Hey There, It's Christa!

What I've Been Doing on My "Summer Vacation"...Part 4

While our perpetually balmy temps are certainly no indication that fall is even close to being around the corner in DFW, all those school supplies I'm seeing at at the nearby Target are basically saying "it's a wrap."

And really, I couldn't be happier...I see many less frizzy days in my hair's future.

Plus, I've always had a thing for school supplies, and August always brings out the proverbial cream of the crop. Whether I need them or not, I simply can't resist the allure of new three-subject notebooks, post-its and hot pink highlighters and will pick them up, regardless of the fact that I haven't taken a class since 1998. 

And now to officially celebrate fall's imminent arrival (the school supplies never lie, I tell ya), I'm presenting my final installment of "What I've Been Doing on My 'Summer Vacation'"...

1)Celebrating Miss Adelyn Grace's third birthday...Yeah, I can hardly believe she's already three (!!!) since I've been blogging about the cutie patootie since she was an itty bitty baby. As always, I had a wonderful time in gorgeous, humidity-free Colorado, and it's been such a pleasure to be part of every one of Adelyn's b-days. She even liked the cake this time, which hasn't exactly been the case in the past. Plus, I got to see her with her first pet, a pretty hot pink betta named Louie. And because Louie is named, well, Louie, I taught Adelyn how to sing "Hello Dolly" like Louis Armstrong. Trust me, there's nothing funnier than hearing a tiny little girl imitating me imitating Louis Armstrong...in fact, I'm cracking up just thinking about it.

2)Catching up on my reading...After enjoying The Help like the rest of the human race did months, even years ago, I plowed through Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan (a two-star read in my humble opinion...really, I only finished to find out what would happen to April, the story's most outrageous character) and Jennifer Weiner's latest Then Came You, a compelling story about classic class struggles, surrogacy and women whose lives intersected in rather intriguing ways.

For the record, now I'm reading Jane Green's Promises to Keep, which I'm told I'm going to need tissues nearby for. After that, I'm going to (finally!!!) see what all the fuss is about The Hunger Games. Everyone I've talked to says it's "intense," so we'll see....

3)Learning to love green tea instead of grande, non-fat caramel macchiatos...yeah when it's iced and has a squeeze of lemon and lime it's not so bad. But it still doesn't taste like caramel.

4)Still loving "Food Network Star" (we're down to the final three...go Sandwich King!) and contemplating what I'd do with the mystery baskets featured on "Chopped." Yeah, that's my kind of reality TV...

5)Working on my novel....yep, Tuesday Nights in Italia is coming along beautifully. Can't wait to for everyone to read it in the not-so-distant future.

6)Rediscovering the gym...because walking outside in triple-digit temps isn't an option. Plus, when you're treadmilling you can watch multiple forms of entertainment at once—the CNBC folks going on and on and on about just how bad the stock market is, a bunch of older gents (in cowboy hats, natch) playing racquetball and a yoga class that I'm pretty sure I'd get kicked out of after five minutes. How everyone's that flexible is one giant mystery to me!

7)Playing Scrabble, Words With Friends and Lexulous. Yes, I love competitive word games, what can I say?

8)Enjoying new music from Fountains of Wayne and Mat Kearney (Young Love is easily his best yet), watching one bad movie after another (exceptions being One Day and Crazy Stupid Love) and being thrilled to pieces that the NFL lockout is over so I can watch my Packers defend their title. Plus, that gives Jim Rome a lot more to "burn" about, so that's always fun, too.

Adventures in Europe, Part 2: Paris When It Sizzles

Back before Will and I were Mr. + Mrs., we were always introducing each other to a few of our favorite things...namely, the books, music and movies that rocked our respective worlds.

While we already shared many, many favorites in common, there was still a bit of a cinematic learning curve, considering he'd never seen Roman Holiday, and I had never experienced the awesomeness that is The Godfather (apparently, citing all the Godfather references from You've Got Mail didn't count).

So on our third and fifth dates respectively, we knocked those off the list and continued our educational journey by throwing our most-beloved books and music in the mix, too.

And thanks to Will, I'm a now a full-fledged fan of The Replacements, Nick Drake, and yes, even Bob Dylan, and my iPod's so much better for it.

