Seen It, Heard It, Read It

Seen It

127 Hours

I've been waiting for a long time [see here] to see this movie. I was really impressed. It was about as hard to watch as it was to read the book. Overall it was great, but I almost like the book better because it's hard to translate some of what he went through [especially his thoughts] into the movie. If you're worried about it being graphic [like I was], it's not too bad. Obviously when he actually cuts off his arm it's pretty nasty, but please don't let it deter you from watching. You can always close your eyes.

Killers

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought it was a fun movie! It was funny and kept me wondering what was going to happen. Like I said on twitter, I wouldn't mind running into Ashton in France. Oh la la! Haha!

Romeo + Juliet

I don't know why I've never seen this version, but I remedied that this past week. Okay, who doesn't know the story of Romeo and Juliet? It was definitely a unique take on the story. It's kind of like whenever, I watch Titanic and hope the ship doesn't sink. If only Romeo would have gotten the letter. Sigh....

Heard It

Bruno Mars: Doo-Wop & Hooligans

I got this cd from the library last week and listened to it all weekend. I think all of the songs have merged together and gotten stuck in my head.

The Civil Wars: Barton Hollow

Heather has been DYING to get this cd, but the only place they sell it in Boise is at The Record Exchange. We were out shopping on Saturday and she was finally able to get it. I've only listened to it a couple times, but I think it's gonna be a new favorite.

Read It
I was able to read REAL BOOKS over my Spring Break last week! It was so nice!

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

This was one of the books that Heather read recently. It was my first Steve Martin book. Like she said, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed it.

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

I won this book from Ryan Guard's blog. I randomly entered after he tweeted about it. I was thrilled to have won something, but had no idea what I was in for. I ate this book up! It's incredible. I want to share the synopsis so you can get a glimpse of how amazing it is. Thanks again Ryan!

"Cold Tangerines is a collection of stories that celebrate the extraordinary moments hidden in our everyday lives. It is about God, and about life, and about the thousands of daily ways in which an awareness of God changes and infuses everything. It is about spiritual life, and about all the things that we have called nonspiritual life that might be spiritual after all. It is the snapshots of a young woman making peace with herself and her life, and trying to craft a life that captures the energy and exuberance we long for in the midst of the fear and regret and envy we all carry with us. It is both a voice of challenge and song of comfort, calling us upward to the best possible life, and giving us room to breathe, to rest, to break down and break through. Cold Tangerines offers bright and varied glimpses of hope and redemption, in and among the heartbreak and boredom and broken glass."

Seen It, Heard It, Read It

I'd like to introduce my new feature, Seen It, Heard It, Read It. I'm not sure how often I'll do this, maybe every other week or so, but I'm really excited about it! These are some things I've seen, heard and read lately. Have you you seen, heard or read any of these too? Any favorites or suggestions?

SEEN IT
With finishing the semester and having friends in town I've gone to the movies a lot lately. These are some movies I've seen recently and really enjoyed.

1. Burlesque





If you haven't seen this one yet, you need to change that immediately! I LOVE this movie!! I must admit I've seen it twice in theater. I don't even remember the last time I've done that. Heather and I saw it with our mom and her friend and then went again with Jenny. It makes you want to dance, sing, and find a cute bartender named Jack. Haha. I just got the soundtrack this week and every time I put it in I can't help but dance. So fabulous!

2. Easy A



This comes out on DVD Tuesday, but I was able to catch it at the dollar theater a couple weeks ago. Emma Stone is so funny and Penn Badgley is pretty easy on the eyes. Ha! It had an interesting storyline. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but I really liked it! Not only was it really funny, but I thought it had a good message.

3. Life As We Know it



Another dollar theater movie! I went into this movie kind of knowing what would happen. It was a fairly predictable storyline, but I still thought it was a good movie. Definitely made me tear up a little. I'm such a cry baby, haha!

HEARD IT
I definitely love my music. When Heather and I worked at the fire center we would listen to music 10 hours a day. I really miss listening to music all the time. I've gotten so much new music lately but I feel like I've barely touched the surface of it all. These are some that I've made time for recently (aka listened to while I finished my last weeks of school).

1. Joshua Radin: The Rock and The Tide



Oh how I love this man! I've been wanting his cd since it came out in October and I was so happy when my friend Caitlin gave it to me for our Christmas exchange. I didn't realize how much I listened to it while I was finishing up school, but Heather put it in yesterday and I was singing along. He's coming to The Knitting Factory in March and I would LOVE to see him. It's not in the budget now, but maybe a cute boy will take me on a date. Haha. Not really, but I can dream.

2. Duffy: Endlessly



I've only listened to this a couple times in the past week, but I'm sure I'll be playing it a lot. I feel like I've been waiting forever for her to release something new. I'm excited to get to know her new songs better!

3. Justin Bieber: My World



Hi, my name is Ashlee, and I have Bieber Fever. This cd was a lifesaver during the last two weeks of school! It's a little humorous to hear him singing about love, when he's still a little baby-face teenager, but I do love it. I want to be One Less Lonely Girl. Haha!

4. Schuyler Fisk: The Good Stuff



Heather and I would play this ALL the time at the fire center. I absolutely LOVE this girl! The entire cd is incredible! This cd is a must-have! Also, you might want to check out Schuyler in I'm Reed Fish on Instant Netflix.

READ IT
I haven't had a ton of free time to read lately, but I did manage to read a few books recently.

1. Francine Rivers: A Lineage of Grace



I started reading this last year and just finished it a couple weeks ago. It's about the stories of five unlikely woman who changed eternity. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Each of them were faced with different, sometimes scandalous, challenges, but each fulfilled their callings and played important roles in the lineage of Jesus. The books I just finished up were Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. It was particularly interesting to read the story of Mary at this time of year. Each story is a fast read. I loved to see the faithfulness and the hearts of each of these women. It's a little different perspective than just reading these stories in the Bible.

2. Karen Kingsbury: Unlocked



This is Karen's newest book and a few people I know are getting it for Christmas. I love all of Karen's books, but this one is especially close to my heart because of her Forever in Fiction character Kate McRae. With the donations of many generous people, Karen made Kate a character in this book. I've been following Kate's story from the beginning, so it was really neat to read this book with her in it. Besides all that, I loved this story about an autistic 18 year old boy and a girl who wants to be his friend.

3. Karen Kingsbury: Between Sundays



After I finished Unlocked, I had to pick up another one of Karen's books as soon as I could. Luckily my mom has a couple, so I chose Between Sundays, which I finished the same day. It was definitely worth staying up until 2 AM to finish. Her books are so hard to put down! This is the story of a star football player and a woman with a heart for underprivileged kids. My favorite quote from the book: "It's what you do between Sundays, that matters."