Cinema Sunday

Cabin in the Woods

Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods. Plot summary from IMDB

As a rule I don't go to see horror movies in the theater. I enjoy watching horror movies, but after a horrible experience in high school seeing The Grudge, seeing them on the big screen is not for me. 

Knowing that, I wish I had seen Cabin in the Woods earlier and in the theater. Thankfully, Aaron is amazing and got it for us to watch at home last weekend. So many Joss Whedon people!!! I really liked that this movie has the horror genre at heart, but with an added layer of introspective comedy. It's very clever and achieves turning the genre on it's head.

Looper

"In 2072, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self." Plot summary from IMDB

Aaron and I went to see Looper yesterday afternoon after we got back from the State Farmers Market. As a long time Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan, I had been looking forward to seeing his latest for a long time, and I was not disappointed. 

Looper is a sci-fi movie centered around time travel but it does a great job of not getting hung up on itself in a typical sci-fi way. It is set in the future (from now) and again the future from then (30 years forward) but it doesn't feel overdone in a sci-fi way.

Obviously Joseph Gordon-Levitt is amazing as a cocky junkie assassin, but let's be honest, he has never let me down. Even though he was made up to look like young Joe, I do not think JGL looked very much like Bruce Willis (older Joe). Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and adorably creepy Pierce Gagnon did a great job pulling together the emotional part of the story, which gave the plot solid backing. My two favorite scenes were when one of the Looper's older self begins to disappear and at the end when Cid gets to work on a man who is threatening his mom.

Go see it!

Read More:

• Ten Mysteries in Looper Explained by Director Rian Johnson on Slash Film
• ‘Looper’ Throws Studio Sci-Fi For A Loop on Film School Rejects
• 'Looper': Five Reasons You Have To See It on MTV Movies Blog

We have a collection of movies in our queue to watching this weekend/week so I should have more Cinema Sunday posts coming as long as I can keep up. Also, I am going to write a Fall TV post sometime this week!

Simply Saturday

Wedding Wednesday: Fairy Tale Bridal

Love Changes Everything... As Ariel soon finds out when she places her heart above all else. Willing to cross oceans for true love, she discovers the world beyond the sea is all that she dreamed it would be. 

So, today's Wedding Wednesday post is a little out of order since I am no where close to picking our a dress yet, but as I have started to search the Internet for inspiration, I came across the Disney Fairy Tale Wedding collection and thought that it would be fitting to feature my favorite Disney princess, the Ariel collection. The collection includes the bridal gown, bridal veil, a hoochie brides maid dress and a flower girl dress.

 I am not a fan of 'mermaid' style dresses but don't hate the Ariel dress. The Cinderella dress from the first collection is actually my favorite dress, but I am probably going to look for something a little smaller and way less expensive.

I was excited to see this collection when it first came out last year. I like the "Your fairy tale awaits" and "Dreams do come true" concept that fits Disney so well with this collection, but at the same time, Disney might be setting hopes too high. A wedding and a marriage isn't a fairy tale, it's real life! I think that I will feel like a princess, just like Ariel on our wedding day.

My Weekend, In Snapshots

to see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) I spent Friday morning packing for our weekend trip and opening packages. Wedding surprises have begun! After Aaron got home we ate lunch and went to the office to pick up our new bookcases!

2) We left Raleigh around 2pm so we would miss the Northern VA/Washington D.C. traffic madness. We stopped for dinner at the Cracker Barrel (Robinson family tradition!) in Dumfries. I was very excited to check in to the restaurant on Yelp! After dinner we walked through the shop and took pictures with adorable, fluffy stuff animals. We arrived at my parents house in MD later that evening and spent a couple of hours catching up with them before going to bed.

3) On Saturday morning Aaron and I picked up Lissan and left MD early to make it to the wedding venue by 11am. We got through the rehearsal, went to dinner in Leesburg, and drove around the area to not 1 or 2, but 3 vineyards! 

4) Vineyard #2

5) On Saturday night we went to vineyard #3 for dinner, more wine and a U2 cover band concert! It was way more fun than I had expected. They weather was perfect, the music was familiar and the company was unforgettable!

6) Lissan and I getting our hair and make-up done for the wedding!

7) Husband and wife!

8) A photo of all of the girls from high school after dancing the night away at the reception!

Wow! This weekend was amazing and it flew by so fast! I wish we could do it all over again and again and again. It was such a joy being with old friends, meeting new ones and making memories. The wedding was beautiful from ceremony to her dress and the flowers. Congrats to the happy couple!

Friday Favorites

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Nature, you are beautiful. Right now most of my tumblr likes feed is filled with unbelievable nature photography. Forest, beach, mountains, close up flower shots, under water shots, I love it all. You go nature.

