Halloween!

For me Wednesdays mean Office days with my dad. We eat dinner and watch the previous week's episode on the DVR. A guy from my office just came in dressed up like Three-Hole-Punch Jim...

I really could not love this show more. I love how Angela, Pam, and Phyllis all dressed up as black cats. That was my old standby costume too...either that or a "London punk." This year I'm "Bachelorette Party Erin." Because I didn't go home and am wearing what I wore to Melissa's bachelorette party last night. Ha!

Dad Loves His Work

Okay, so if you know me at all, you know that I love THIS GUY:

James Taylor. Circa 1970-something above and 2000-something below.

His music is the soundtrack of my childhood, my memories of road trips with my parents, of the shared love of music I have with my dad. I've seen him in concert a few times as well as his son Ben, who sounds just like him but clearer (even you might like him Nadeen), who is exactly my age. If there is one person who loves James maybe more than I do, it's my mother. He's one of those "celebrities" who our family has always thought would be our friend if only we had the chance to meet.

Well everyone, I am here to tell you that dreams do come true.

My parents flew over to Spokane yesterday morning for an early birthday getaway in honor of my mom (her birthday is in November.) James Taylor is performing a concert there tonight. They arrived at their hotel and saw several tour buses parked across the street at a nicer hotel. "That's where the band must be staying," thought my dad. As the bellboy began to help unload the car, my dad casually asked, "So what's going on over there?" "Oh," the bellboy replied, "James Taylor is in town." "Oh really?" asked my father nonchalantly. "How funny, that's why we're here." "Well," responded the bellboy conspiritorially, "He's actually staying here at this hotel." Delighted but playing it cool, my parents had hopes of catching a glimpse of JT at the hotel wine reception held every afternoon in the lobby. They saw several people who "looked like they fit the description" of band members or roadies, but no JT. My mom was hoping only to catch a glimpse of him across the room. After a while they decided to go out and get a bit to eat as it was getting later and they were hungry. They decided on P.F. Chang's because I had been to one in Las Vegas several years ago and said it was good. It was crowded so they sat at the bar in the lounge and ordered drinks and appetizers. After a few minutes a very nice server came over and offered them a booth that had just opened up, and they happily obliged. As they were perusing the menu my dad began to notice that several people who had been at the hotel began to filter in. Their server came over and as they were all talking my mom glanced over and saw sitting in the stool that my father had vacated only minutes before, James Taylor himself. She couldn't help but say, "Oh my goodness, I think that is James Taylor!" Glancing over, my dad said "It is James Taylor!" Their server, being extremely kind and also oblivious as to who James Taylor was, must have thought my parents knew him personally. "Do you want me to go over and tell him to come say hi?" he asked. "Oh no," said my mother. "You don't have to do that. You don't have to disturb him." "Oh, it's no problem," he said and wandered over to the bar. In shock my parents watched as he tapped JT on the shoulder and pointed at the two of them. They waved and smiled, and over he came! And sat down in the booth next to my mother and proceeded to talk to them for about 10 minutes. They talked about their families, about the tour, about songs, about collaborations with other artists. When I talked to my mom on the phone immediately after this encounter, she was giddy with excitement. "He's so nice, so genuine, really the greatest," she said. A couple of hours later when they were nearly done with dinner, my dad called again and relayed rather breathlessly that they had talked to James three more times during the course of the evening (all initiated by JT) and at one point, he came back to their table and sat next to mom again to watch part of the World Series (he's a Red Sox fan of course, as he calls Massachusetts home.) I still can't believe it! What a chance meeting. What a memory! I am so happy for my parents...and so proud of them, for being friendly, for not being too timid, for obviously making the legendary JT feel as though he'd just met a couple of new friends.

I'd be lying if I didn't also say that boy oh boy, I wish I had been there too.

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!

