Goodbye 2018 and Hello 2019

This time last year we were homeless, living out of our car and the occasional house sit with no idea where we would end up and here we are a year later living in a home that is all ours with a almost thriving veggie garden and a ginger cat called Nudge.

From city life with busy productive careers to rural, small town life with not a sign of a job let a lone a career in sight. The past 2 years have definitely been all about change.  Occasionally stressful and often tiring and yet exciting too.

So what will 2019 bring?

My plans so far are fairly small... 

...finish watching 365 Movies in 365 Days,
...do more gardening and hopefully grow enough that it can (mostly) feed us
...complete some more of my 101 Things in 1001 Days
...blog more and generally do a lot more writing
...find ways to bring in some more money, preferably by working from home

As they say the list goes on and on.  All in all it's all about having the best life possible.  Something I'm a big believer in.  That and chocolate and cherries, of course.

Happy New Year Everyone.  

Hope the year is full of lots of wonderful things.

The Viewing Files: 365 Movies in 365 Days - Christmas of the Hallmark Kind

You just knew I had to do it.  Hallmark AND Christmas, it's like they were begging me to watch them.  Cheesy, sentimental romantic trash that I can vegetate in front of the TV while working my way through an endless supply of Toblerone.  

Utter bliss.

All in the name of science - of course.

Hitched for the Holidays
Starring: Joey Lawrence and that crazy chick from 12 Monkeys, who by the way is totally awesome
Original release: 2012
Synopsis: Fed up with their families hassling them, two single adults agree to pose as each other's boyfriend and girlfriend.

I went in thinking Oh My God Joey Lawrence what has my life come to and came quite liking this movie.

There's chemistry, the story's kind of cute and the sap is kept surprisingly low on this one.

The Christmas Ornament
Starring: Who knows
Original release: 2013
Synopsis: A widow decides to give up on Christmas.

One of the oddest and unromantic movies.  I mean how can you get behind a story where a woman who hasn't even been a widow for a year is pushed into dating again.  Come on people let the woman grieve first before you try to fix her up.

Personally I would have joined her in not doing Christmas and just have the two of us hang out drowning our sorrows in a bottle of wine and eating our weight in in chocolate.

But that's just me.

Christmas Under Wraps
Starring: The chick from Full House
Original release: 2014
Synopsis: A workaholic doctor finds herself moving to a remote town in Alaska.

The sap is pretty strong in this one and if you can't figure out what the 'big secret' is then you really haven't been paying attention.  Not that I can blame you.  Still the overall story is kind of nice and the girl from Full House is surprisingly better than I thought she'd be.

If they had kept the weird secret out of it I might have enjoyed this a lot more.  Sort of like Northern Exposure meets Pollyanna.

Magic Stocking
Starring: TV actors that I quite like
Original release: 2015
Synopsis: A little bit of magic might just help a widow and her daughter.

Yep another widow.  What is it with Hallmark and all these dead people.  I'm starting to notice a worrying trend.  In fact there's either a dead husband or a dead wife or dead parent or parents.  Either way someone somewhere is dead.  Not exactly the most romantic thing.

And yeah the sap was here too.

Only thing that got me through this was the chemistry between the two leads who were totally hot by the way.

The Mistletoe Inn
Starring: A red-head
Original release: 2017
Synopsis: A aspiring romance novelist goes on a writing retreat. 

Much better.  Pretty much zero sap and hey no dead people.  That's a plus right there.

And it's about writing and writers.

Totally me.

Road to Christmas
Starring: Chad Michael Murray
Original release: 2018
Synopsis: A television producer of a cooking show finds herself unexpectedly on a road trip.

Sap level... low... ish.  And CMM is actually okay as a slightly brooding hero.

Like the above I would probably watch this one again.

Snowed-Inn Christmas
Starring: Don't know
Original release: 2017
Synopsis: Two rival reporters find themselves stranded in a small town.

There's that annoying sap again.  I had to grit my teeth a couple of times, thank God the two leads had at least some cute chemistry going on.

Oh and she's an orphan so there's that dead people factor also.

Wait a minute... this is isn't even made by Hallmark?  What the heck?  

