You are a cinema, I could watch you forever

I have an absolute obsession with finding and watching wedding films in my spare time. Seeing these couples fall in love bring me hope that one day, I'll be able to be that lucky girl too... but in the meantime, I'm perfectly content with crying over these beautiful love stories.

I came across this particular film this weekend and I haven't been able to stop watching it. Jason & Victoria Evigan share an amazing, heartwarming story through their smiles, tears, and quirkiness. This is one couple that I would love to meet. Their love truly makes the storybooks jealous!

But don't say I didn't warn you... tears will ensue!



dead hearts: The Wedding of Victoria and Jason Evigan from Lightfield Lewis on Vimeo.

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea"

I thought I would share one of the many perks of living in Newport, Rhode Island.

(all taken with my handy dandy iPhone at different points on the famous Ocean Drive)

NKOTBSB

For the past couple of months, you have probably heard that the New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys were touring together this summer. You probably have even heard their new single together, "Don't Turn Out the Lights". Well, two Saturdays ago, I was lucky enough to attend the NKOTBSB concert in Boston. I know what you're thinking and Yes, I was jealous of myself. Yes, it was beyond incredible. Yes, the guys are looking better than ever.

Needless to say, they have come a long way since they began...

New Kids on the Block, circa 1986

NKOTB now

Backstreet Boys circa 1994

BSB now
(photo credit: 1 2 3 4 5)

It was my first time seeing NKOTB live and my third time seeing BSB (my second time seeing them within a year). Growing up, my family friends were 5-6 years older than I was and I admired them like no other, so naturally, my love/obsession for the Backstreet Boys began around the age of 6. That is why I knew every single word of every single song that they performed that night. On the other hand, I only knew a couple of the staple songs by the Kids, such as "The Right Stuff" and "Step by Step". However, I had a blast dancing along to their songs anyway... and now I am not ashamed to say I am a huge fan of them too. They performed for two and a half hours - two and a half hours well spent, in my opinion, with a hefty set of 14-15 songs each. I swear I have never seen so many grown women jumping up and down, singing "I Want It That Way" at the top of their lungs as much as I did that night. I sat in the balcony for the first time and even that didn't hinder my experience in any way. I came to the concert with a fully charged camera and I took so many pictures and videos that it died on me two-thirds of the way through!

Overall, it was just amazing to be a part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There are reasons why the Backstreet Boys are the best selling group of all-time, with the New Kids on the Block right behind them, and both groups certainly reminded their audience why that is the way that it is. NKOTB and BSB were two different generations of groups that literally shaped American pop culture during their times and to come together and sell out arena after arena many years later really shows the impact that they had on the music industry. The show was phenomenal and if you haven't missed out on their tour yet, I suggest purchasing tickets ASAP. You do not want to miss out on this unique, entertaining experience!

All nine of them

 NKOTB performing a ballad

 BSB

Can you tell that white suits are a staple to any boy band ballad?

The best part of the night was at the end when NKOTB and BSB donned their personalized Bruins jerseys during their encore of "Everybody" and "Hangin' Tough". The B's were playing in Game 2 of the finals that night so it was great for the guys to show them some support!

 

Now, the only question is how long will it take for *NSYNC to reunite!?

What's your favorite NKOTB/BSB song?
Who's your favorite boy band?

Something Borrowed

"Something Borrowed" has been one of my favorite books ever since freshman year of high school. It was a quick read with a great plot that kept me on my toes. I was ecstatic to learn last year that it was being adapted into a movie this spring, and was even more excited to learn that John Krasinski was starring in it (my favorite!).

This movie came out last Friday and you can believe that my friends and I went to see the matinee showing right before we had to move out of our dorms for the summer. It was a wonderful romantic comedy about friendships being tested when guys come into the picture... especially when the guy may or may not be the best friend's fiancee. Yikes!

I think the movie did the book justice and I was very pleased with the actors' portrayals of the character. Kate Hudson's character was conniving, confident, and crazy all at once. Ginnifer Goodwin's character will make you feel sympathetic for her, even if she was the "bad girl". Colin Egglesfield will make you swoon every.single.time he was on the screen, guaranteed. John Krasinski's character was sarcastic and charming at the same time (much similar to his Jim Halpert character on The Office). At one point, he says "Well I'm the only asshole that gives a shit about you!" Um, who ever knew that my heart would melt at such a line!?

"Something Borrowed" was funny, charming, and heartbreaking all at once. It's a great movie to either see by yourself or with a group of your girlfriends. I highly recommend going to see it and reading the book too if you haven't already! (Plus, there's a great dancing scene of Kate and Ginnifer dancing and singing to "Push It" by Salt n Pepa)

Have you read the book or seen the movie?
Did John Krasinski make you melt too!?

Beyond the Blackboard

I was flipping through the channel guide earlier tonight when I came across this Hallmark movie on CBS. I took one glance at the plot and turned it on right away.

