Throw in a little bit of espionage, and you have me hooked for the time being. Who's to say if this show will last, but for now, I will keep watching.

• The website The Berry. Dawn introduced me to this site a few weeks ago when I was real bored at work. All it is, is a collection of pictures in various different categories from food, to celebrities, to every day things that we all love. It is the perfect time waster to brighten up your day and make you smile. Also, they seem to have a love for Rupert Grint/Ron Weasley and that would make anyone a winner in my book. 

• A miscellaneous tidbit: I recently finished Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. It was pretty okay. I realize that that isn't a glowing compliment but it was decent enough. Those books are really hard to read sometimes because of all the Swedish lingo and whatnot and the last two books are told from about 47 billion different people's perspective. That's sort of an exaggeration... but that's what it feels like as you are reading it. It did tie up the series really well, I just felt like there was a ton of insignificant stuff/info thrown in along the way. So, do I recommend it? Sure, if you have a lot of patience and like a twisty, turny story told from various points of view, go pick it up!