Now I'm sure you're probably wondering what any of that has to do with Paris, but trust me, there's a method to the self-proclaimed Tangent Queen's madness. See, one of the best novels Will ever bought for me was Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, a book that easily ranks in my top five today.

For whatever reason, I'd always been of the opinion that Hemingway was overrated—nothing more than a drunken bore (I guess I was right about one of the two anyway). In fact, I'm pretty sure I was supposed to read The Old Man and the Sea back in high school, but I didn't make it past the first 10 pages. Something about the title, not to mention his prose's oh-so-languid pace, didn't exactly inspire me. Ditto for Ernest's enthusiasm for pine-scented forests and bull fighting in For Whom The Bell Tolls and The Sun Also Rises. Yawn.

But A Moveable Feast, well, that's the proverbial horse of a different color. Not only were Hemingway's observations about people so wry, engaging and at times, laugh-out-loud funny, but his description of his time spent writing (and yes, boozing) in Paris immediately transported you there. Suffice it to say, my desire to visit "The City of Light" increased exponentially after reading.

Sure, I'd always dreamed about strolling down the Champs-Élysées with my madeleine, tiny coffee and a few shopping bags to boot, but after reading A Moveable Feast, I wanted to be wherever Hem, Hadley, F. Scott and Zelda were, too, including the illustrious Shakespeare and Company and the coffee shops and bistros they frequented in Montparnasse. Plus, Notre Dame. Can't miss Notre Dame.

So needless to say, as much as I hated leaving London, I was thrilled to get to Paris. I don't know about you, but it just doesn't seem right that after a mere two hours on the Eurostar from London, you're in PARIS! As crazy as the traffic is here in DFW, two hours of travel sometimes means I've merely made it to the other side of town. Or am an hour away from Austin. Seriously those Brits have it made...

After settling into our seats with our snacks (a café crema + M&Ms=the breakfast of champions), Will had a brilliant idea of how to make two hours fly by—playing Scrabble (and yes, we have not one, but two travel-sized sets). For those keeping score at home, I won the first game, Will won the second, and before long, we were enjoying the gorgeous French countryside where even the graffiti-lined walls still look posh somehow. For all its beauty, I half expected the sky to be pink.

And while the sky wasn't pink, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with Paris's myriad of charms anyway. Not only was our hotel the cutest little home away from home (complete with the tiniest little tiled bathtub known to man and a killer mini-bar with plenty of water con gas—my fave), but all the sights and smells were truly something to behold. Frankly, Hemingway was right on the money...

To properly explore Paris, I'm thinking you just have to go ahead, take the plunge and become a local because really, there's much to experience. But since we only had a short time, we did the best with what we had, meaning they'll be plenty of reasons to come back—soon.

Now, a few random observations about our time in "The City of Light"...

*Apparently, not finishing your plate is the same as saying your food wasn't good. During our first meal at a charming little brasserie in Montparnasse, my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. For my starter, I ordered French onion soup because I've always been a fan and thought it would be even better in Paris than, say, Panera. As predicted, it was absolutely marvelous with a ton of gooey Gruyére and toasted, buttery baguette on top, and I finished every irresistable drop. Trouble is, that didn't leave much room for the sole meuniére that I chose for my entree. So even though it was pure buttery bliss (and I'm not even a fish lover normally), I only took a few bites, which inevitably led to my server to raise her eyebrow and ask if I liked it. Funny enough, the same thing happened again with an unfinished omelet at breakfast the next day. I guess if you don't finish, they take it pretty personally. So at subsequnt meals,  I made sure that I finished every bite—especially dessert. Mmmm.

*Eggs, Bacon, Salad? With the exception of the breakfast where I ordered banana pancakes, there was always a side of field greens with homemade vinaigrette next to my breakfast fare. Now don't get me wrong, I always love a good salad; I'm just not used to it with scrambled eggs and bacon. But hey, I guess that's not a bad way to make sure that you get enough greens, right?

*Yep, it's true...Yes, 99.9% of the French—especially the women—dress way better than we do in America, and scarves are an absolute must.