"head desk"

I give up.  I'm just going to watch and eat all the Toblerone I can.

The Viewing Files: 365 Movies in 365 Days - Christmas Edition

For someone who has a weakness for all things Christmasy I've been seriously lacking in my Christmas viewing, which we can probably blame on the fact that I tend to watch the same things year after year - Buffy Christmas episode, Supernatural Christmas episode, Frasier Christmas episode and then finally Die Hard.  Cause we all know that Die Hard is the ultimate Christmas movie despite what a certain actor says.

So with me doing this project and Christmas just around the corner it seemed like a good idea to finally watch some of those Christmas movies that everyone else talks about.

Bring on the Christmas cake and eggnog, I've got a feeling I'm going to need it.

Meet Me in St Louis
Starring: Judy Garland
Original release: 1944
Synopsis: A year in the life of a family in St Louis.

We all want a family like the one Judy has. That and Katie the maid who is totally awesome in every way.

Catchy songs, bright, bold colours and zing zing zing goes my heart.

White Christmas
Starring: Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and Danny Kaye
Original release: 1954
Synopsis: Yeah it's that song

Other than the "Sisters' song this just wasn't the movie for me. 

It's A Wonderful Life
Starring: James Stewart
Original release: 1946
Synopsis: An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. 

Well I can now say I have watch it.  Other than that I'm not so sure.  I was kind of disappointed that he never got to travel to all those exotic places like he wanted and instead settled for family and home.

Obviously not the kind of movie that is aimed at someone like me who loves to travel.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Starring: na
Original release: 1965
Synopsis: Repelled by the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas.

I don't get it.  

I'm starting to think that I'm missing something in all these Christmas classics.  Or maybe I'm really a bah humbug after all.

The Holiday
Starring: Rufus Sewell and others
Original release: 2006
Synopsis: Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love. 

Truthfully I only watched this because a) Rufus Sewell and b) cute English cottage.  Reasons I feel are totally valid.  Kate Winslet was also kind of good.  

We won't talk about the rest which was just kind of meh.

Four Christmases
Starring: Reece Witherspoon and Vince Vaughan
Original release: 2008
Synopsis: A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas. 

I could so relate to this couple who just want to celebrate Christmas their way but are soon forced to do the traditional family thing that everyone expects. Also Reece and Vince made a cute, quirky couple.

Sadly totally destroyed by the ending which saw the characters back track on their beliefs.

The Family Stone
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton
Original release: 2005
Synopsis: An uptight businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his family's annual Christmas celebration. 

A nice family who aren't all that nice to their son's girlfriend. In fact the are the worse. As someone who doesn't do well in social situations I could relate to Sarah's character just a little bit. She's shy and awkward and totally out of her depth with a family that are very family oriented. The poor girl never stood a chance even if she does put her foot in it from time to time.

Personally I would have bailed on the lot of them including the cheating boyfriend and sister and booked into a hotel with room service and a hot tub and tell them all where they can shove their Christmas.

The Viewing Files: 365 Movies in 365 Days - Week Twenty Five

Back to the oldies this week and a mix bag of musicals and film noir's with a melodrama and a comedy through in just to keep it interesting..  Next lot of viewing is going to be all about Christmas.  You have been warned.

The Philadelphia Story
Starring: Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart
Original release: 1940
Synopsis: When a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage disaster is sure to happen.

Pretty good on the whole.

Hepburn is at her sarcastic fiery best - and I say this as someone who generally finds her annoying at times - with Grant being more than an equal match for her and Stewart managing to hold his own against them both.

Only downside were the parents and the whole it's okay to have an affair because if she's a good wife she'll totally understand and put up with it.

High Society
Starring: Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and FrankSinatra
Original release: 1956
Synopsis: A spoiled heiress must choose between three suitors: her jazz musician ex-husband, a stuffy businessman, and an undercover tabloid reporter. 

Basically a remake of the above but with songs.  Sparkly and light like a glass of champagne but without the wit and snap which made the original so good.  Grace Kelly does her usual aloofness while Bing is just so laid back about the whole thing that you really wonder if he loves her at all.  

Lovely clothes and some neat songs but not much else beyond that.