Party People

*This one reminds me of some candid photo in Vogue...socialites at some cozy club in New York (in the wee hours of the morning of course)*

*This is one of my favorites...we both look so geeky chic...like we're in a band!*

I remember reading a few years ago about Kate Moss' 30th birthday party in New York...the theme was F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Beautiful and Damned" (very Gatsby-esque) and all of the guests dressed up as glamourous '20s-era flapper girls and dapper gentlemen. The party was legendary. Kate herself was radiant in a sequined midnight-blue number, a cascade of ringlets, and supersmoky eyes...and ever since I've had that image in my mind for my own 30th birthday bash. Now of course our crowd is not as debauched as Kate's (beautiful but hopefully not damned) but we do know how to look good and have a good time. The party was to be intimate, glamourous, and smart...Hanson-family style. I felt very pretty in my Marc Jacobs dress, black buckled ankle boots, and feather-tipped eyelashes. I really have the loveliest friends.

Into the Wild

Went with some of the South End Gang to see this last night...I loved this movie. LOVED this movie. It was beautiful, haunting, compelling, real, tragic, fascinating, quiet, exhilerating, sad. The narrative style reminded me of The Virgin Suicides (another favorite if you recall.) The soundtrack was incredible (I do have a soft spot for Eddie Vedder)...in a way it captured so perfectly the era of the early '90s. Emile Hirsch was extraordinary. I've never paid him much attention but he made me fall in love with him. This character was so many boys I know, and was me as well, and everyone who has ever felt trapped in an ordinary life or wished just for once to be alone, alone with their thoughts, alone with God, alone with nature. Well done, Sean Penn. I've always wanted to read the book (by Jon Krakauer) and now I think I must!

October Tuesday

DINOSAURS!!

I am a kid who never grew out of the dinosaur stage. I love them. In my late teens I was seriously considering becoming a paleantologist. But then I realized I would have to go to school in the desert and I lost my zeal. At WWU the best class I ever took was Geology 430 with Professor Thor Hanson. (Yes, he looked like a viking.) It was all about dinosaurs. The best part was I took the class at the time the sequel to Jurassic Park (The Lost World) hit the theaters and our entire class went to see the movie as a field trip. Film and science together...bliss! It was so much fun to analyze what the filmmakers got right and what was ridiculous (based on the scientific, historical evidence and theory). You might find this strange coming from a Creative Writing Major but I must admit...I also love science. What a paradox! I have a secret dream of being an archaeologist or paleantologist, searching through clay and dust for ancient bones or remnants of civilizations swallowed up by earth and time. When I was a girl I was obsessed for a time with ancient Egypt, the pyramids, Nefertiti, hieroglyphics. I invented my own hieroglyphic language and imagined that if reincarnation existed at all then I was certainly once a Nile Princess. Even now when I see characters in movies like Etheline Tenenbaum (Anjelica Huston) a little bubble of desire rises in my heart to be that focused, intelligent, studious, adventurous in a bookish way.

Anyway. All this to say that last night I found out the Pacific Science Center currently has a huge exibit on "Colossal Fossils!" as well as a 3D IMAX film on dinosaurs. How did I not know?! I've got to get over there and see it all.

Vogue Quotes

Whiling away an hour with the August 2007 issue...

"On the one hand, she is almost spookily ageless...on the other hand, this is not necessarily what she had in mind. 'I think I assumed I would be married and have a kid by the age I am now. It kind of occurred to me for the first time this last year: I actually want to go on and have kids...It's this weird pressure that I probably shouldn't even talk about.' But she does talk about it, with charming frankness: 'You know how people ask, Who is the love of your life? God, I hope I haven't met that person yet, in a way, because I'm single. I hope I haven't had that, since that would be sad.'"

(Interview with Winona Ryder, who is 35)

"The Delevingne sisters [Poppy and Chloe] are divine...they are much better than just 'It Girls'. They are intelligent, not wild, rather grounded, very glamourous. The virtue of the English girl is this quality of insouciance. It's not whip-poor-will flighty; it is an informed charm."

I can't WAIT for this weekend!!

They can have the night.

Mark Wahlberg. Joaquin Phoenix. Robert Duvall. Sounds great, right?

