Inspired by Miss Piggy on Fashion Friday

Before I start today's post, have you guys heard about the AdoraOm "New Year, New You" Makeover Contest?  You could win a makeover, workout clothes and lunch with the AdoraOm team - and I know from experience that they're terrific ladies who are excellent lunching companions.  You find out all the details for entering at their website or their Facebook page.

OK, onto today's post.

Miss Piggy has been a fashion icon of mine for as long as I can remember.  She certainly inspired me on Halloween a few years ago.

When we went to see her wardrobe collection at the El Capitan last week, it wasn't too surprising that one of her outfits sparked my fashion creativity.  I loved her houndstooth suit.

Ooh la la... Piggy wore this suit while working at French Vogue.

She even had my haircut while she wore it.  (Or I had hers.  It's not clear.)

Lately, it's helped me to dress for work in the morning before I begin my daily schedule - even though my work is freelance, and I could be in my jammies all day if I wanted.  When I snazz it up, it's like I'm making a commitment to being focused and productive in my day.  When I saw Piggy's suit, I realized I wanted to work a similar piece from my own wardrobe into my daily wear a little more.  So today I'm wearing this more casual - but still put-together - tribute to Piggy's suit.

Blazer by Lane Bryant
Tank shell by JM Collection
Slim-cut jeans by Style&Co
Resin and ribbon necklace by Avenue
Chiffon flower brooch came with the blazer
Boat shoes by Sperry

  
There are no pearls a la piggy in my wardrobe, but I thought I'd pay tribute to her black-and-pink with the ribbon/resin necklace.

One thing I like especially is the shape of the outfit.  The jacket is a little blocky, but because it's an open cut, the body-hugging shell underneath reveals a little more curve.  And the slim-cut jeans taper the look, so I'm not one big rectangle.  (Likewise, the loafers - new favorites of mine - don't overwhelm the shape, but don't disappear, either.)

This are actually my first pair of slim-cut pants, outside of workout pants, in... I don't know how long, but probably more than 20 years.  I found them by spending a few hours trying on every single kind of brand and style and cut at Macy's.  It is surprising just how differently each pair fits... but this one fits me like a glove.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't really want to go back to boot cuts again.  Macy's seems to be out of slim-cut jeans right now, aside from their new "butt lifting technology" ones.  I haven't tried those before. 

So, what fictional character inspires your wardrobe?  (Or what real person, for that matter?)  I have another inspirational character, but I'll save her for another Fashion Friday.

**

In other news, I'm feeling better than I was yesterday.  The blues seem to have passed, and I'm sure my weekly therapy session helped - as did the support from all of you.

We leave early tomorrow morning for a family gathering.  Traveling is always stressful when you're on a plan for healthy living... mostly because you have to be flexible and there isn't always an easy plan in place.  Fortunately, we've stocked up on some healthy snacks to take with us, we have activities scheduled, and I have kind relatives looking out for me.  I'll let you know how everything goes when I'm back again on Monday.  Until then, let's take care of each other - and ourselves.  Have a great weekend!

Adventure Wednesday with The Muppets!

It's time to play the music.  It's time to light the lights!  It's time to go see The Muppets, if you haven't already, because it's pretty damn good.  The best Muppet movie since the 1980s.  For today's Adventure Wednesday, I take you along on our trip to see the movie, Hollywood-style.

Having finished all of my preparation for Thanksgiving by Wednesday afternoon, Tom and I found ourselves with an uncharacteristically open night before our holiday guests arrived for dinner, so we booked tickets to see the movie opening night at the best possible viewing location -- the El Capitan. 

The El Cap marquee, all lit up

  

This turned out to be especially fun, because El Cap is in the film, as the location of "Muppet Studios."  (In real life, the Henson studios are actually on La Brea north of Sunset, in Charlie Chaplin's former studio space, but the Muppets are now owned by Disney, the owner of the El Capitan.)

The real Henson Studios has a tribute to Kermit and Chaplin - the statue of Kermit AS Chaplin.
Photo via Henson Studios

  

   We love going to the El Cap.  It's a more expensive ticket than your usual theater, but then, it has so much more to offer than your usual theater does. 

Here's the side of the theater, with the nearby Animal billboard.

It may only be a mile away from our home, but we rarely get over to the tourist district (with Grauman's Chinese among other attractions.)  There's always something strange and amusing to see there, and going to the El Cap gives us a good excuse to people-watch.  Or pet-watch.