Beyond the Blackboard was an inspirational, moving true story about Stacey Bess, a young teacher right out of college, who placed her prejudices and fears aside to establish a classroom at a homeless shelter in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Through the trials and tribulations of caring for her family, her students, and herself simultaneously, Stacey Bess defied the odds of being an unexperienced, brand-new teacher and guided these once helpless children down the right path to a positive future.

As much as I wanted to be a teacher when I was deciding what I wanted to study in college, my head and heart led me elsewhere. Regardless, I strongly believe that there is a "teacher" in me that wants to come out from time to time and after watching this movie, I definitely felt that "teacher" in me start to emerge to the surface. To see how much of an impact that Stacey Bess made on these children only strengthened my desire to have the same impression on others in my future.

Water for Elephants

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Newport Public Library and found out that they had a "bookstore" in the basement of the library. I had never even seen a bookstore in a library before, but what amazed me even more was that the books were all donated by either the library or frequent readers. I could tell that many of the books were barely read so I decided to take full advantage of this. I was able to snag all of the following books for only $7! What a bargain!

1. Prep :: Curtis Sittenfield
2. The Last Lecture :: Randy Pausch
3. For One More Day :: Mitch Albom
4. Bitter is the New Black :: Jen Lancaster
5. Water for Elephants :: Sara Gruen

I've been wanting to read Water for Elephants for quite some time and have heard great reviews so I was very excited when I found it for $1!

Not to mention, the movie will be coming out on April 21 and I can't wait to see it! I simply cannot turn down a Reese movie. This role seems very different than any other role she has played before so I am looking forward to seeing her performance in this movie.

Have you read Water for Elephants?
Are you going to see the movie?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I've seen many of my daily reads participate in WILW with Jamie, so I decided to hop on the train and play along!

1. "I'm His Coral Friend" polish from OPI.
(This color is more pink than orange, fyi) It may be spring but the snow that arrived today says otherwise. However, I just have to look down at my nails and I'm reminded that warm weather will be here soon!

2. This adorable floral eyelet dress from F21.
I recently purchased it and I already cannot wait to wear it!

3. Trader Joe's mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups
For Lent, I gave up all sweets again (bye bye cakes, cookies, ice cream, desserts, breakfast pastries, candy, etc.). However, the priest at my school's chapel said that we could "rest" from Lent on Sundays. His exact words: "If you're giving up chocolate for Lent, feel free to eat it on Sunday!" I have never heard this before, but you better believe I am taking full advantage of my "sweet Sundays". I do feel like a cheater, but once that first PB cup hits my tongue, I just close my eyes and smile.

4. My new Sauconys
I bought these at TJMaxx's for only $25 last month and I'm only beginning to wear them now because I didn't want to dirty them up due to the snow. There's nothing like new running shoes to get me motivated to run!

What are YOU loving on this Wednesday?

Springtime Staples

Spring fever is in the air! It's supposed to reach up to a high of 65 degrees in  Boston this Friday, the perfect temperature to venture around the city and go shopping on Newbury Street! Oh, the joys of living in Massachusetts...

With sunshine on the brain, here are some of my "springtime staples" for this season.

1) 3" chino shorts. I always say, the brighter, the better! The appropriately named "shocking pink" shorts from J.Crew are a perfect addition to any springtime wardrobe. If that fluorescent hue doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will!

2) A simple striped boatneck tee. This nautical navy blue boatneck from Vineyard Vines tee is a fantastic match with the bright lemon twill shorts as pictured above.

3) A great pair of sunglasses. These Ray-Ban new wayfarer sunglasses are a classic piece to any outfit. I would love to own a colorful pair, such as a yellow or magenta pair, but you cannot go wrong with the timeless black or tortoise pair.

4) A simple sundress to dress down and up. You can wear this dress to class on a nice, sunny day or pair it with a blazer to be more "business cas".

5) Cardigans, especially the Jackie cardigan from J.Crew. I cannot say enough about these cardigans! I am always looking for a color that I don't already have to add to my collection. The radiant orchid is one of my favorites and I have a headband adorned with flowers that matches perfectly with it. Pastel colors are great for the springtime and can easily be worn over a flowy tank top or over a shift dress during this transition season.

6) Espadrilles. I'm loving this cute navy pair from AE with the paisley straps. Too cute!

What are some of your springtime staples?

No Strings Attached

... the movie, not the *NSYNC reunion tour if there ever was one.

My friends and I went to see the matinee showing of No Strings Attached last Friday when it came out. I was expecting a lot of intimate scenes and sex-related jokes, which did happen a lot. However, it was such an adorable and funny movie. Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher have excellent chemistry. It was very weird to see Natalie in a different light, compared to her character in Black Swan, but I really enjoyed seeing the light, playful, flirty side of her.

