skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Do y'all remember this top?
I finished the knitting last February, and I never got around to seaming it together. I figured out why...It is just too small. I thought I had worked out the gauge and the measurements and everything...but no...
So it sat in the black hole since then until today. I came across it and decided it was time to finish it.
Yep, I frogged it and am going to start over.
MK out.
I really enjoyed watching The Academy Awards last night. I think it was the best one in quite a while. It wasn't perfect, but it was good overall. I was thrilled that The Academy agreed with four of my five picks, too!
So, Carole asks us to tell Ten Thoughts on This Year's Oscars. I have more than ten, but here are my comments:
1. I was so happy to see Billy Crystal hosting. He's made for the part.
2. Michelle Williams got robbed. I loved everyone else's performances, but...On a side note, Meryl was wearing a gold dress last night, and when I saw a clip of her last Oscar win and she was wearing a gold dress then, I thought "She's going to win tonight."
3. Nine movies are too many nominations for Best Picture. I would've stuck with The Artist, The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, Hugo and The Help.
4. What was with Angelina Jolie and that pose? Does anyone else out there think she looks too thin...as in dangerously?
5. I did not like Sandra Bullock's look for the evening. The outfit was not flattering and that flat hairdo thing has got to go. It is too severe for her, and she has more personality than that.
6. Melissa McCarthy should have consulted me about what to wear.
7. I loved the clothes (except see numbers 5&6). Some of my favorites were Mila Jovovich, Michelle Williams, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis.
8. I thought the skit with Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey, Jr. was kind of dumb. Gwyneth looked great though.
9. I cannot believe that Harry Potter didn't win anything...not even the Makeup award.
10. Why is Sasha Baron Cohen such an attention whore that he always seems to go for the bad attention?
and one more, because there are really so many more thoughts...
11. I am so glad that Uggie was allowed to be a part of the action.
Hope you enjoyed the show...
MK out.
The Oscars are tonight! I did see the last two movies on my list and am ready for the show! I have never been invited to an Oscar-watching party, which may be because I don't think I have any friends who throw them. I know I'd like to have one, but it just hasn't ever worked out...but all in good time...
Glenn Close and Janet McTeer both gave wonderful performances in Albert Nobbs. They have both been nominated for Oscars. Close plays the title character, a woman, who has chosen to live her life as a man in 19th century Dublin in order to be able to work and have financial security. It is obvious that Albert is pretty naive about many things in life and it is easy to feel sorry for her, because you see what's coming at every one of her turns. McTeer plays Hubert Page, a house painter, who we come to find out is also living her life as a man, but in happier circumstances. Mia Wasikowska also stars in this very well acted, very good story of a movie. I liked it.
In Warrior, Nick Nolte (nominated for Best Supporting Actor) plays Paddy, an ex-Marine alcoholic with almost 1000 days sobriety. He trained both his sons to wrestle in high school, but one son felt Paddy seemed to favor one over the other. Now grown, both sons come to the conclusion that they must fight for their livelihood. Tommy, (Tom Hardy), is a Marine who fought in the Middle East. He hates Paddy and Brenden for deserting him and his mom. Brenden (Joel Edgerton) had stayed with his dad because he had a girlfriend (now his wife) that he didn't want to leave behind. There is much tension in this family over perceptions that are more complicated than each person thinks. It is a fight movie with mixed martial arts. The fight scenes are hard to watch, but the story is good, and the final battle is predictable. It was a good movie though, and Nolte did a pretty good job.
So, now it is down to the nitty gritty...MK has to make her picks (not predictions)...
Best Supporting Actress - This category is a toughie for me. Each of the actresses up for the prize did really well. There were no obvious standout performances in my opinion. The nominees are Berenice Bejo in "The Artist," Jessica Chastain in "The Help," Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids," Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs," Octavia Spencer in "The Help." The MK pick is Octavia Spencer.
Best Supporting Actor - It's another category with good actors and good performances and no obvious front-runner in MKs book. The nominees are Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn," Jonah Hill in "Moneyball," Nick Nolte in "Warrior," Christopher Plummer in "Beginners," Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." The MK pick is Christopher Plummer.
Best Actress - I stand by my pick of a few weeks ago, but the nominees are Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs," Viola Davis in "The Help," Rooney Mara in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady," and Michelle Williams in "My Week With Marilyn." All these ladies were extremely good, but the front-runner for the MK pick remains Michelle Williams.
Best Actor - This category at least has some variability for me, but all the performances were good. The nominees are Demian Bechir in "A Better Life," George Clooney in "The Descendants," Jean Dujardin in "The Artist," Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Brad Pitt in "Moneyball." The MK pick is Jean Dujardin.
Best Picture - The nominees are "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," "The Help," "Hugo," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life," "War Horse." All were good movies, but the standout and MK pick goes to The Artist.
I know that Oscar frequently disagrees with me...and after having learned recently that the Academy is comprised of mostly older males..there is no wonder. I enjoy watching the movies and I enjoy watching the Oscars and I enjoy picking the movies I think should win in the big five categories. It's all just for fun...
MK out.
Today's WIP Wednesday is of a different sort....It's about movies. I still have to see two before Sunday...and they are Albert Nobbs and Warrior.
That implies that I've seen all the others that I wanted to see before the Oscars. I haven't commented on two of them, so here they are:
Hugo is a fanciful little film about a boy who tries to fulfill his late father's dream of completing an automaton (automated man). I did not see the 3-D version, but I thought the CGI was good in 2-D. Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz star in this family film. It was very good.
In A Better Life, an undocumented Mexican (Carlos) who works as a gardener is trying to raise his son (Luis) in the gang-infested parts of LA. When his boss decides to sell his trucks and tools to Carlos, he sees it as his chance to better his life, despite knowing that his lack of a driver's license would mean sure deportation if he got stopped for any reason. When the truck gets stolen, the action heats up. It was a very good story and well acted film. Demian Bechir, who plays Carlos, has been nominated for Best Actor. This category is tougher for me to pick a favorite. After I see Warrior, I may have a better handle on it. Anyway, I liked it.
I also saw non-Oscar contender Big Miracle last weekend. Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Ted Danson and more star in this film based on the true story about a family of grey whales who got caught in an ice cell in the Arctic Circle. Greenpeace, the US government, the Russians...they all get involved to try and get these whales out to the open ocean. It's a cute, little, predictable family movie.
As far as knitting goes...I am almost finished with the gusset decreases on my February socks. Nothing else new to report...
MK out.
I finished the basketweave blanket last month, and have been waiting for a sunny day for a shot of it. I did take a picture of it with my phone while we were in Florida; so, it will have to do:
The pattern is modified from the Basketweave Blanket by Classic Elite, in their #9081 Puddle Jumpers booklet. I don't have the booklet...I reverse engineered the pattern - I don't know what numbers they used, but it looks close enough to me. I used size 4.5mm needles and Caron Wintuk yarn in Fisherman. It took 5 skeins of it. I remember this yarn from long ago. I am so glad we have yarns these days that are easier on the hands.
Off to knit...maybe, I'll have something finished to show you next week.
MK out.
Here are my Ten Favorite Chocolate Treats, in no particular order:
1. Peanut M&Ms
2. Recce's Peanut Butter Cups
3. Almond Joy
4. Snickers
5. Chocolate-covered cherries
6. Chocolate-covered almonds
7. Chocolate-dipped strawberries
8. Brownies
9. Hot chocolate
10. Anything Godiva.
You can read Carole's list and more here.
Happy Valentine's Day!
MK out.
