loving films

For Christmas we received a membership to the Dallas Film Society. Being a member means you celebrate films and love the impact they have on society. When you see a movie whether in your home or in a theatre has it not made you feel a way that you get so touched by it that you can not get it out of your head? It's a way of  allowing your mind to believe that a film can have a way of changing what you think. I love films, some more than others. This was a perfect gift for me. The DIFF, Dallas International Film Festival (formerly AFI, American Film Institute) has a yearly celebration of films the early weeks of April. If you had not had the opportunity to attend keep in mind it is an experience like no other. In some cases you get to meet the actual movie stars but the whole point is that there are so many people that come from near and far to celebrate the art of filmaking. I still remember our first AFI Festival (DIFF) thanks to Becky Shoulders for getting us involved. Now thanks to Becky and Bart Shoulders for such a very special present, a membership to the Dallas Film Society. We get to watch prereleased movies all year long for free. Being a movie lover this really was an awesome gift. So for the year 2013 I will be a movie critique. I will try my best not to give the movie away. It will not be a paying job but heck I will enjoy it anyway

Warm Bodies:  You probably already know its a zombie movie but not your typical zombie movie, this one has a twist. This one has love in it. Is it scary? No. Is it a comedy? Well not really but you have your laugh moments. Does it have a happy ending? Yes. I would consider this a date movie. Its sweet and bad at the same time. How many of you feel like zombies sometimes? Picture yourself in a zombie mood and you see someone you are attracted too then your mood changes. You become alive your heart starts to beat just a little bit faster. We need love to feel alive. I would recommend this movie to the lovers out there or to the ones that are still waiting for love. Don't expect a lot of blood. It might make you realize that love is what keeps us going with out it you are just a dead state of mind. The soundtrack to this film will blow your mind. I give it four stars (so good wanting to watch it again).

 "You should always be taking pictures, if not with a camera then with your mind. Memories you capture on purpose are always more vivid than the ones you pick up by accident.”
― Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies

Safe Haven: This movie came with special guests. The movie was extra special because it dealt with death and the fact that this can be a real story made it more emotional. Special guests author Nicholas Sparks, daytime Emmy award winner, Josh Duhamel, and dancing with the stars' Julianna Hough, would be there for a q&a after the movie. Even though this movie portrayed the life of a man and his family it was a movie aimed for the ladies. It is a love story but before it becomes a love story there will be death. I already knew the ending before it ended but it will have you thinking about a certain character or two. It helps you deal with the loss of a loved one from a different point of view. In the words of Nicholas Sparks "there is no symbolism in this movie". The movie is based on the fact that you can get a second chance at life, so if the opportunity comes your way, take it. This is more of a romance with and edge, self healing. You will cry. I give it three stars (even though it was a good movie I will wait a while to watch it again)



before winning an Emmy Josh went to dental school
Julianna had a small part in Harry Potter and loves cheeseburgers

Look for these pretty soon at a theatre near you.

Who doesn't enjoy a movie?

If you fall asleep in a movie then you have not allowed your mind to think freely.

Stay tuned for more movie reviews.

wasted

Was invited to an art show this past Saturday it was tittled "Wasted". "Wasted" a food themed art show. When you go to an art show you tend to see a variety of arts but this one was particularly interesting. When they meant a food themed art show they really meant it. A lot of different ways of expressing the foods you eat. One of my favorites which was probably a favorite for others was the mural of a almost flesh gone skeleton with what seamed to be burger bites stuck between its teeth. I would like to tell you who drew it but all I know is that it was done with a cool prop. What you see on the floor is a huge burger and I love burgers so the idea of someone making this uniquely put together piece of work was just WOW. We saw bacon on the walls. Even chicken and waffles on canvas. It wouldn't have been complete with out the ra men noodles wrappers put into a collage of works on display as art.

Cocoandre Chocolatier

do you see a face? someone eating a heart? fries as toes?

DJ Dont Sleep

pizza box art

A donation of five dollars was made to attend with so much being given out it was well worth it. If you happened to be one of the first twenty to enter you could get a free "Wasted" t shirt. We didn't get one but because they were such good sports they had "Support Local Music" t shirts which we did manage to get for free with "Wasted" hats. Unlimited cupcakes from Sweet1020 unlimited ice cream by Carnival Barkers. There was to be some Serious Pizza but I never saw any. Did I mention chocolate wine. Cocoandre was there with their sweets had to get me some very pink and blue mustaches. They even had hamburger jewelry. It was really just fun to have been under a roof filled with real and fake food.

