7 halloween movies you need to watch in the next 7 days ...

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/hocus-pocus?before=1318751435

Halloween is in just 7 days! This means you only have one week left to cram in all of the best halloween movies before the Halloween season is over! I am huge supporter of Halloween. I love carving pumpkins,eating candy corn, and of course I love dressing up for halloween some of my favorite costumes from the past are a bunny, a cat, an artist , the little mermaid, belle, rainbow bright, and this year I am being Kate Middleton. Here is a list of 7 movies that are a must see this Halloween Season!


7.Casper ( 1995) :This lovely Halloween classic stars Christina Ricci. Ricci's Character Kat is a teenager who moves into an old spooky house with her paranormal expert father.  At this house Kat meets a friendly ghost named Casper and his two not so friendly brothers.It is up to Casper and Kat to protect the house and the ghosts who live there.
*Ps- Can I just say how cute Casper is as a young boy? didn't we all have a crush on him? I mean seriously.

6.Ghostbusters (1984):  Three unemployed parapsychology professors create a bussiness called "Ghostbusters."These three men tackle some of the worlds most dangerous ghosts on the streets of New York City. The ghost busters (Murry, Aykroyd and Ramis ) are hired by a woman(weaver) to get rid of a ghost at her home, however this ghost is no regular ghost it is a demon! The Ghostbusters have to figure out a way to destroy the demon , before the demon destroys the city.
This movie stars Bill Murry, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver. 

5. Beetle Juice (1988) :Under the direction of Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton (as Beetle Juice), Geena Davis (As Barbra Maitland) , Alec Baldwin (Adam Maitland) and Winnoa Ryder (as Lydia Deetz) is the story of Beetle Juice. Barbra and Adam are a newly deceased couple who consult a "bio exorcist" Called Beetle Juice to get rid of the Lydia and her family, who have moved into the Maitland's home. 
*Remember never say Beetle Juice more than three times!

4. Halloweentown(1998): A Disney Channel Original Movie starring Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell. The movie begins on all Hallow's Eve , Aggie visits her grand children in the mortal world. Aggie wants her Daughter, Gwen (Judith Hoag) to tell her children they are witches and help her fight the evil back in Halloweentown. Gwen refuses, she wants her children to be normal. However Marnie ( Kimberly J. Brown) hears her grandmother and mother's conversation and follows her grandmother onto a bus (along with her sister Sophie and brother Dillion.) to Halloweentown! Join the whole Cromwell clan on adventure of good vs. evil!
*some would argue that is not a classic, they are obvisouly mistaken.

3. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
From the talented writer Charles Schulz is another adventure of Charlie Brown and whole peanuts gang. It is Halloween night and Linus decides instead of trick or treatings to wait in the pumpkin patch for the "Great Pumpkin."
*I wish I had faith in things like Linus does! He is a very committed person.

2. Practical Magic(1998):This Whimsical movie stars Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) Owens aren't just sisters, they are witches. The sisters are raised by their Aunts; Frances (Stockard Channing) & Bridget (Dianne Wiest) after their parents death.  The Owen woman come from a powerful bloodline of witches and inheriatted more than just magical powers. The Owen woman are cursed, every man who falls in love with an Owen woman is doomed to an untimley death. Sally and Gillian must use all their wits and powers to fight not only the family curse but the supernatural forces that threaten their lives.
 *This is one of my all time favorite movies , that teaches you to be proud of where you came, never be afraid to be who you are, be pratical with your craft and fall in love whenever you can.

1. Hocus Pocus(1993 ): If you only have time for one Halloween movie, I strongly encourage watching this enchanting film!  After 300 hundred years the three Sanderson sisters are resurrected on Halloween night in Salem Massachusetts after Max Denison lights the black flame candle. The Three Sisters Winifred (Bette Midler ), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary(Kathy Najimy) try to take over Salem by luwering children to their home and sucking the life out of them. It is up to Max, his little sister Dani (Thora Birch), his crush Allison and an immortal talking cat name Binx to fight off the three sisters before it's too late.
  *"Come little children, I'll take thee away into land of Enchantment."

Happy All Hallow's Eve everyone!

oxox
-Kimmy

Ps- Of course there are many other wonderful Halloween films that did not make my lists. Here are other classics!

*Other Favorites : 
Family :
The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tower of Terror,Corspe Bride, Young Frankenstien & The Adams Family.