*It's okay to be a tourist, especially when your legs hurt. I'll admit, when I first got to town, I thought the people sitting on the top level of this double-decker tour buses looked silly and touristy. But when you've walked and walked and walked some more, they are an absolute godsend. Plus, even without the headphones, I felt like a got a great view of the city without even trying.

*Eiffel Tower: Cool, but...I don't need to spend half a day waiting to reach the top ever again. If I had one tiny—and I mean miniscule—complaint about my time in the fair Paris, I would've skipped the trip to the top of the Eiffel. Yes, it's one amazing view of the city, but I think I would've been okay just admiring it from afar.

*Shakespeare & Company: Nope, once isn't enough (we went twice).

*The Lourve: Looked great from the outside, but opted out of time with the Mona Lisa to shop and do a bit more exploring instead. Found a killer apron, an adorable new spoonrest for my kitchen, two cute little tees for the cutest niece on the planet, perfume and as a major bonus, stumbled upon the biggest Sephora I've ever been to. Yeah, it even puts the one in NYC to shame...didn't think that was possible.

*And the verdict is...The Barefoot Contessa has always insisted (on several episodes of her show, natch) that it's impossible to have a bad day in Paris, and you know what? She was right. I absolutely loved walking through this amazing city with my hubby by my side, and who knows, maybe our time there will even inspire our future writing, just like it did for Hemingway, Fitzgerald and the list goes on and on...

Welcome to Summer Movie Season! (Finally!)

I don't know about you, but don't you think movies have been a tad on the stinky side so far in 2010?

I mean, aside from Alice in Wonderland and How to Train Your Dragon and a couple of cute scenes from Valentine's Day (and a couple is really stretching it), I've pretty much seen one dud after another.

And while things generally get a bit dumb and action-y this time of year, I must say I'm really looking forward to this summer at the movies. It already got off to a great start last night with Iron Man 2.

Sure, there were a few too many things going on, but overall, I thought it was a satisfying sequel, thanks to Mickey Rourke as the requisite bad guy, the addition of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow (her fight scene was awesome) and of course, Robert Downey Jr. in all his snarky glory.

Now with no further adieu, here's the rest of the flicks I'm looking forward to (in order of release date)...

Robin Hood: Yes, I know, I know...this movie has already been made a gazillion times. But that last version with Kevin Costner doesn't even count. After all, any movie with a Bryan Adams' song as its theme is automatically disqualified for sheer cheesiness. I'm guessing Russell Crowe would never let that happen. And I'm thinking that he and Cate Blanchett will be a class act together in this latest installment.

Knight and Day: Other than playing Ethan Hunt in the continuing adventures of Mission Impossible, we really haven't seen Tom Cruise in this sort of role for a while. And while it could possibly be really, really bad, Will and I will love spotting all the Tom Cruise-isms anyway. Ever notice how in every film there's always a sequence or two or ten where he's running? Or snacking on peanuts? Even better is when he tries to be all over-the-top dramatic, and it's so uncomfortable to watch. Yeah, that's what we love!

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: This is actually my favorite of Stephanie Meyer's books, so I'm hoping the movie will rock, too! It's already good to know there will be more of Edward than in New Moon.

Inception: I'm intrigued by the sheer lack of information on this movie, but with Christopher Nolan behind the lens, I'm thinking it's going to be good. Plus, it'll be fun seeing Ellen Page not in snarky, Juno mode for a change.

Salt: I'm not a huge Angelina Jolie fan, but if forced to watch her, this is the genre I like seeing her in. Could be a fun popcorn flick...

Ramona and Beezus: Yeah, I know I'm way, way out of the target demo for this one. But as much as I loved Beverly Clearly's books growing up, I feel like I have to see it.

Anything that's missing from the list? Feel free to weigh in...

My Favorite Movies of 2009

Once the end of the year rolls around, there's practically a best-of list for everything—the best restaurants, the best tech gear, the best songs, the best blogs...and yes, even the best movies, too.

As I've told many of my readers (and fellow movie-going friends) this year, it hasn't exactly been a stellar year at the cineplex. As a critic for Crosswalk.com, I've truly seen the good, the bad and the ugly...70 flicks (of varying levels of quality) in all. Truth be told, there's practically been 10 bad movies for every good one.

But there have been a handful I've truly enjoyed, so with no further adieu, I'm taking off my critic's hat and revealing my 10 (personal) favorites of the year (in no particular order).