How cute is this Donut Dishtowel from Crate & Barrel towel that my aunt, uncle and cousins sent in an engagement present package? So cute! It looks even better in our kitchen than it does on the website.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Sundays! On Sunday mornings Aaron and I like to treat ourselves to breakfast and since Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, it is my favorite treat! Okay, I had one this morning, but usually they are just for Sundays!

What a sweet face!

Aaron and I are setting off for Columbia tonight and then Leesburg tomorrow for a wedding weekend! I am so excited to see high school friends and be a brides maid at Kristin's wedding! 

Hope you have a good weekend!

Technology in the Field of Obsolescence

I spotted this video in my Facebook feed this morning and knew that I wanted to repost it on my blog today. I am always a big fan of the videos that Etsy puts out and this one especially spoke to me.

Handmade Portraits: USB Typewriter from Etsy on Vimeo

Also, the Hive76 company motto, "Make things awesome by making awesome things" is brilliant.  Click here to read the post that goes along with the video on Etsy.

I really like the message in this video about how technology will no longer be passed down in the way that it once was. As a lover of both technology and collecting vintage treasures, I can see the importance of transforming old technology and bringing it together with new technology so it might carry on into future generations. 

This message about obsolescence rings true especially with the announcement of the iPhone 5 yesterday. As I watched the live feed of the Apple conference in San Fransisco in real time on theverge.com, I thought about how quickly technology changes and we must constantly keep upgrading our skills and understanding.

I work at a web design company, which means technology is essential. We discuss tech trends and changes every day and how it affects our business. When the internet doesn't work, our hands are tied. When the GoDaddy servers went down earlier this week, we almost had to call it a day since we couldn't access most of our client websites. So much of our business is based on uncontrollable outside factors, so we have to stay on top of everything!

Anyway, now I am going to watch the first 2 episodes of The New Normal, play catch with the kitten and get ready for my morning eye appointment and then work. Ciao!

As Tall as a Tree

It might not me Caturday, but I think we are all in need of some kitten cuteness this morning. Skwisgaar is growing very quickly! Since we adopted him he has settled into our little home and routine. He is less focused on jumping up on everything or getting behind every piece of furniture we have, partly because he is getting too big to fit. He still loves to play with all of the kitten toys in his basket and giving kisses and snuggles.

Skwisgaar and I hope you have a good day!

My Weekend, In Snapshots

to see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) We spent some time on Saturday touring the grounds of a possible wedding venue. Apparently even though we have 13 months until our wedding, we are already behind on booking a venue!

2) Picking up dinner from Moe's in Briar Creek. They have a fancy soda machine that will mix any soda with a fruit flavor syrup! I got Strawberry Lemonade. 

3) So much baby kitten love.

4) The temp so we turned off the A/C and left the sliding door to the balcony open when we were home. When the door is open Skwisgaar is glued to this spot. He loves watching cars and people go by.

5) I made an 8am run for Pumpkin spice coffee and wedding magazines.

6) I made a pitcher of kiwi pineapple spa water on Sunday afternoon with left over fruit.

We had a relaxing weekend with some wedding excitement tossed in. We are looking forward to spending next weekend in Virginia with friends to celebrate my best friend Kristin's wedding!

Simply Saturday

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Friday Favorites

This will be my baby! This little gem showed up in a mermaid costumes collection in a weekly Etsy email and I literally squealed! I might have to start hoarding collecting cute baby stuff starting with this Crochet Baby Mermaid Outfit created by Warm Fuzzy Boutique (don't tell Aaron). 

I am a big fan of the Modcloth "Be the Buyer" program and this coat that I voted on months ago was just picked! The Not a Cloud in Sight Coat is now available for sale on the website!!! Can I have a wedding registry on Modcloth...?

  The Evergreen color on the ceiling of this porch! I really like how it looks against the clean white of the walls and the woodsy background. Sunny Autumn afternoons with a cup of tea would be so pleasant in this space!

These might be the more perfect pair of classic loafers that I have ever laid eyes on. This shoe combines my favorite styles - nautical, classic, feminine and a little quirky. Beatnik Baby Striped Loafers by Shelly's on Ruche, please go on sale!

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The Many Muted Tones of Wes Anderson

Hope you have a good weekend! We are going to look at a few potential wedding venues, maybe see an afternoon screening of Celeste and Forever and possibly going downtown tonight for First Friday!

So, Tell Me About Yourself

Heels or flats:

Current favorite beauty product:

Coffee or tea drink of choice:

Something you're looking forward to this week:

Something you're saving up for:

Copy and paste to leave your answers in the comments below!

>> Here are my answers <<

Heels or flats: I mostly wear flats even though I like the look of heels better. I have a hard time finding comfy heels (if you know of any, let me know!). When I am running around town on post office trips and coffee stops, my feet have to be comfy! I try to wear wedges, but usually just default to flats.

