I Heart Narnia and other things

I just saw this movie over the weekend. Honnestly, I never read the book or saw the Disney movie. Maybe it was the SNL Chronicles of Narnia Rap that inspired me to go see it. Crazy = Delicious! Well of course I loved it and it was so nice to let a movie take you in and forget about your stresses and troubles for a while. I had kind of a stressful x-mas. My intuition told me it would be and guess what it was. As I have lemented on this blog that I am a single person living in a mostly non-single world. As the only one who isn't married I get stuck with a lot of responsibilities that aren't always fair. It also seems like some of the children are getting to that bratty stage where they just tear through gifts, look at them for two seconds and throw them. Reminder to self, spend less of your single-person-salary on some of the kiddy gifts. Those expensive wooden toys are just not appreciated.

Anyway, Narnia was great fun and I love love love Tilda Swinton's White Witch. Brunettes will love the fact that this evil queen is blonde. I've been a fan of Tilda since Orlando. She has the kind of delicate beauty that is just not appreciated here in the good ole U.S. of A. Maybe if she had Jessica Simpson's chest but we here don't always appreciate someone with subtle beauty and manners. Nope, we like our beauty icons to be burping, have blonde hair and big boobs. Although, I do like the fact that SJP is a big star here. But then again women like other women like SJP and Audrey Hepburn, men prefer the Jessica and Jenny McCarthy types. OK—sorry back to Narnia, the Witch's costumes are to die for. I loved the icey blue fur-dresses and especially her awesome warrior outfit and the blonde dreadlocks are a nice touch too. This is going to be the bomb Halloween costume of next year.

Bring it on 2006!

I will probably be spending New Year's Eye watching SG1 in my underpants and that's OK by me. I have had some decent NYE's, a few spent romantically, a few spent with hangovers and a few spent well . . . watching SG1 in my underpants. I'm only into the old episodes. I heart Jack O'Neil.

I like the idea of a new year, new me. I've always been obsessed with transformation. I love reading diet books, even when I'm not on a diet. Just seeing people's testimonials is inspiring to me. Yes, I'm weired I know. I like to get organized and make lots of lists. I think this year my major NY resolution will be to watch less TV. TV is my downfall, I eat bad snacks in front of that damn glowing box. It sucks out so much of my time. So in 2006 less TV, more time for my artwork.

Actually, I want to take the time to think about some highlights from 2005:

*Meeting Henry Rollins and not being a complete goober in front of him
*Exhibited in three art shows
*Was really consistent with cooking healthy food and ate more veggies than ever
*Took trips to Seattle and two to Portland and had massive fun with my good pal Sarah
*Threw my Dad a fab 60th birthday party
*Became an Aunt for the second time around
*Become a Lovehammers groupie - I have no musical talent but I'm good at being a groupie
*Created some great memories with visitors who came to see me!
*Sold about seven paintings this year
*Started seeing a shrink, only to discover I'm really more normal than I think I am
*Turned 35 and had a wonderful birthday
*Gave up the idea of getting my teeth fixed, my smile might not be perfect but it has warmth
*Grew more as a person, went out of my way to do more favors, bake more cookies and just be a more intentionally good person overall

I don't know if 2006 will bring me clarity of mind, I have been contemplating moving for forever and frankly everyone is sick of hearing it. For a while I was definitely moving to L.A., then Seattle, now Portland has been my fixation. Now that I'm broke, I may just have to stay which is not entirely bad because at least in 2005 I made a few new friends. There is so much here that I still love. Speaking of love, I'm also done with pursuing love. I'm tired of Internet dating and dating in general. I am done with love. 2006 will be the year of the career for me. My plans are to get some decorative painting gigs, save and make more money, try tai chi for stress (Hee!), continue a healthy lifestyle 90% of the time (double hee!) and I also want to plan a trip to London.

So NYE I will cook some fine food, drink some great wine and seculantly enjoy some TV viewing for the last time for a while . . . I hope.

Happy Holidays

Today is December 1 and it’s a big snowy day here in Chicago. Marshal Fields windows this year feature the theme—Cinderella. Last year it was Snow White which was awesome but of course I always cheer the brunette heroines. The Evil Stepmother looked like Madame from Madame and Flowers. You know the 70's vantriliquest . . . I will miss Marshal Fields when it becomes Macy’s next year. Fields has a less antiseptic feel to it than the other department stores do. It’s almost Parisian. It's downright romantic compared to the surgical feel of let's say Barney's. This way to Radiation . . . I just have lot of memories of me and my Grandma coming to Chicago to see the holiday windows at Fields. On a few occasions we got to eat at the Walnut Room. It’s a fancy white tablecloth, wood paneled restaurant with the most enormous and glamorous X-mas tree outside of the one in Daily Plaza. If Alexis Carrington were a real person, this is where she would go have lunch.

Another thing about this city I love during the holidays is the Christmas Kindlmarket in Daily Plaza. Vendors from Germany come and set up a little mini Village right in the middle of the city. There is something reassuring about the sight of wooden toys. The food is amazing too. I tried glog one year because the smell was intoxicating like liquid potpourri but I couldn’t stand the taste—like drinking actually potpourri spiked with booze. I’m more of a hot chocolate girl. I don’t dig marzipan either. The little marzipan animals look so cute but the taste didn’t exactly overwhelm me. Over the years I have bought some wonderful Russian black laquered boxes with wonderful fairy tale imagery and some beautiful ornaments too.

Christmas is sort of weird for me since my Mom and Grandmother have passed away. Plus I’m the only single one in the family. I’m so hoping I don’t age into the crazy Aunt who dresses in the all-purple outfit and everyone feels they have to invite just because "we’re family". I love my family even though I don’t have much in common with them. I always like the anticipation than the actual day itself. Before the big day I plan on spending time with my urban family and maybe see that Cinderella window one more time. Here’s to my handsome prince wherever he may be.