5 Fandom Friday: My Comfort Films

For as long as I can remember, watching movies has comforted me in my most trying times. Whether it be illnesses that won’t quit, breakups, or bouts of homesickness…cinema has always been my savior. If I popped in the right DVD (or VHS if we want to go waaaay back), a smile would immediately cross my face and for those 90-120 minutes, life would feel right again. Or at least, I would forget about all that was ailing me and be transported to a warm and fuzzy place.

These are the ones that just do it for me:

1. 10 Things I Hate About You; a huge smile erupts on my face when I see that this movie is playing on Netflix (ps; it is NOW) even though I own it. There’s just something special about scrolling through your viewing options and seeing one of your favorites show up. Like a little packaged surprise! This movie reminds me of high school, which was a turbulent and hormonal time sure, but also such a carefree one. It was also the first time I ever saw Heath Ledger (& I’m pretty sure everyone else’s too), and he quickly became one of my absolute favorites. Plus, THAT scene. You know the one. You’re just too good to be true…..CLASSIC.

2. That Thing You Do!; I’m sure you’ll see a theme with this list. I’m a sucker for 90’s teen flicks. This one is just so special to me though. I love all music-related films so I was really excited for this movie to come out when I was a teen. So much so that I bought the soundtrack before the movie had premiered and listened to it on repeat so much that I knew every word to every song by the time I actually saw it in the theater opening day. It’s such a sweet, sweet story and never fails to get me in a better mood. AND, it’s pretty much impossible not to sing along to the main theme. Try it. I dare you.

3. Empire Records; yep, keep those teen flicks rolling. This is honestly the first time I realized I had a favorite movie. I watched this movie so often that I could spit back every piece of dialogue (and still can). In fact, I still use quotes from it on a daily basis anytime I see fit. If you are able to recognize said quotes, you will instantaneously be in my inner circle. You have been warned. Also, if you are in the NYC area next month, make sure to check out the 20th year anniversary (!!!!) of the film at Rough Trade in Brooklyn which will be turning their store into the beloved Empire Records. I so wish I could go!

4. The Lord of the Rings trilogy; it was due to these films that I truly realized I was a fangirl. I lived, breathed and ate every piece of this fandom during its entire run and had all the collectors editions of the films. I grew to love this cast like they were my buddies and still squee pretty hard when I see a group or pair of them together randomly. It renewed my faith and love of the fantasy genre and helped me start reading again after a long dry spell in college. Needless to say, when it’s on TV, I need to watch it. Fun fact: my LJ username was HobbitLuv for a bit. Yeah, it was legit guys.

5. The NeverEnding Story; when something is good, it never gets old and this movie is the perfect example. My cousin gave me a VHS tape with this movie and Romancing The Stone when I was a kid. I never watched Romancing the Stone passed the first viewing, but my heart just could not get enough of The NeverEnding Story. It filled it with just the perfect pinch of fantasy, romance and utter wonder. Till this day, I’m still on the fence as to whether watching Atreyu’s horse, Atrax, sink into the Swamp of Sadness permanently scarred me as a human being. That, my friends, is what a true film should make you question. ;)

Honorable mentions: The Secret of Nimh, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Swingers, The Sandlot, Fight Club, The Harry Potter series, Almost Famous & Kill Bill (1 & 2).

Things of Much Excite

I figured this should be a thing, right?
I get excited about a lot being a fangirl, so this new feature naturally popped up as an option. Similar to things I need, this will be a list of things I’m looking forward to within my fandoms. Hopefully there will be some overlap with all of yours as well. ;)

1. Star Wars Tease

It’s JJ, it’s Star Wars. What else could be better? Seems like it will be at select theaters only this Friday. I will just sit back and allow the Internets to give it to me the lazy way though. What are your expectations? I’m personally a huge Abrams fan and bow down to all his work, so I have extremely high expectations and know he will deliver.

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Themed Nails: Gatsby & Sherlock

So if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I took on not one, but TWO themed parties in the span of a week. Some may call it crazy, I call it a challenge. First off was our Great Gatsby New Years Eve bash. I had a lot of fun decorating our place with glitter, sequins and fringe, but lets be honest. What gets me most excited are the themed mani’s that come along with events!

I didn’t have a whole lot of time, so I had to look over great tutorials, such as this one, before settling on the one you see above (reference). I have to say that it was a super easy manicure to achieve and it looked fantastic! I was complimented on it for days afterwards and it held up nicely.

Gatsby Nails
Two coats of Essie‘s Shifting Power
Two coats of China Glaze‘s Smoke & Ashes, stopping a little short to create the reverse french effect
One heaping coat of Sally Hansen‘s Big Matte Top Coat only over the black portion

Only a few days later, we hosted a viewing party for the new series of BBC’s Sherlock, which I can honestly say is my new favorite show. I have an unhealthy addiction to it and just can’t get enough. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt the fangirl burn inside of me so bright! Of course, I would have these feelings for a show that only airs 3 episodes every 2 years. I hate you, Moffat. But all that aside: FINGERNAILS (reference).

Sherlock Nails
One coat of Sinful Colors‘ Snow Me White (or any white polish) over all fingers except your accent
Three coats of Essie‘s Bouncer It’s Me on all nails
Create the Union Jack on your accent nail using a toothpick (it works even better than my dotting tools!)
For the red, I used Essie‘s Aperitif

Also, remember to exercise patience while trying to pull off these manicures. I often do not succeed, but I’m trying my best to learn to sit still! Doing nail art while watching a movie or TV show tends to help keep me occupied.

Happy Hump Day {Role Reversal}: Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore is such a girls girl, isn’t she? I remember she was the first actress I saw and wanted to be like. She was the perfect mix of glamorous and wild: so spontaneous and carefree. I personally think she was at her best in Mad Love (am I dating myself?) and I could watch Never Been Kissed all day every day. But what I love about her the most is her spirit – I wish I could bottle it or somehow channel it. She is also growing an empire: forget just Flower Films – she also has her own wine (Pinot Grigio no less) and just launched a beauty line, Flower Beauty, which I’ve only heard good things about.

Just ask my friend, Ashley. She runs the popular Drew fansite, The Drewseum. Check it out and the rest of this post!

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