(500) Days of Summer—Who knew that a cheesy Hall & Oats pop song could be the perfect scene-setter? Yes, that's just one of the many revelations in (500) Days of Summer. In what's been a particularly horrible year for rom-coms (see The Ugly Truth, Confessions of a Shopaholic, He's Just Not That Into You), (500) Days of Summer was a proverbial breath of fresh air, thanks to engaging leading performances from Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, an offbeat script and a sheer lack of predictability, a rarity in the romantic comedy universe.

Star Trek—I'm definitely not a Trekkie, but I absolutely loved, loved, loved J.J. Abrams' inventive reboot of the S.S. Enterprise. It was the perfect summer movie with a little something for everyone.

The Soloist—I still don't know why this didn't do better at the box office...maybe it's because the trailer looked a little shaw-shanky. Thankfully, the movie delivered in every possible way with Robert Downey Jr. really shining as the selfish newspaperman who is forced to examine what it really means to help someone in need.

Public Enemies—Michael Mann serves up a shoot 'em up picture with real style. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Johnny Depp's pretty terrific in the John Dillinger leading role, too.

Julie & Julia—I'm a sucker for Nora Ephron movies, and Julie & Julia is no exception. In a rare case where a film far surpasses the quality of the books its based on, Meryl Streep is pitch perfect as Julia Child, the larger-than-life woman who helped Americans learn how to cook French cuisine with aplomb.

Up—Proving you don't always need words to make a real emotional connection (cue the scene detailing the ups and downs of Carl and his late wife's life together), Up succeeds on a variety of levels as a lonely, old curmudgeon learns how thrilling life really can be once you actually leave the ground.

Whip It—A total guilty pleasure with a great soundtrack and plenty of girl power, the world of roller derby gets a new heroine when alterna-girl Bliss (Ellen Page) signs up for the fun. 

Up in the Air—In a year where corporate downsizing was reality for so many Americans, writer/director Jason Reitman certainly has his finger on the pulse of the culture with a heart-warming, funny story that finally gave me a newfound respect for George Clooney as an actor.

New Moon—Yes, I realize I'm hardly in the demographic, but I thoroughly enjoyed the next chapter in Bella, Edward and Jacob's story. Not only did it capture teenage heartbreak so well, but it was a thrill to watch from start to finish. And in case you're curious, yes, I'm still Team Edward.

It's Complicated—Meryl Streep sparkles yet again in a comedy/drama that had me laughing all the way through. Like most of Nancy Meyers' stories, it's 100% female wish fulfillment, but it's still a joy to watch (especially when she whips up those chocolate croissants in that gorgeous Santa Barbara kitchen of hers).

Honorable Mention: The Fantastic Mr. Fox, An Education, Food, Inc., Coraline, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Proposal, The Princess and the Frog

Movie Comment: "Amelia"

Considering  that I'm already at the movies several times a month for work (and loving every minute of it...even if I'm watching sometime truly horrible like Couples Retreat because bad movies are still really, really fun to review), many people automatically assume that I don't like seeing movies for fun, too.

But that's definitely not true. Need proof? Just check out my ever-growing Netflix queue, not to mention my matinee-viewing habits, and you'll see. I love, love, love seeing movies...and if they're great, well, that's a huge bonus!

Sadly, I haven't seen a really great flick for a while, but I definitely had high hopes for Amelia, given the compelling subject matter, a talented director and an equally impressive cast with Hilary Swank (who is always far better at Boys Don't Cry-esque drama than P.S. I Love You comedy in my humble opinion), Ewan McGregor and Richard Gere.

While not a total dud, thanks to gorgeous cinematography and a killer score, Amelia still didn't exactly live up to my expectations. After all the time I spent with Amelia Earhart, I still don't feel like I really know her at all. Not only did the screenwriters skip most of the "why" for why Amelia had to fly (the flimsy "for the fun of it" line just wasn't doing it for me), but the storytelling just felt a little too clinical. I felt like I was getting the Wikipedia version of the story—all dates and facts, but little of the "heart of the story," which is what every movie needs to truly succeed. Ultimately, there's just not enough of that in Amelia to stick with you for the long haul, a shame considering what it could've been.