Horror
Scream, Psycho, Halloween, The Shinning, The Birds&Poltergiest.

Mind Boggling Thought: Time Flies

Just looked back a bunch of posts. I started thinking about time. This is about to be very epic and mind boggling, so I hope you are prepared:

Personally, I feel like this year has flown right on by. I felt the same about last year, but this one seemed even faster! My mom always used to tell me that for a child, a year seems to last forever, but they start to feel quicker as you get older. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to figure this out, but the years feel shorter because the are shorter. They are not shorter in the number of months, weeks, or days (forget about leap years for the sake of simplifying this example), but they are smaller in proportion to the person's life. For example, on my 1st birthday one year was 100% of the time I had been alive. That year, was the longest amount of time I had ever experienced. On my 2nd birthday, one year was only 50% of my life. It felt shorter, but was still a very large percentage. It only takes simple math to realize that the years will begin to be smaller percentages of my current lifespan as the birthdays roll on. That being said, on 9/23/11, my 21st birthday, the past year was only about 4.8% of my life. Its no wonder the years start to go so quickly. My dad just had his 50th birthday, and he said he felt like he had just turned 49. Probably because that past year was only 2% of his entire life!

Your mind has officially been boggled. Now go ahead and forget that I ever traumatized you with this thought.

Hannah

A to Z Movies: A Lot Like Love

I know we've been slacking lately. This fall has proven to be extraordinarily busy! Especially considering I am not in school anymore... at least Kimmy has classes to blame for her crazy schedule! I really want to get back in the grove of semi-regular blog posts, so here is a lovely recommendation for the film A Lot Like Love.

About 5 years ago I was walking through Blockbuster (a place where people used to go for movie rentals before all of this "on demand"/"netflix" business) looking for a way to fill my lonely evening with something wonderful. I came across the cover for A Lot Like Love. It was Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet just being adorable. I had never heard of it, but I had to rent it!

from tumblr

The movie tells the story of the relationship between Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) and Emily (Amanda Peet). They meet on an airplane ride from LA to New York and spend some time together goofing around in the big apple. After their NY fun, they go their separate ways. They could've forgotten about each other. For a while, in fact, they did, but a mix of serendipity, attraction, and curiosity brought them together time and time again over a period of seven years.

I love so much about this film. The characters are so loveable and real. Their humanity is portrayed very well through the movie through some amazing writing. This is truly my favorite type of movie to watch, because the writer (Colin Patrick Lynch) entices me with a storyline that makes it seem that  people could be out in the world living this film as their reality. I am so in love with the aesthetics of the film, as well. Every scene has visually stimulating angles, colors, and objects, making it impossible to turn away from the screen.

Five years ago, while I watched A Lot Like Love, I cracked up and I teared up. I was completely satisfied with my impromptu choice. I was hoping to watch a movie that made me feel a little bit of everything, and that is exactly what I got. Go buy it right now! I promise its worth it.

21 Reasons Why I Love My Best friend.

 In honor of my best friend and nearly normal counter part here is just some of the many reasons why I love my best friend Hannah Christine Renken.

21. Her favorite movie is Harriet the Spy ( mine is Matilda BOTH childhood classics.)

20. She has a contagious laugh.

19. She wears Tie-Dye.

18. We love to do " Do It Yourself Projects."

17. Her favorite animal is a giraffe.

16.  We like to make friendship bracelets for each other.

15. She loves salt as much as me.

14. We share the fever of the Bieber.

13. We can both rap Super Bass.

12. We love word games. (words with friends & scrabble.)

11. She knits me things.

10.We both agree that coffee is necessary for survival. (a cup a day keeps the doctor away.)

9. She can sing every word of Taking Chances.

8.She Plays the ukulele.

7.  She likes a good road trip.

6.She knows who Kathleen Kelly is.

5. We both love anything vintage.

4. We are both on a nickname basis with Ross a Tron, Gal Pal Rachel Green, Baby Kangaroo Tribibani , Harmonica, Ms. Chanadler Bong, & Regina Phalange

3. That we have known each other half our lives.

2. We are 2/3  of best trio on the planet -HANKIMSUS LOVE YOU SUE.

1. She is my person --> She accepts me for who I am and loves me anyways. and I wuv her too.

HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY HANSTA!
oxox
-Kimmy

Happy Birthday Hermione !

 

www..googleimages/hermione

Just a little birthday shout-out to one of the smartest and bravest characters I have ever encountered.

