December 2013 - January 2014 Favorites

Hey there! Yeah, I was lazy and didn't write a favorites post for December.  But honestly, most of the things I liked about December have also been my favorites for January as well.  Here goes...


Favorite Movie: Frozen, Frozen, and Frozen again! It was a hard decision since there were so many good movies to choose from, but I thought this one sent them all home crying (except The Hobbit Part 2, but more about that in a moment.) No, it had nothing to do with the red-head Norwegian-type princess (sarcasm — I loved the whole Norwegian thing). But I digress...

Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers here; but I do have to say this is probably the most wonderfully heart-wrenching movie I've seen from Disney in a while. The relationship between Anna and Elsa was beautifully developed, and there were several times I found myself choking up singing along with the music in the theater. As an older sister myself, Elsa was my favorite character, but I challenge you to watch this movie and then tell me you don't feel like giving Olaf the Snowman a "warm hug." Overall, I think this is a movie sisters should watch together, doesn't matter what age they are; because beneath the music and the lights, it's about the powerful love of two sisters who would do anything for each other.

If I asked really nicely, do you think Disney would hire me to play Anna as a day job?

Warning: the next portion of this movie review might contain a few spoilers.

In a close second comes The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. This movie would have made it to first place, but I do have a few reservations. One: I thought the script writers could have made it just as long while including more of the book. Namely, I was hoping for a longer Beorn scene, and seeing more of the spiders/Mirkwood might have been nice. Two: I don't remember Tauriel being anywhere in the LOTR universe. I haven't read the Silmarillion, so don't come after me with pitchforks if I'm wrong. I'm just thinking in terms of The Hobbit. She's pretty awesome in her own right, and she's adorable with Kili, but I feel like her presence pushes the boundaries of a story that's already a far cry from the book. However, I'm not going to complain about Legolas, because technically he would have been there seeing as he was Thuranduil's son. Tolkien just didn't know it yet since he wrote The Hobbit before The Fellowship of the Ring.

Now for the good things — if you're not watching the movie expecting it to be exactly like the book, it was pretty dang good. I loved how they included the story thread with Sauron (aka The Necromancer), and I think Thorin's and Bilbo's characters were much more relatable for the audience this movie targeted. I suppose it was like a grown-up's version of the children's book Tolkien wrote. My only hope for the next movie is that they don't swerve from the storyline any more than they already have. Although this movie was exciting and fun, as an author I wouldn't want someone taking that many liberties with my work either. I'd say it earned four stars.

Favorite Song: Okay, okay...I'm done talking about movies now. I'll be brief when it comes to music. These past two months, I've been kind of addicted to this group I found on YouTube called The Piano Guys. If you haven't heard of them yet, here's a link to one of my favorite songs, a cover of Titanium.

And this post would not be complete if I didn't mention Who I'd Be and I Know it's Today from Shrek the Musical. The production was actually pretty fun, and the actors did a good job of portraying their characters. At first I wasn't too keen on the guy who played Shrek, but I realized why they chose him the second he opened his mouth to sing. These songs will make a little more sense if you watch the whole musical on Netflix or YouTube.

Favorite Gloves: Really, these Good Girl/Bad Girl Fingerless Gloves just plain awesome. They keep your hands warm, look cool, can be dressed up or down, and they're so comfy. Nearly two months later, I still build my girls' day out look around them. If you want a pair, here's the link to the Etsy shop I bought them from, Xtremities. There are options for guys too ;-).

And that concludes the December-January Favorites post. In case anyone is wondering if I plan on blogging about other stuff besides...well...stuff, then don't worry. I do. These are just things I wanted to share my thoughts about. Once a month, I also plan on trying to write a book review, so keep an eye out; and there will be plenty of posts about places to visit in Oregon since I plan on travelling this summer. It's all part of Katharine's Korner.

Until next time....