For instance, we spotted this very recalcitrant cat being walked - or tugged - on a leash.

The El Cap is also fun because it is such a beautifully restored historical theater.  I'm a fan of old theaters, and this is one of the best restorations ever done.

Here's the ceiling above the ticket box and entryway.

 
And unlike most old theaters, it has a Wurlitzer organ that is in good working condition -- and their organist plays a set before every show!  There's nothing like seeing a movie like Pirates of the Caribbean or Lady and the Tramp or The Muppets, (all which we've seen there) and hearing its theme song pour out of the pipes before the movie even starts.

The organist at play.

  
   Plus, whatever is playing at the El Cap, Disney always brings in special displays or events that tie into the movie.  This one was no exception, and it was one of the reasons I most wanted to see The Muppets at the El Capitan.  They included a pre-show holiday sing-along with a live performance by Kermit and Piggy.

KERMIT AND PIGGY!

Now, I know - and I hope you know I know - that they aren't really people.  But... I'd never seen the puppets in action, actually being puppeted in front of me.  The holiday sing-along with them was worth the ticket price alone.

My inner two-year-old (and my outer thirty-two-year-old) was totally geeked out by the real Kermit and Piggy, in person.

After the sing-along, we enjoyed the audience's giddy reaction to the pending movie.  When the reel didn't roll right away, some fella behind us started doing a Statler/Waldorf impression.  It was spot-on and made everyone laugh.

The film was preceded with a Toy Story short that was so packed with laughs from stem to stern that I am pretty sure I need to see it again to catch everything I missed.

Finally, The Muppets began, and I was amused (and kind of moved) that there was as much cheering by our fellow adults in the audience as we'd heard from the tweens seeing Twilight.  I'm reminded, with the second coming of these felted weirdos, that I'm not alone in my love for them.

Especially when it comes to Jason Segel, the writer and star of the movie.  I was a little worried the film would be jaded and a touch ironic, as is the 'Apatow' style from which he sprung up to stardom.  But the movie was filled with real heart, and lots of funny laughs.

I'm a musical fan, and the music numbers did not disappoint.  I loved several of them, but my favorite by far was "Man or Muppet," which I hope like hell will be nominated for an Academy Award.  There's a terrific cameo for the song, which totally surprised me - I was deeply tickled by it.  I'm not spoiling it for you, and you should try to stay unspoiled.

It was fun to spot the hotel on the corner of our street, in its own cameo as Amy Adams' and Jason Segel's hotel room.  (I was hoping there would be an exterior shot, but alas, no.)

Once the credits were done rolling (you should stay for them, btw) we headed downstairs for the special exhibit of Miss Piggy's wardrobe from the film - yet another benefit of the El Cap screening.

My favorite was this Zac Posen number. He designs so well for curves!

   We didn't realize - I don't think they advertised - that there was also a photo op backdrop down there, plus the Muppet portraits from the film, and some sets and props, too!

Blissed out after the movie.

  

Tom in front of Kermit's office, complete with his "Standard Rich & Famous Contract"

      

Me with Miss Piggy's dressing room. I'm holding the Muppets popcorn bucket that came with our VIP tickets.

From there, we headed out through Disney's Soda Fountain, the combination gift shop/restaurant connected to the theater.  (You can't exit a Disney ride without exiting through the gift shop, yo.)  They had a ton of Muppet merchandise.

They had a whole display just for Animal!

They also sold Muppet Whatnot sets - and though I'd really like one, I'd rather wait until I can assemble my own
at the FAO Schwarz in New York - or if it finally comes to Disneyland, as is rumored.

   They even sold the OPI Muppet nail polish series - but I decided not to buy any, in favor of another souvenir I had my eye on.

Sporting my cozy new Kermie hat.

  
We loved the experience... and we loved the movie, which we'd like to see again while it's still in theaters.  (Having had the full El Cap experience, we'll opt for a cheaper theater this time.  Once is worth it, but once is enough.)

If you're local and you love Muppets, definitely consider checking it out at the El Capitan... and if you're not local, you should try to catch the movie in theaters.  It's a love letter to the original fans, and a cheery introduction for new ones.

OK.  I'll be back again mahna-mañana (wocka-wocka), and til then, take care of you!

Media Monday... Movies, Movies, Movies!

It's already Tuesday, and I missed Monday, so I'm including a quick post of short cuts, all about the movies we saw this weekend!