Current favorite beauty product: My new Falsies mascara! 

Coffee or tea drink of choice: usual - tall double iced mocha, seasonal - tall double pumkin spice latte, tea - refresh by Tazo

Something you're looking forward to this week: Going out tomorrow night with our friends for bar trivia night!

Something you're saving up for: Our wedding, duh.

Wedding Wednesday: Our Vision

With the help of our new Wedding Checklist from Offbeat Bride, Aaron and I have been going though and checking off the items in the "A Year or More Away" list. So far we are right on track! Whew! One of the items is to sit down with your partner and agree on a vision for the wedding. Since we have only been engaged for 2 weeks, we haven't had time to plan that many details yet, but here are the three key elements of our wedding vision so far.

Raleigh

We have fallen in love with Raleigh. I think I might have said this before - this city is the 4th member of our family. Elisha, Aaron, Skwisgaar and little Raleigh. We have had more excitement and fun since we moved here in June than we did the entire year that we lived in Miami. We knew very quickly after moving here that we wanted to have a local wedding in our new hometown. Aaron and I have friends and family from Ohio, Florida, Maryland, and all over the country. No matter what, someone would be traveling to attend our wedding, so why not bring everyone to us? We want to show off our North Carolina pride! The photo below is from my inspiration folder. The couple were married at a venue downtown and then rode off in a Raleigh Rickshaw! Love it!

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October

Even before we were engaged we knew that we wanted to plan an October wedding because it is our favorite month of the year. October was the month that we drank pumpkin spice coffee while playing putt-putt golf with The Ridges towering over us amongst the golden leaves of the season.  October is the month that we cuddle up on the couch together and watch horror movie marathons. October is the month that I had a breakdown when no one came to my masquerade and Aaron was there for me the whole time. October is the only month that we put up decorations in our first apartment. October has treated us well and we want to show it some love back with memories that will last forever.

Jewish

We have decided that we are not interested in getting married in a synagogue by a rabbi, it is still important to us to have all of the traditions of a Jewish wedding. We will have a huppah and a ketubah (We are thinking about buying a handmade one on Etsy! I will save that for a future WW post...) as well as other elements of a Jewish wedding. I am looking forward to getting together with our wedding officiant to plan all of the details of our wedding ceremony.  

Our Hunt for Bookcases

Oy! Who knew that buying bookcases could make anyone so frustrated?

When we moved into our new apartment in Raleigh we spent some time shopping around,  but were relatively lucky finding our base pieces (couch, bed, kitchen table, etc.). I knew that I wanted a wall of white bookcases in the guest bedroom for our books and DVD collection. We bought 2 black bookcases from Target when we were living in Miami. Every shelf was completely warped and bowed by the time we moved out a year later. 

Since we started our search for a set of bookcases her in Raleigh we went to almost every furniture store on Glenwood plus hardware stores and second hand stores. I looked at a dozen furniture websites and even a  specialized bookcase website.  

The trouble was that I couldn't find white, solid wood bookcases with a simple design that fit into our budget of around $100 per bookcase. All I could find was cheap, flimsy particle board or overpriced fancy pieces that would not fit our style. (If you are thinking to yourself, "Elisha why didn't you just go to Ikea..." It's because the closest one to Raleigh is 3 hours away and they don't have very good options for online purchasing and shipping.)

Finally I gave up and bought 2 of the South Shore Axess Collection 5-Shelf Bookcases on Amazon. They are particle board and wood veneer, but they will do for now. Amazon says they should be delivered by the 11th so we will see how they hold up. If anything I am looking forward to unpacking the rest of the boxes from out move and freeing up some space in the guest bedroom!

My Weekend, in Snapshots

to see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) Friday night Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Song) services at Temple Beth Or. The temple is beautiful and we felt very welcome there.

2) Glenwood South. What a view!

3) Aaron and I getting pumped to watch the OHIO vs. Penn State football game. We watched the first half of the game with the Raleigh Ohio Alumni group downtown.

4) Bobcats win!!!! Promptly after the Bobcats won I passed out for 16 hours. I didn't realized how tired I was until I woke up the next morning...

5) On Sunday before running errands Aaron and I stopped at the Stonehenge shopping center on Creedmoor for our first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season! 

6) We skipped the overpriced pastry at Starbucks and took our coffee across the parking lot to Daylight Donuts where I devoured this delicious oreo donut!

7) Sleepy cuddle time on the couch on a rainy Sunday afternoon. We watched What to Expect When You're Expecting and Snow White &  the Huntsman. Reviews to come!

8) Today Aaron and I hit the gym this morning and then met up with our friends Brittany and Andrew at Chuck's downtown for lunch. It was amazing! I spotted this Ferris Bueller's street art on our walk back to the car.

Hope you enjoyed your long weekend as much as we did!

Simply Saturday

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