Wes Anderson from above

I thoroughly enjoyed this mash up of Wes Anderson scenes, all shot from above in the characters’ first person views. Do you recognize them all?

Also: Did you know there’s a new Wes Anderson movie coming?

GOON

Last night, Nick got us in to the New York Goon movie premiere at the last minute. Starring Seann William Scott (most famous for playing “Stifler”) and Jay Baruchel (I like to think he’s most famous for playing “Steven Karp“), I had seen the movie being promoted at the Toronto International Film Festival and we had been looking forward to its release for a while. Sure, it’s a comedy about hockey, but sometimes you need a good no-frills movie that makes you laugh, you know? It also wins the title of Most Violent Non-Horror Movie I’ve Ever Seen.

It’s funny how past and present comes together in life. While sitting in a theatre for an exclusive premiere alongside the actors and producers from the movie and their friends and family, I’m watching a movie shot in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba. I lived in Winnipeg for 10+ years and spent my formative years there. It was great to see the hockey games in the movie shot at the MTS Centre and see the characters walk around what I believe was the Exchange District. Manhattan and Manitoba seem worlds apart, but last night they were one!

Oh, and the Hanson Brothers were also there. Canada!!!!

Girls

The new HBO series, “Girls”, looks hilarious! Judd Apatow is producing and I’m crossing my fingers that this show has a longer life than his previous ones I loved, Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared. We may even see some of the same characters – it looks like Hannah’s mom is played by Becky Ann Baker, the mom from Freaks & Geeks!

The series kicks off Sunday April 15 at 10:30pm EST.

Reading

After last week’s Jamaican vacation, I’m extra excited about summer, especially for a chance to once again end my days with a good book and a drink on the balcony.

Nick just introduced me to Goodreads – a site where you can rate the books you’ve already read in order to get recommendations for books you might like. Are you on it? Let’s be friends!

What are you reading right now?

[Photo:  unknown from Pinterest]

Jamaica

I’ve been quiet this past week because I’ve been lucky enough to get away on holiday with Nick and my parents! How did I end up in the caribbean with my Canadian parents you might wonder? They were going to come visit us in New York in October, then it got pushed to November, then we realized we’d see each other for Christmas, then we decided let’s all have a vacation and meet somewhere warm – Jamaica!

Nick and I arrived on Sunday, after flying on a plane half-full of babies. Since when do babies get to go to Jamaica on holiday?

It took us a few days to settle down and really relax – it must be the New Yorkers in us. We eventually had the realization that while in Jamaica…

You eat:

You swim:

You lie on the beach:

You drink beer or rum intermittently from 10am on:

Sometimes you visit the nude beach on the island:

Were we really nude? That’s for us to know and you to find out.

(We weren’t.)

The resort we stayed at was fantastic – the employees were so friendly and genuinely happy to be at work every day. There were activities every day and night and although most of the time we just did our own thing, we did watch their “Jamaican Elvis” show after Nick was recruited to be one of Elvis’ bodyguards.

One of my favourite things about the vacation had to be that my parents were there too. Also, the food was surprisingly tasty, peacocks and wild kitties roamed the resort, and our hotel room got Toronto stations CityTV and CBC!

Getting a tan in February is also a nice bonus.

Thanks for a great week, Jamaica!

To see all my Jamaica photos, check out my Flickr.

World Press Photos of the Year

The Best Photos of the Year have been announced, as according to World Press Photo. Here are some of my favourites:

Donald Miralle, Jr., Ironman World Championships, 1st place, Sports

Damir Sagolj, North Korea, 1st place, Daily Life (singles)

Lars Lindqvist, Earthquake in Japan, 2nd place, General News (singles)

Salil Bera, Leopard, Honorable Mention, Spot News (singles)

I didn’t include the photo that won first prize, because I’m not sure I agree it’s the best. See them all here. Which are your favourites?

The saddest news

By now, a lot of you may have heard the sad news. On Sunday night, my sister’s baby – just a week away from being full-term – passed away. Luckily she had a doctor’s appointment yesterday morning where they discovered there was no heartbeat and induced her into labour. She gave birth to Everett Ryan at 12:30 am. He will be given a proper burial soon.

My heart goes out to Jennifer, Ryan, Ben, and Jillian. They are already a perfect family, full of love, who are adored by everyone who knows them. Jennifer is the best mother I know (other than my own!) and will continue to give her love and care to my niece and nephew, who are sure to grow up into incredible people.

Please keep Jenn and Ryan in your thoughts today.

Down With Pants

My brother and I see eye-to-eye on the topic of pants and working from home.

Also, despite my brother’s lack of pants, he’s a great animator and creator of digital graphics. Check out his reason for working for himself here.

Happy Groundhog Day

Only six more weeks of winter, according to that little guy. Not that we’ve had a winter this year, but at least there’s only six more weeks left to be freaked out about how 17 degrees celsius on February 1st might mean the end of the world is near.

Indulgence!

Nick has been away for business since Sunday, so I’ve been filling my time with friends! The last three nights have included three great dinners at three restaurants I’ve never tried before with three great ladies, but last night took the cake. Kate and I decided to finally try Italian grocery store/home to 10+ cafes and restaurants, Eataly.

We settled on the cafe La Pizza & La Pasta because it’s obviously going to be amazing in an all-Italian shop. Kate and I sat at the bar and shared a pasta dish and a pizza.

Our pizza choice was the Verduretta, covered in roasted vegetables. I love veggies and I make them all the time at home, but I don’t know how they got these to taste the way they did – so delicious!

Our pasta was Pansotti, made up of ricotta, spinach, lemon butter, and pistachio. I’ve never had anything like it! Again, an amazing dish. Look at that butter glisten.

Like a good lady, Kate picked up some treats for her Italian fiance before we left.

So many types of pasta…

…including the biggest noodles I’ve ever seen! How would you cook them?

After dinner we went to incredibly sexy speakeasy, Raine’s Law Room. We allowed ourselves two cocktails each, made with so much care and brilliant ingredients. We didn’t get a booth, but found a seat in the “kitchen” area that was perfect for people-watching. So many first dates!

Second only to their amazing cocktails, the decor of the bar is beautiful. Check out that naughty wallpaper in the bathroom!

It was definitely a night of delicious indulgence, but we’re worth it :)