We always do a movie day on Thanksgiving weekend.  By the end of November, the Oscar films are starting to pour into the theaters, and we're usually so busy that we're playing catch-up with them.  It started on our very first Thanksgiving together (Kinsey, Finding Neverland, Saw, Sideways) and has continued every year.  This year, we caught five great films!

• The Muppets.  Major love.  More on this tomorrow, for Adventure Wednesday!
• The Artist.  An absolute must-see if you're a fan of silent films... and even if you aren't. Take a dash of Singin' In the Rain, a pinch of A Star Is Born, and you have a story about the silent age of cinema told... in the style of the silent age of cinema.  There's some really indelible imagery in the film, and it's created in the vintage-retro aesthetic that I love.  Plus, the two leads seem as if they were plucked from the 1930s.  Hollywood just doesn't make actors - or movies - like this anymore...  but it seems France can.
• Hugo. Two films in a row that are love letters to classic cinema - though I didn't really expect it of this Scorcese children's pic when I first saw the trailer.  I don't want to spoil anything for you, but it's a slow but immersive jaunt to France that entertains while it pleads for the preservation of film.  This actually may be my favorite Scorcese film.
• Arthur Christmas.  The most benign of the bunch, but a pleasant watch nonetheless.  I usually expect more of Ardman (the Wallace & Gromit studio) but it's still much better than many animated films.
• We Bought A Zoo.  It was playing in a "sneak preview" (the kind you buy tickets for, not the kind you're selected for.)  I wasn't expecting much, because Cameron Crowe hasn't interested me since Almost Famous... but I was totally won over by the film, the characters, the actors, and the depth of feeling.  I won't lie.  I cried - a lot.  I loved it.

We've also been seeing more and more of our own script.  With Tom home this week, we've been going gangbusters, and it keeps getting better and better.  Thanks also to a long discussion over dinner with my mother-in-law this weekend, we having been looking into a new avenue for the main character that has been fun and exciting to research.  Woo-hoo!

Weigh-in Tuesday: Dear Twelve-Year-Old Heidi

Dear Twelve-year-old Heidi,

Hey, kiddo.  It's me.  It's you.  It's us.

Here I/you/we are at the spring music program in sixth grade.

I'm 32 now, and the other day I stumbled upon a thought I hadn't had in a long time.  I was thinking about you, and your music program in sixth grade, and how you were really having a hard time back then.  Because when you're just on the verge of a breakthrough, things can feel especially dreadful.

I remember that you felt isolated.

For one thing, you didn't feel like you were on the same page as the people in your class.  It was a small class, with tight cliques, and emotions running rampant as prepubescent hormones blossomed.  They grew up into some great people, but at the time, you were drifting apart from them.  Couples were pairing off, and it really stung as some your closest friends started holding hands with some of your crushes.  Ah, crushes.  So called for their ability to crush a little heart.  You felt completely unpretty.  You definitely felt fat - though you were at a healthy weight -  and you believed that the fat stood between you and all good things.  It's important that you hang in there, little me.  There are kindred spirits in your future.  There is great love to come.  There is upcoming comfort in your own skin, even when you're actually overweight.  (Even when you're morbidly obese.)  And there is courage to take care good of yourself, too.

For another thing, you were saddled with a teacher who discouraged you.  When you mention to a teacher that you're interested in writing, the last thing you should be told is that you'll never be a good writer.  Heck, even if you were a bad writer at the time (which you weren't) a teacher's job is to encourage and enrich the student, not put them down.  I hate to admit it, but that one statement will come back to haunt you, long after other teachers award you, bosses promote you, clients commend you for your writing.  You'll still secretly worry that your sixth-grade teacher was right, that you'll never be a writer.  But you ARE one.  Throughout your life, you'll work very hard on it, and you'll keep improving at it.  You'll even make a living doing it.

To top it all off, you were getting ready for the spring music program.  Two of the 'cool' girls were asked to do a dance together, and you were secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) jealous of them.  I know it wasn't so much about the dancing (though you'd been studying ballet for six years)... it was about feeling lonely.  Girls with whom you wanted to fit in were spending extra time together, without you.

Chin up.  You have to realize - you weren't really excluded.  You were, in fact, invited to sing a solo.  But you didn't like the solo, because you wanted to dance with your friends.  And you didn't like the song. It though it was unpopular, like you thought you were unpopular.

But you sang that song anyway. Here you are, doing it.

Here's the thing.  That song?  It's actually one of the most beloved songs in the American music canon.  It became famous in a movie musical.  One that you will grow to love.