It seems like just yesterday when I met you for the first time on the Hogwarts Express.I still remember the first words you said to me.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good is it? I've tried a few simple spells myself and they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, it's the best school of witchcraft there is I've heard - I've learned all the course books by heart of course. I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"  ( ThePhilosopher's Stone,J.K. Rowling)

Thank you Miss Granger for being a loyal friend to me all these years. Thank you for always encouraging me to face my fears and to be proud of my intelligence. I am so lucky to have grown up with you.

Love,
Kimmy

Local Birthday Freebies!

As I mentioned, I am turning 21 this month. Last year, I was not very excited for my birthday. Turning 20 is no landmark. I didn't plan anything great, so I needed a little something to get me pumped up. So, I set up a birthday email that I would use to subscribe to all sorts of rewards programs that offer birthday freebies. I ended up with some pretty awesome stuff, and all for free!! This year I'm doing it right. I have saved my favorites from last year and I will be adding a few new ones too. I created this fantastic map and signed my friend Susie on to help me retrieve and consume delicious freebies. Go ahead and take a gander at the link that to my Google map below. Feel free to mimic it on your birthday, but don't forget your ID!

Ann Arbor Birthday Map

Birthday wishes to you all!

--Hannah

PS- I found most of my freebie info at this blog entry through Google!

My Last Week Being Twenty

One week from today I will be turning 21! I feel like it has been a long time coming, as most of my friends have already broken the threshold to the grown-up age. I am excited for it, don't get me wrong, but I do feel I'll have a certain responsibility to step up and become an adult. Regardless to the fact that I will never actually grow up (just like I will never actually be a "normal girl"), I feel like I should spend the last week of my twentieth year of life enjoying my youth. Below are a selection of things I pledge to partake in my last moments as a "little girl":

• I will wear my hair in pigtails
• I will thoroughly enjoy all  sorts of sweets - particularly, lollipops and cupcakes
• I will spend quality time skipping to and fro with my Nearly Normal counterpart, Kimmy
• I will spend time trying on my mother's make-up (I would say her high heels too, but her feet are tiny compared to the water skis I walk around on)
• I will have a tea party with my favorite stuffed animals (but the tea will really be sugar water, the crumpets will be graham crackers and I won't really share with the animals)
• I will jump rope and sing silly rhyming songs
• I will create secret handshakes
• I will swing so high that I feel like I'm flying

11 year olds perspective on 9/11

"Today something horrible happened in New York, and Washington DC. Some tourist high jacked America's planes and ran them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The World Trade Center collasped and turned to dust. A lot of peopled died. A plane also crashed in Pittsburgh. It was suppose to hit the White House but the people fought the hijackers to try and stop them. and they did. I don't know why this happening but I am scared :( God Bless America."

This quote is my from childhood diary. I was 11 years old on September 11th 2001. I was sitting in my 6th grade geography class working on a project when one of my teachers knocked on the door. My geography teacher opened the door and was greeted by a language arts teacher who always had a grin on his face, however on this particular Tuesday morning he wasn't smiling. He had a grim look on his face. My teachers smile shifted to a frown, she nodded her head at our language arts teacher and walked over to the TV. She turned the TV on and said "Students, something historical is happening in our nation." All of my classmates and myself turned our bodies towards the TV. "The World Trade Center has been hit a plane."said the news reporter. everyone in my classroom began to whisper. One student asked "what does this me--?" but before he could finish his sentence everyone went silent. "OH MY GOD ANOTHER PLANE JUST HIT THE SOUTH TOWER." the news reporter yelled. "This was not an accident, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK." under attack I thought to myself? What does that mean? Who is attacking us? Why are they attacking us? are they going to attack Ann Arbor? All these thoughts were racing my through my head. I couldn't make sense of anything. All my life I had felt safe. I lived in a safe town, and in a SAFE nation. We are under attack? this news reporters voice kept replaying in my mind. I had never really felt unsafe before. and now I didn't know what was going on. The next moment I remember was watching the towers fall, and turn into dust. I felt like I was watching a sci fi movie. In a matter of seconds 1000s, of people died. As a child it was hard to fathom how many people that was and what happening. It didn't take me long to realize that all dust was human remains. I began to feel sick and scared. As a kid you don't realize that adults get scared, I had never seen so many adults scared. Parents were pouring in picking up their kids, teachers were leaving to find their love ones. I realized on this day, that things would never be the same and I wasn't even sure if I would ever feel safe again.