WRONG.

Went to see We Own the Night on Friday with some of my intense-action-movie buddies (different friends for different genres) and have to say that this was probably one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time. Shockingly bad. From the definition-of-gratuitous opening sex scene to the meandering, predictable plot to the lack of character detail, BLECH. I almost fell asleep in the theater, and that never happens. I don't know what went wrong...great actors, and the fault is not theirs (I don't think...I couldn't help but think of the whispered reports of poor Joaquin's substance-abuse issues in the scenes where his character was all drugged out on coke). Waste of time and money. Sad! (Almost everyone else I saw it with thought it was "pretty good." I say, if you want Mark Wahlberg in a really good gritty crime drama, watch Four Brothers or The Departed. And for Joaquin at his struggling-while-intoxicated best, watch Walk the Line.)

I think I loved it...

The Darjeeling Limited.

(Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson.)

I have been in anticipation of this film for months...last night I finally got my chance to see it at an advanced screening downtown. (Thanks Isaac and Nathan!)

Classic Wes Anderson...I just love his style. This one was less funny and more serious than some of the others (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), and the plot was a bit more meandering and random...but he just nails the details of these characters in such a vibrant way. The colors were amazing. I'll want to see it again of course...Royal Tenenbaums is still my favorite but this one might be second.

Seattle Times Review: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2003942720_darjeeling12.html

P.S. I want that Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton luggage!!

A couple more pictures from Monday

night...

Riding Falcor!

SURPRISE!!!

I seriously have the BEST friends in the world!!!

With my best '80s boys, Atreyu (of the Plains People who hunt the Purple Buffalo) and Bastian Balthazar Bux.















With Finn and Bridget
















The most delicious Dark Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake!!

Brian, Dan, and Andrew devour it...

Some of the gang relaxes after a hard night's party.

Our regular '80s Movie Night turned into a SURPRISE! Party for my birthday (about two weeks early)! I was so flattered and felt so loved. GRILLED CHEESE & TOMATO SOUP dinner, chocolate cake, coffee, THE NEVERENDING STORY, lots of laughter, chocolates from Boehm's, great music, a VENUS FLYTRAP, memories shared...*sigh* Still in the afterglow. I don't know what I did to deserve such fabulousness but it's got me walking on sunshine.

Jason Schwartzman

(Thank you NYLON magazine for the photo)

In a word, YES. I cannot WAIT to see The Darjeeling Limited.

Time waits for no woman!

Sorry the blog has been a bit dull of late with nothing but info on movies and stars and fashion and little of my life. I've been so busy (and now *cough cough!* sick) that I've had little free time for the computer. Here's just a little taste of my last weekend:

And of my weekend to come:

Traveling, traveling, to friends near and far. More to follow.

It's OCTOBER! I rejoice! Hope I get to enjoy some of the wind and leaves and bluster and quietness and smokiness and bracing chill.

Shining like a star...

Love this girl.

Don't want to infringe on her privacy so I'll be a bit vague but I was delighted to see her proclaim that Jesus Christ is her Lord and Savior and be baptized in front of the church yesterday in LA. What an influence this young lady could have in Hollywood...she's so well esteemed already and I think she's only thirteen years old. I felt so convicted to pray for her on a regular basis and am eager to see how she continues to develop in the spotlight. I believe so strongly that we are always in God's place at God's time and felt so privileged to be a witness to this young lady's statement of belief yesterday. Praise the Lord for the lights shining out in the darkness!

3:10 to Yuma

YES.
















Great film. An intelligent action/adventure that takes place in the "Old West" of the 1800's. Christian Bale in a performance I can spread the word about. He is amazing. (Of course I'd say that...as you all know his is the most beautiful face I've ever seen and has been since I was fifteen.) Russell Crowe is also great as usual. The kid from Jack & Bobby. And a cameo from another of my favorite actors (of all time...haha.) One of the best movies I've seen this year (despite some suspension-of-disbelief plot points) in the humble opinion of this critic. I love the Oscar Bait season!