You'll watch it for the first time in a few years, at a cozy cabin while eating raspberry pie with your very first kindred-spirit friend.  You'll adore it.  You'll quote from it frequently.  You'll come back to it again and again.

Later in your life, you'll find yourself sitting in a lawn chair, in a cemetery, in the dark.  You'll be snuggled up in blankets, and in your husband's arms.  You'll be surrounded by several of your kindred-spirit friends, as you all stare up at a mausoleum wall, aglow with beautiful scenes from your favorite movie musical of all time.  A cool breeze will swirl around you, and you'll look up and notice that you can just barely make out the outline of the palm trees in the dark

You won't be thinking of how you sang that song in your sixth grade spring music program.  You won't be thinking of anything... except how you feel incredibly - completely - content.

 There's a little piece of advice a former (er, future?) boss gave me once.  When you're feeling jealous of someone because they... have a boyfriend... spend more time with someone else... have a moment in the spotlight... have an easier journey to good health... are more successful in their career...  or for any reason at all... you should:

...Keep your eye on your own plate.

  
It's a figure of speech.  It means that if you're worried about what you don't have, you should focus on what you do have.  Don't have a dance to perform like someone else?  Work hard on that solo, and really savor the fact that you get to have your own private moment in the spotlight.  Haven't sold your screenplays like someone else?  Work hard on them.  Working hard on your writing has always paid off in the past.  (See?  I'm taking the same advice.)

I think it's also good advice to take literally.  You're going to go through a long process of weight gain, little me.  It's going to be hard on you.  But in time, you'll find your balance, and then you're going to take good care of yourself - and try to do it in every way you can.  That's what I'm doing right now.  I'm down a pound this week, but I notice that I've gotten a little bit lax with the measuring, lazy about counting.  So I'm going to work on keeping my eye on my own plate.

You've got big things ahead, twelve-year-old me.  You've got places to go and people to love, who love you.  How's this for a deal?  You keep breathing, and keep trying, and keep being yourself.  And I will, too.  And in another 20 years, maybe we'll get some great insight from 52-year-old Heidi.  In the meanwhile... I am always with you, and you are most definitely always with me.

Love,
Heidi

Multimedia Monday: Don't Tell the Bride!

It's Monday again? Wow, the time moves so quickly.

My weekend was fun and exhausting -- I'm looking forward to sharing more about it in upcoming Adventure and Fashion posts.  But the weekend has passed, and you know what that means... it's time for some Multimedia Monday Short Cuts!

• I'm always impressed by the films that George Clooney directs.  The tabloids promote him as such a playboy, but from his films, it's clear to me that he has a sharp, intelligent mind and a boatload of talent.  I loved The Ides of March. It reminded me, kind of achingly, of how politics broke my heart once, too.
• After seeing - and loving - The Help, I wanted to read the novel from which it was adapted, and I finished it this week.  I'm always interested in the way things are condensed into filmic form, and I thought this one was handled very well - though I was surprised by a few of the differences.
• Tom and I have finally caught up on American Horror Story.  I can't say that I love it, but it has definitely intrigued me enough to add a season pass to my DVR.  
• We added another season pass this week, for Once Upon a Time.  One episode is usually not enough to judge, but I'm a sucker for fairy tales, especially revisionist ones.  I'm curious to see where they'll go with it.

There's one other show that I'm watching this season... and it's called Don't Tell the Bride.

  
Full disclosure - I'm totally biased about it, because Tom is one of the show's editors!

Each week, a couple is given $25,000 to plan a wedding... but the hook is that they only have three weeks to plan it... and the groom has to do it.  He can't see - or talk to - his bride for those three weeks, until she comes down the aisle.  And only his best man can help him.  (No, really. There aren't people behind the scenes aiding him or giving him recommendations.)

So far, two episodes have aired (and they are replayed during the week.)  Next Saturday, Tom's first episode premieres, and I'm really excited to see his handiwork.  I think we might have a viewing party for one of his favorite episodes, later this season.  (Let me know if you want to join us, heh.)

Clearly, the first topic that comes up when discussing the show is: "how would I [handle/have handled] this for my wedding?"

I love my groom more than anything else in this world.  Tom is a creative, thoughtful man who has such vision, and such a unique point of view.  Seriously, every day I'm grateful that he came into my life.  I'm sure that he'd do his best to be thoughtful in planning a wedding.