The Wicked Lady
Starring: Margaret Lockwood and James Mason
Original release: 1945
Synopsis: A noblewoman leads a double life as a highwayman.

Completely silly plot about a spoilt brat of a woman who does everything she can to get what and who she wants.  Gothic melodrama at it's silliest and best.

Margaret Lockwood does the high arch eyebrow and pout so well.  I seriously need to watch some of her other movies.

The Big Steal
Starring: Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer
Original release: 1949
Synopsis: An army lieutenant accused of robbery pursues the real thief on a frantic chase through Mexico aided by the thief's fiancee. 

Not as good as Out of the Past but still not to bad either.  I've definitely developed a bit of a weak spot for Robert Mitchum in these 1940's film noir's.  Maybe it's the hat.

The Asphalt Jungle
Starring: Sterling Hayden and Marilyn Monroe
Original release: 1950
Synopsis: A major heist goes off as planned, until bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel. 

I'd heard good things about this movie and it didn't disappoint.  Sterling Hayden was just brilliant as hired muscle who gets pulled into a heist.  Bad boys have always been my weakness.  Another actor that I definitely need to see more of.

Pickup on South Street
Starring: Richard Widmark
Original release: 1953
Synopsis: A pickpocket unwittingly lifts a message destined for enemy agents and becomes a target for a Communist spy ring. 

And the hits just keep on coming.  Film Noir is so my kind of thing.  Another great movie and another great actor.

You'll Never Get Rich
Starring: Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth
Original release: 1941
Synopsis: A chorus girl catches the eye of her choreographer and a battle of wits and dancing ensures.

After all the bad boy smoked filled crime spree's I needed something light to watch and came across this purely by accident.

I had no idea that Rita Hayworth could dance so good.  The dancing in it is amazing.  Just watch this scene and you'll see what I mean. 

You Were Never Lovelier
Starring: Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth
Original release: 1942
Synopsis: The daughter of a rich man falls for a dancer.

More great dancing.

The plot in itself is pretty much incidental in any of these movies.  It's all about the clothes, the songs and the dancing.  Fred and Rita really were a great pairing.  Who knew.

Decembers Plans and Novembers Outcomes

And didn't those last 11 months go fast.  Hard to believe that it's almost the end of the year.

Unlike the upheaval of last year this holiday season seems to so far at least going fairly calm and steady which is nice.  I've brought and wrapped all the presents, the tree is up and decorated and the holiday music is all sorted.  I am, amazingly, on top of all things Christmasy and can actually just sit back and enjoy December.

Definitely makes a nice change from the up and down of the last few months.

So what's on the agenda...

An Island Christmas by Jenny Colgan
The first of my cosy Christmas reads.  You just knew there had to be one.
One New York Christmas by Mandy Baggott
New York is on my list of places to spend Christmas so naturally this book appealed to me
Winter Without You by Beth Good
And yes that's 3.  What can I say except that I'm a sucker for a Christmas romance read. 

Christmas Movies 
It's all about the Christmas movies don't you know.  On this years list is White Christmas and The Polar Express, both of which I have never seen before.  Shocking I know. Also added into the mix will be Hallmark movies just to keep it real... or not.

365 Movies in 365 Days
Still going.  Surprise, Surprise.  And I'm definitely hoping my list of Christmas movies to watch will help get this target just a little bit closer.
Gardening
Still so much to do.  Mostly because I didn't do much from last months plans.  Still the veg are growing well and I've been getting my very own homegrown lettuces for the past week so I'm super pleased with the tiny amount of progress I have made so far.
Christmas
As we are celebrating Christmas for the very first time in our new home we've gone a bit crazy and brought an enormous tree that reaches the ceiling and a ton of decorations.  Though even the amount we brought still isn't enough to completely cover said tree.  Still it looks really pretty with the lights on at night so we're happy.

As for the rest of Christmas I've been sooo good and brought all my presents early and they are already wrapped and sitting under the tree.  Which means that I really haven't got that much do... except figure out what sugar free dessert I can make.  It needs to be something yummy and easy to make because non-cook me needs to be able to make it without it failing so if you have any suggestions please do pass them on.