Looking back now, 10 years later. I realized just how proud of this country I am. Ordinary people became heroes and did something extraordinary on that day,more than 6,294lives were saved , by average people. I have never been more proud to be an american than I was on this day.

God Bless America.

oxox
Kimmy

Ps- I saw rainbow while writing this. a sign a peace and hope? I most certainly think so.

Labor Day Fall Festive Picnic!

Labor Day this year was rather chilly in Ann Arbor, so HanKimSus (Nearly Normal Girls + Susie) decided a fall festive picnic was in order. We grabbed thick blanket, our cozy fall clothes, and tasty picnic treats to enjoy in University of Michigan's Arboretum. 

Once we found a relatively flat area Kimmy and Susie lay the blanket out. We packed a two baskets. Our savory basket was filled with french baguettes, walnut & cherry cheese spread, veggies, and hummus. The tasty dessert basket (pictured above) satisfied the sweet tooth with glazed pumpkin donuts, apples with caramel dip, and a sparkling grape juice.

Everything was delicious! We were a bit disappointed that it was too early in the season to find cider at the grocery store, but the compromise ended up working out. We especially love sipping our sparkling Welsch's out of adorable mason jars. We brought the lids to protect from the bugs, and keep the rest of our goods from getting sticky after we packed up. Mason jars were also used as storage for our Fuji and Golden Delicious apple slices. Can you tell we can't get enough? Useful and pretty! Our favorite combination.

From left to right & top to bottom: Hannah, Susie, Kimmy and the beautiful boots

Our picnic was phenomenal! So many aspects brought smiles to our faces. The food, the conversation, and the crisp fall air. It was so much fun people watching the park-goers, including the man who stopped to do some push-ups uncomfortably close to us consuming donuts. That's awkward...

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your fall festivities :)

PS - If you want more pics check out our Facebook page for the PICNIC Day album. And like us while you're at it :)

Pumpkin Spice Latte!

On September 6 the pumpkin spice latte returned to Starbucks! Of course the Nearly Normal Girls took a lovely field trip to indulge in a couple of these delightful fall favorites. We encourage all to take a taste & feel free to customize! Hannah got half the syrup and soy milk :) As You've Got Mail points out, "The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self." As  indecisive young women of today we are advocates for such a phenomenon!

A-Z Movies: (500) Days of Summer

Last week, I watched one of my absolute favorite films of all time, (500) Days of Summer. Little did I know I was embarking on a journey that would give me a front seat to the lives of complete strangers in all sorts of places. I love movies so much, so I have decided to share my collection from A to Z and let you know why each film has earned a position on my ikea book shelf.

Image from here

(500) Days of Summer, for those who are unaware, is "not a love story, but it is a story about love." This may sound confusing, but the movie illustrates this phenomenon so beautifully. The story is about Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel. Their characters are so well developed that I truly believe they have been derived from real people, with whom I hope to befriend in some alternate universe. The movie time travels, in a sense, through the 500 days of Tom and Summer's interactions with each other. The way the story is told is innovative and pulls the audience into the movie so much that it feels almost as if it is not a story, but a recollection of past moments and relationships in the viewer's real life.

Most can relate to one of the two main characters more than the other. Summer is portrayed at the start as someone who lives, and loves for that matter, in the moment. The narrator says that Summer loved two things, "The first was her long brown hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not mean a thing." Summer believes that relationships always end in hardship for both parties.

Unlike Summer's belief about relationships, Tom has always believed that contentment is found in the perfect woman. He lives his life looking for "the one," and won't be happy until he is with her. When he meets Summer, he thinks this happiness will finally be achieved. I can't go on to spoil anything, though I desperately want to.

The movie sends me on an emotional ride every time I watch it. I simply become so involved in the lives of Summer and Tom, that empathy for the two of them pours out of my pores. The cinematography, the story, the acting and the writing are so phenomenally breathtaking. I could go on for days and give away every stitch of this story, but I wouldn't be doing it justice. This is not a movie that can be explained, or even watched. It has to be experienced. ADD IT TO THE NETFLIX QUEUE THIS VERY MINUTE. (I feel very strongly about it)

Thanks for reading.
More to come,

Hannah

Whoever thought Kim was the new Kate was seriously disturbed.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/hold-it-people-kardashian-wedding-was-not-the-royal-wedding-2530777/;_ylt=AiF5E69FujN0OnWRgf1OPGlabqU5

    

      There are few issues I will fight people on, I live by the philosophy" To each his own." One of America's best qualities is that we are blended nation, you can wear whatever you want(although you might end up on what not wear), say whatever you want(even if it fills my newsfeed on facebook), and believe whatever you want(whether your place of worship is Target or a church  we will except you! ).