One may automatically assume that No Strings Attached is a chick flick, but I believe it's targeting to both men and women. The subject matter -- friends with benefits -- is something that everyone can experience and both genders are able to see the two separate perspectives in the movie.

So run, don't walk, to the nearest theater and catch this movie while you can! I can guarantee you that Natalie and Ashton (and Ludacris... yes, I said Ludacris) will: 1) make you laugh 2) make you cry 3) make you wish you had a significant other (if you don't already, you lucky girls!).

I had a dream I could fly from the highest tree

This was too cute not to share! I only hope that one day, my wedding will be as beautiful and magical as this one was :)


Brittany + Paul's Short Wedding Film - Dallas, TX from Joe Simon Films on Vimeo.

Girl-friend ≠ Girlfriend

I've spent the last six or seven years of my life with the best friends I could ever ask for. The problem is that they're all guys. Now, I've always been closer to guys than girls - I don't know if it's because I'm more easygoing than most girls or the fact that I can play Ultimate Frisbee better than most girls... - and I've never had a problem with that. In fact, I spent a lot of my high school weekends with my guy friends than my girl friends -- at first my mom was concerned, but then she realized that they were all way smarter than me and that I could end up marrying one of these guys My Best Friend's Wedding style.

The other day, I went out to lunch with two of my guy friends: Georgetown and Syracuse. I've known Georgetown since kindergarten and spent a good portion of my early elementary school days pining over him while he thought I had cooties. On the other hand, Syracuse and I became friends in sixth grade and the rest is history. They both have girlfriends and during our lunch, Syracuse said he asked me how much I usually spend on a haircut. I replied "No more than $40" (I keep my hair natural, so usually a wash, cut, & blowdry/straighten will do it) and he said that his girlfriend spends over $100 and he doesn't understand why. I thoroughly explained to him that girls usually get their hair cut and colored/highlighted on a trip to the salon and that I just happened to not be one of those girls. Then, Georgetown asked me if I ever get my "eyebrows done" (he clearly did not know what that meant) and I said no, I usually do it myself and it ends up fine. He then asked me what "getting my eyebrows done actually meant" and I explained it to him, and he said that his girlfriend usually gets hers done and he didn't understand why either. We then somehow began talking about our views on Valentine's Day and if Syracuse should visit his girlfriend at school, despite the fact that 1) it's on a Monday and 2) his girlfriend previously told him that he didn't have to. I gave him an answer and apologized for being biased (I personally am one of those who do not believe in Valentine's Day, sorry to all you hopeless romantics) and he said that he'd rather hear my opinion than anyone else.

After I got home, I reflected on that conversation and just chuckled to myself... but then I realized something: I have become that girl-friend, the one that all the guys turn to for advice on their own girlfriends. I suddenly became vulnerable and wondered if their girlfriends were jealous of me for being so close to their boys, but let's be real, that feeling only lasted about a second.

Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with being the girl-friend. I've been the girl-friend for seven years and I am perfectly content with my role in their lives. I just can't help but wonder... when is it going to be MY turn? I'm all about being patient and waiting for the right one to come, but when I see other people my age going through relationships like they go through cell phones to keep up with the latest one, I just wish that I could be them... even if it only seems like a moment.

Is that too much of an unreasonable request? I know I'm smart enough to know the answer to that question, I just don't want to face it.

Peace out 2010, Hollla atcha girl 2011!

Happy 2011, everyone! I honestly am a bit skeptical as to how incredible this year is going to be, simply because I thought 2010 was absolutely amazing. It was truly a year full of the good things (happiness, luck, family, and new friends) and none of the bad, which I obviously cannot complain about!

In 2010, I... skated on Frog Pond with all my friends, went to see the Blue Man Group, ran for an exec. board position in SGA and won (!!), earned a 3.64 GPA for the year, said goodbye to one of my best friends from school who was going to transfer to USF, had my wisdom teeth removed, went to see the Backstreet Boys, traveled to Washington D.C. with my family, went to see Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum, had the most amazing summer at PCC, welcomed back said friend who returned to school for good :), became a college sophomore, was a student mentor for the freshmen, had lunch with Salve's board of trustees, attended the National Student Government Conference in Washington D.C. (again), saw the President's motorcade and stepped foot inside the Oval Office (still not over it), visited George Mason University, visited Georgetown University, went zip-lining, met new friends who will become my roommates next year, won a scholarship for my major, and earned a 3.718 GPA for the first semester.

The events in my life may not seem... well, for a lack of a better word, eventful... but there's nothing else that I would want. I can't recall any major setbacks or negatives and I am truly grateful for that.

As cliché as it may sound, the most important thing I learned this year was to finally appreciate what I have in the present and not to dwell on what I could or should have. I have been given so many wonderful opportunities that I really shouldn't have any time to think about the what if's.

2011, this is the year for three things:
1) goal-setting and accomplishments
2) less stress (we all need that in our lives!)
and most importantly,
3) having all sorts of fun!