Rating: ** 1/2 out of **** stars

The 10 Best Things About Fall

I know, I know...when Fall arrives in Minnesota, well, it's officially one step closer to six months of winter which for the record, is no fun at all. Not one little bit.

Even with that ominous event always lurking in the back of my mind, it's impossible not to love this amazing season that's way, way too short in my humble opinion.

Simply put, it's spectacular for a number of reasons—reasons I'll explain in "Letterman Top-10 list" style right here, right now.

Coming in at #10: No more shorts or capri pants. Given that I have ghostly white legs that don't tan, and I'm not a tanning salon kind of girl, I'm don't exactly love wearing shorts or capri pants. But when it gets hot—really hot— in the summer months, what choice do you have in the matter? 

You just gotta own it like Anne Hathaway does. Or give it your best shot, anyway.

Sadly, my legs hate the sun so much that I still have "redneck socks" (a.k.a. seemingly permanent tan lines) from a bad sunburn I got two years ago while sitting by the Four Seasons' pool in L.A. for 20 minutes. Yeah, 20 minutes and unsightly tan lines to show for it two years later. Goodness knows how bad it would've been if I'd stayed out any longer...

#9: Bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils. Sure, roses are a great gesture of romantic devotion, but I always loved it when Tom Hanks' character tells Meg Ryan's character in You've Got Mail (via e-mail, of course) that he'd send her a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils if he knew her name and address.

I must confess that line gets me every time. Yeah, I'm a dork who loves school supplies...and I haven't set foot in a classroom (other than as a guest speaker) for years now.

Every fall when kids are getting their new backpacks, glue sticks and Jonas Brothers' notebooks, it's my tradition to pick up a few new school supplies (for the office, of course), too. There's just nothing like a bunch of new pens, cute notebooks, paper clips and post-its to make working at home feel more tolerable, lemme tell ya.

#8: Soup, Soup and More Soup. On a chilly day, there's nothing more delicious with crackers or a crusty piece of bread in my opinion. Whether it's butternut squash, a hearty bowl of chili or simple tomato basil, count me in. And making it myself? Well, that just makes the experience more fun.

#7: Better Movies, Actual Must-See TV. After reviewing dud after dud at the box office this summer,   fall movies couldn't arrive fast enough. And I'm thrilled to pieces for new episodes of "The Office," and "Castle," too, which beats re-runs any day of the week.

#6: Are You Ready for Some Football? We Banisters have been for months now. And thanks to Favre signing with the Vikes (yes, I'm finally getting used to it), we have three teams (the Packers, Vikings and Cowboys) to root for. Fun, fun, fun.

#5: Scarves, Scarves, Scarves. I adore scarves, but I've never figured out a way to wear them in the summer without looking ridiculous. But in the fall? No problem at all. I'm already excited about sporting all my favorites, Burberry and otherwise.

#4: Two words: Halloween candy. Do I really need to explain this?

#3: Beautiful Scenery: Anyone who knows me well knows that nature and I don't always get along, but ultimately, who can deny the  beauty of fall? I absolutely love the changing leaves, the crisp feeling in the air and taking long walks with Will with such a gorgeous backdrop.

#2: Pumpkin spice lattes. Yeah, I still love my caramel macchiatos, but once these babies arrive in stores, I simply can't get enough. So delicious.

#1: Special occasions. But what takes the proverbial cake when it comes to fall is all that I get to celebrate...Will and I's anniversary (October 8). Will's birthday (October 13). My mom's birthday (October 21). My pal Krista's birthday (October 23).There's certainly no shortage of fun (or cake) in the Fall months, that's for sure...

A Couple of Decent Alternatives to Purchasing Yet Another Ticket to "The Dark Knight"

August typically isn't typically the most promising month for movies. Basically it's the equivalent of eating those leftovers you've dutifully covered up with tin foil in your fridge. Sure, they're edible, but not exactly what you're craving once lunch rolls around. And after a summer of gems like "Iron Man," "Wall-E" and "The Dark Knight," it's not easy to get too excited about the cinematic dregs.