It was like no other art show I have seen in awhile. It's normally about the artist not the art. In this case it was all about the art thanks to the artist. Want to thank the ladies from Cocoandre for the invite had it not been for them we would have missed out on a fun show. The people were nice maybe because they were enjoying the atmosphere or the painting of a snickers on the wall. If they happen to do this again wouldn't miss it.

Maybe I can turn my sugar free candy wrappers into a work of art.

rediscoveries

I like going the the Nasher Sculpture Center. I really don't know why or how we even came about this museum. It might have been an exhibit in the past that we wanted to see and we got hooked on checking the rest of the exhibits out. The trick is that there is one day from every month with free admission so it was a plus for us. I like supporting the arts any form for that matter. I'm not an artist or try to be one heck I can't even doodle. But that doesn't stop me from admiring other peoples way of expressing themselves. I have my own artist and that is Heather. I love the ideas that pop in her head and see it become something. She is gifted.

Earlier this month the Nasher Sculpture Center posted that they were having a photo contest. If I can I always take pictures when we go. I take pictures of anything if I can. I decided to enter some photos. The point of the contest is to show what your memories were of the exhibits in the year 2012 or what your favorite exhibit memories were. The best photo wins a VIP pass. I know I won't win but wanted to share my pictures. I have a bad habit of sharing them already. I wasn't getting a response so I figured maybe they didn't like them but it didn't matter I already go for free so a VIP pass wasn't what mattered. Out off all the ones I sent in one was finally chosen and is being put up for the contest. It's not my favorite and that's okay just someone else that gets to check my pictures out. If I win hurray but if I loose hurray.

If you want to vote for the best photo go to the Nasher Sculpture Center facebook page and like the best photo for the most votes wins.


Some of my entries:

a three musketeers

hello friends

Have been out being busy with family life. A lot has been going on that its like a spanish novela. I have a lot planned for this year so bare with me as I give you new adventures for 2013.

I want to share with you a letter that dates back from when I was a little girl.

When things get rough we tend to have a family meeting at our parents house. We get together and talk about what needs to be done, how or who is in charge? I don't know how to explain it but as a family it keeps us closer, keeps us strong. An episode happened in our lives these past couple of weeks so it was meeting time. As we are having our meeting my dad brings out a bag and tells us to open it. As we go through the bag we couldn't believe the little treasures we found. He had through the years collected and kept our birthday cards or notes to him. We had so much fun reading them some were dated to be almost 25 years old. I always assumed our mother would keep our cards but never our father. We started reading them aloud and laughed couldn't believe we had written such words. Some still had birthday money saved in them. We then realized that we had stopped writing to our parents. As we read all the cards we came to the realization that we shouldn't have stopped. We didn't know how much it had meant to our father. Our day turned into years of remembering how those letters came about. Our frustration from earlier had changed to how family memories and laughs are what really matters.

I'm sharing this letter I wrote my father when I was a little girl. I barely knew how to write in english so my spanish wasn't any better. I was nine or ten when I wrote my dad this letter. Our father was a construction man, had been one for almost 37 years. He helped build streets and highways. I can assure you that you have driven your vehicle on a road he helped put together. His last project was the George Bush Turnpike he couldn't finish it because his health took a toll, he had to retire. His job required him to leave and work in other states. He hated it but it was his way of providing for his family. On one of his many times he had to leave us I wrote him this letter. I wrote how I hope he liked his letter and that I wished he didn't have to be so far. I told him how I had learned the new testament and now going to learn the old testament. How if he had any money when he came back if he could buy us all a three musketeers. These were our church going days. I still love god but realized that wasn't the church for us. By the end of the week whether it ended on a Friday or Saturday sometimes Sunday he would come home tired and tell us to open his lunch box and there would be one chocolate candy bar inside for me and my sisters to share. My two baby sisters didn't have teeth yet but when they started showing teeth we might have gotten lucky with two chocolate bars or king size to share. Those were the days, the good days when all you had to look forward to at the end of the week was a candy bar. Kids today wouldn't understand. I don't know why I wrote to my dad that we wanted a three musketeers that is today the least favorite candy bar. Heck my today would be a sugar free candy.

From the day that these letters came back into our lives we agreed to write to our father again didn't realize how important it was to him.

I don't want to think about the day that I won't have him but I would probably write him letters till I can't write anymore.

Write your dad a letter if he is no longer with you write it anyway who knows maybe he will still hear it.

Just in case you were wondering. I was upset to hear that I wouldn't be getting a toll tag free for life.