With all our differences there are some similarities that are cohesive throughout America.  We believe in the american dream; that no matter where you are from you can be successful,  That friday nights aren't complete with out pizza and pop (or beer if you are of age.), that summer is filled with bbqs & fireworks, and we know every move of american royals- the Kardashian Family. WAIT WHAT? I don't think I have ever been so appalled in my entire life. Kate Middleton is a classy, educated, duchess and Kim is famous for her horrible eating habits and big behind.  Just because Kim is on TV doesn't make her wedding the new Royal Wedding! I am sure that people who have been calling the Kardashian wedding the royal wedding are the same people who think Snookie from Jersey Shore is intelligent. Sometimes America, I wonder about you.

Here is an article that depicts my same feelings on this touchy subject.

Kate > Kim 

 Thank you for listening, I hope you feel a bit more educated on Celebrity/Royal Trivia.

-K

Quick Update and Heaven in a Bundt!!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I am extremely sorry that we are such slackers. We have been busy enjoying the end of summer. Lots of fun has been had and blog entries will hopefully follow with all of the craft projects we've done and trips we have traveled. Already time has flown by and the start of school is only weeks away with Fall officially starting in only a month!! The chilly winds of Ann Arbor have put me in a baking mood. I dug out The Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and life has been sweet ever since! I first baked delicious oatmeal raisin cookies and today I crafted up some mini bundt cakes with the carrot cake recipe in the book. My mother has named these little treats "Heaven in a Bundt." Below is the recipe. I didn't have walnuts, so I added extra raisins. Enjoy! --Hannah

Ingredients

3T ground flaxseed

1/2c water

2/3c canola oil

1 1/2c finely grated peeled carrots

1c chopped walnuts

1c raisins

1 1/3c all-purpose flour

1c granulated sugar

1 1/2t baking soda

1t baking powder

1t ground cinnamon

1/2t ground cloves

1/2t ground nutmeg

1/2t ground allspice

1/2t salt

Directions

1- PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 degree

2- Lightly grease 9 x 9 cake pan (I used my 6 mini bundt pan)

3- Whip together flax seed and water for about 2 minutes

4- Add oil and blend completely

5- Add carrots, raisins and walnuts and stir

6- In a seperate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt

7- Add wet ingredients to dry and combine

8- Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly

9- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 mins (I only baked the bundts for about 18)

10- Let pan cool for 15 mins

11- Loosen cake from edges and invert cake out of pan

YAY! Mad Men Collection coming soon at Bananna Republic!

First off, let me say that I am 2 seasons deep in the amazing show that is Mad Men. I am loving the clothes so much and feeling so drawn to the 60s style. Thrifting is always an option, but sometimes the quality is sub-par. I went in search of some at the mall, but nothing was truly 60s through and through. But the fashion gods were working! I got home from the mall to find an advertisement for a Mad Men inspired collection coming to Banana Republic! I screeched with joy and have been flipping through the pages over and over trying to figure out what I don't want to get... I may just buy it all. Take a look at the collection through this blog entry I found through Google. Try to act like you don't love it---a impossible!

Da Wolfpac

Before I begin this post, i must tell you an important fact about me. I HATE WEARING HATS. However with that said. Like life there are exceptions to every rule. I love fascinators (which is more of headband, but some would argue that it is a hat.) and I really adore these funky yet fantastic fuzzy hats. Wolf hats were created by my designer friend Elise. Each hat is handcrafted from recycled faux and/or real fur coats. Elise can custom make a specific hat to your paticular fancy, or you purchase one she has already creatively constructed!

 some close family friends and I (Elise on far left) sporting the Wolf Hats, We like to refer to ourselves as "dawolfpac" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To find out more about purchasing a Wolf Hat ,follow one of the following links.

Facebook: Sheeps-Clothing-and-Art-Production


Twitter: Dawolfpac

Mad for Mad Men!

I am only on episode 3, but already I am OBSESSED with Mad Men. I love the clothes and the era so much it is fascinating to watch! Here's a shot from the show - (via google search)