But since I'm a film critic and get paid to see almost everything (including the duds) so you don't have to, I will say this: I just saw a couple of flicks (yes even in August) that I enjoyed. Neither one will be nominated for any Oscars once awards season is in full swing, but they were still entertaining-enough diversions.

So with no further adieu, here are links to two movies that I'd award 2.5 and 3 out of 4 stars respectively: "Swing Vote" and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2". If you're feeling "not so serious," these may be the ticket for a good time at the cineplex.

From Beverly Hills Cop to...

Yeah, I had to see Eddie Murphy's new movie "Meet Dave." At least it was for an assignment for Crosswalk and not by choice, right? If you're curious about why the film was such a flop, check out my review. At least It wasn't as bad as "Norbit" (thankfully), but  unfortunately it's not that much better either (sigh!).

How Do They Do It?

Pixar has a nasty habit (ha ha) of taking premises that shouldn't work and spinning them into enjoyable box-office gold. And Pixar's latest creation, WALL-E is no exception. Here's my review from Crosswalk.com:

With every new Pixar project crafted these days, there seems to be an even trickier premise to pull off, and Wall·E is certainly no exception to the rule. But instead of a field mouse moonlighting as the star chef of a fancy French restaurant in last year's Ratatouille, we've got another unlikely protagonist—a lonely robot simply called Wall·E (which stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class).

Turns out, Wall·E was left behind after the earthlings hightailed it to space after literally trashing the planet made it virtually unlivable. And if a tale about a solitary robot with nothing more than a cockroach for a friend wasn't enough of a leap of faith for a big summer movie, there's virtually no dialogue for the first 30 minutes as the story sets up, save for a few computerized bleeps here and there.

In the age of highly stylized action scenes and booming surround sound, all that silence is a touch disconcerting. And trust me, there were plenty of restless kids and shuffling feet at my particular screening in the beginning. But if viewers are willing to give it a chance, those quiet moments eventually pay off. There's a deeply human connection happening as Wall·E wanders around what's left of the world, dutifully picking trash and composting it into tidy little squares because, well, that's what he's been programmed to do.

During his daily routine, Wall·E picks up a few relics to decorate his new home:  an errant Rubik's Cube, leftover garden gnomes and his personal favorite—a videotape of Hello Dolly! that runs in a loop on a cracked flat-screen T.V. Watching the actors singing, dancing and laughing together makes Wall·E desperately long for someone to love and hold hands with, too. And his persistent battle with loneliness can't help but hit home; after all, we've all been there at one time or another.

Another grim reality artfully presented in Wall·E is the state of a world that used to be thriving. Much like I Am Legend where Will Smith wanders around a seriously depleted New York City, watching Wall·E scurry around a post-apocalyptic earth is also a surreal experience. Letting the stark imagery speak for itself, Wall·E almost functions as a kiddie version of An Inconvenient Truth without all the pie charts. The message of rallying against over-consumption and doing our part to make sure our world stays beautiful is clear, but never delivered in a heavy-handed way.

Like other Pixar productions, Wall·E is beautifully animated with pristine attention to detail, making one wonder how they continue to come up with such inventive material. But what inevitably makes this particular production stand out isn't all the eye candy. It's the sweet love story that develops once a sophisticated, egg-shaped space probe named Eve arrives on the scene.

Eve has been sent to Earth to methodically search for any signs of life. In space, humans have become these roly-poly couch potatoes with robots on hand to satisfy any whim. If someone has a craving for ice cream, he/she doesn't simply walk over to the fridge. Instead, he/she just says the word, and it's in there in a split second—no muss, no fuss. And while that may be some people's idea of heaven, it's clearly become a monotonous life as the human race is basically residing in a strip mall and pursuing nothing greater than momentary pleasures. But to return to earth, there has to be proof that conditions have improved, which is where Eve comes in.

Of course, Wall·E has no idea this is why Eve has arrived and before long, he's developed quite the crush. But Eve isn't so sure of his intentions and nearly extinguishes him on several occasions. But Wall·E's loving persistence eventually pays off, and the relationship that develops is truly better than that of any romantic comedy of late. It's pure, unadulterated love that looks out for the best interests of each other—and ultimately, mankind at large. And even with an unconventional storytelling style, that message rings out loud and clear and makes Wall·E another successful Pixar adventure for the whole family to enjoy.