Thursday, April 24, 2008

Score!!!

Sorry for the low quality pics, but I forgot to bring my camera to Game 6, First Round of the Western Division Stanley Cup Playoffs. The STARS beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in the game, and 4 games to 2 in the series.






Handshake after the game.














Another after the game pic.














Mike Modano gets interviewed.











Here's my personal winning score from the DFW FiberFest:














There's an abacus bracelet in the little baggy on the top left. The purple yarn below is Brooks Farm Mas Acero for a sweater. In the middle, top to bottom: Lone Star Arts sock yarn in Aggieland, three skeins of MadelineTosh sock yarn in Fawn, Vintage Apron and Vermillion, one skein of Cascade sock yarn in Dallas STARS Green (my name for it) and two skeins of Koigu in a pinky colorway. On the right, we have Colinette Jitterbug in Fire and two skeins of Trinity Ridge Alpaca yarn in the natural winter white color from their alpaca named Patience.

Needless to say, I had tons of fun at both events.

MK out.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Sometimes It Feels Like Somebody's Watching Me

Since the Oscars, there hasn't been the same determined pace to watch as many movies as is humanly possible, but I haven't quit watching movies...

The Hottest State – Ethan Hawke wrote the book, adapted the screenplay and has a small role in this movie. Mark Webber plays an aspiring actor who moves from Texas to New York to make it in the movies. He meets a flaky, struggling singer/songwriter, played by Catalina Sandino Moreno. They have a 6-night stand in Mexico that we get to see and it borders on pornography. He falls totally in love and she does not. He spends most of the rest of the film trying to get her back, and displaying anger management issues of the nth degree, as well as immaturity. The dialogue is the usual Ethan Hawke fare – too wordy and redundant. He also wrote Before Sunrise and Before Sunset – both movies that I really didn’t like. To be fair – all three of these movies have a good story, but the dialogue – again - wordy and redundant. The actors have all this stuff to say, and try to act as if it is all spontaneous and natural, but it comes out sounding very forced and too much.
The Darjeeling Limited – Three estranged brothers travel through in India, looking for their mother and reconnecting. They bring with them lots of baggage – actual suitcases, as well as the emotional kind. It was kinda funny. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman star as the brothers. Angelica Huston plays their mother. I liked it.
Ira and Abby – I loved the movie Kissing Jessica Stein. Jennifer Westfeldt, who wrote and starred in KJS, wrote and stars in this relationship movie (read chick flick) too, about a couple who meet and become engaged on the same day. Chris Messina plays Ira, who is a very neurotic guy. The in-laws are played by Judith Light, Robert Klein, Frances Conroy and Fred Willard. It was very good.
August Rush – This movie, starring Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers – with a little Robin Williams for spice and effect – is about a cellist and a rock star who have a one night stand and who go on separately with their lives. In another storyline, there is an orphan growing up believing that his mother is out there looking for him. It was cute.
Take the Lead – Antonio Banderas plays a guy who comes into an inner city school and tames the outcasts with ballroom dance lessons. It was good, but a renter.
Martian Child – See this movie…it is cute, cute cute!!! John Cusack plays a widower who decides to go forth with the plan he and his wife had prior to her death to adopt a child. He finds a little boy in a group home who is rather odd. Joan Cusack and Amanda Peet also star in this precious movie about acceptance.
No Reservations – A high-powered chef in a New York restaurant (Catherine Zeta-Jones) inherits her niece and has to deal with child-care and schools for the first time. Patricia Clarkson plays the owner of the restaurant, who has to find another chef (Aaron Eckhart) to fill in temporarily. It is an adaptation of Mostly Martha. I thought MM was a better movie, but this one is cute too.
Arranged – Two young women, an Orthodox Jew and a Syrian Muslim, meet at the school where they teach. They become friends. Each has reached the age of marriage, and each culture has their way of “arranging” for the marriage of their children…very good movie.
Nancy Drew – A cute little movie about the girl who solved those mysteries in all those books I read in second grade. It’s a good family picture, but definitely a renter.
Cowboy Del Amor – This documentary is about a man who takes other men down to Mexico to meet women to marry. It was amusing.
Don’t Move – When I first turned on this movie, in Italian with English subtitles, I thought – “That girl kinda looks like Penelope Cruz.” Um, it was Penelope Cruz – They tried to make her look a little homely, but you can’t mistake her eyes. Sergio Castellito, who was the male lead in Mostly Martha, wrote the screenplay (with the help of his wife, who authored the book by the same name), directed and starred in the film. This movie is about a surgeon whose daughter suffers a horrible accident. While in the waiting room not knowing if his kid is going to live or die, he remembers a relationship from long ago. It was good.


MK out.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Here's What Happens When You Combine Two Obsessions

I persuaded the Dallas STARS into hosting a Sticks N Stitches event. It was held on March 9, 2008 (I know, I know...MK is a bad blogger),


There were goody bags.












There was crocheting.














There was knitting.














There was more knitting.













There was hockey watching. The STARS beat the Colorado Avalanche, by the way.











Sixty-five squares were collected to be joined into an afghan and to be donated to a local charitable entity in honor of Warm Up America.








Now, I have to sew the thing together...

MK out.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Fiber Fest - Day 3

Yes, I realize that there weren't posts from Day 1 or Day 2.

Here's a summary:

Day 1 - Dropped car off for service. They did have a loaner for me, so SCORE! Drove over to the Addison and jumped in with two feet. Hectic day for me. The fashion show was that night. I was trying to coordinate the teacher submissions and getting the descriptions, in between shopping the vendor hall and helping out where needed. The Woolie Ewe sponsored the fashion show, and it was fabu. They let me model a few garments, too. I got home around 10:30, fell into bed and was very sad when the alarm clock woke me up on....

Day 2 - I didn't want to get out of bed because I felt as if a mack truck had hit me. I did manage to drag myself back to Addison for the day. Less stressful day, but busy. Helped where needed and spent more money.

I am walking out the door as I type. Will check back later.

MK out.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

DFW Fiber Fest

What: The DFW Fiber Fest - classes, vendors, people celebrating all things fiber.
When: April 4-6, 2008 - This weekend.
Where: Addison Conference Center - Addison, TX

Be there, or be square.

Will try to check back and give updates, but I'm not promising.

P.S. I owe y'all (now that there are two of you) a big update on Dallas STARS Sticks N Stitches. I've got pictures and everything!

MK out.