But let me tell you: there is NO WAY I would have had him pick out my wedding dress.  Not without me trying it on.  A wedding dress is supposed to make you feel beautiful and confident.  If I hadn't tried on all different kinds of shapes of dresses, I would never, ever have picked my own.  What you think you like is almost never what you end up liking.  (This past episode's bride had that experience, too.)

I loved, loved, loved my wedding dress.
Much as I love, love, love my husband.

When it came to our own wedding (which I wrote a little about on our anniversary), Tom did participate in the planning. He had veto power on everything, and I made sure to come up with ideas that expressed both of our personalities.  He had a few hard-and-fast rules about the wedding...

1. No groom's cake.  He'd seen them on shows like Bridezillas, and came to think of them as proof that the groom had nothing to do with the wedding except one dinky little cake.  So he nixed it.
2. No live animals as decoration.  When we saw photos of fish bowls on reception tables, he made it clear that there would be no animals used and then flushed.  Fortunately, I was never interested in that, either.
3. No garter toss.  It seemed embarrassing to all involved, and I'm relieved, too.
4. No Chicken Dance.

Funny story about #4.  My mother was disappointed that Tom ruled out the Chicken Dance, and asked him to reconsider.  Jokingly, he told her that he'd permit a chicken dancing, but no Chicken Dance.  And oh, my mother - what a prankster she was - secretly arranged for the rental of a chicken suit and the appearance of a dancing chicken at our reception.  Such fond, fond memories.

Tom's biggest involvement in our wedding was editing our wedding movie, which we screened during our cocktail hour at the local movie theater (the very theater I grew up attending.)  I'll leave you today with the wedding movie - which still makes me cry.







Don't forget to watch Don't Tell the Bride on OWN, Saturdays at 10PM.  And... don't forget to take care of you!

A Multimedia Monday post... in which, I still exist.

Hello.

Long time, no see.  I know.  But I still exist.  I promise!  And I'm still on this long journey of self-care.

I went from vacation preparation, to beautiful vacation, to a coldy-flu plague.  I was all refreshed from Palm Springs, and feeling ready to be present here on the blog... but let me tell you, this grippe had a grip on me for almost a week.  I threw my hands up and decided just to rest and try to recover my strenghth.

One thing I've noticed this year is that I face some serious some food challenges while I'm sick.  I'll talk more about this soon, but the good news is that as my energy grows, so does my will to cook for myself.  I think my stomach is feeling better as a result, as much as my sinuses feel better than they did last week.  I am very much looking forward to tomorrow, which will be my first day back at Slimmons since I left for vacation.

It's Monday, so that means it's time for some Short Cuts.

• While I was sick last week, I spent a lot of time staring blankly at the watching tv.  I learned the following:
• Even if I am only half-watching Toy Story 3, when Andy plays with his toys one last time, I will still be racked with the equivalent amount of sobs as I did upon first viewing.
• Trick 'R Treat is (as per my friend's recommendation) a fun and playful horror romp worth watching.  The horror script that Tom and I have been developing will have a different approach, but I hope it will capture the same sense of glee.
• The Parenthood TV series is underrated, and I should have listened to my friends Sara L. and Rena W. when they raved about it.
• I can't make it all the way through Stephen King's Thinner without feeling sick and turning it off.  It wasn't the rapid weight loss or the mocking of fat people or the unhealthy dieting or even the depiction of food addiction that bothered me.  It was the way that the film - and many films - portray binge-eating. Seriously. I have binged.  I know what it looks - and feels - like.  It's not like that.  It's less disgusting, and far more sad.  And geez- how many Multimedia Monday posts will it take for me to listen to myself - I ought to finish Yoga For Fat Girls, which includes a character who suffers from binging, which I hope to portray honestly and without cruelty toward the character.

In movie marketing news, I keep bumping into various ads for Adam Sandler's upcoming comedy, Jack & Jill - in which he plays a man and his twin sister.  And every time I see anything to promote the movie, I can't help but think of Funny People.

Did you see Funny People?  Or, more specifically, did you see the Funny People websites?  Perhaps some of you don't know that in a past life, I was a movie marketing interactive producer, which essentially means that I helped to conceive and (manage teams who) create movie websites.

One of the sites I produced was a portfolio for Sandler's character, George Simmons -- a past-his-prime actor who has made a lot of zany high-concept comedies. Featuring titles like Merman, Dog's Best Friend, and My Best Friend Is A Robot.  (If you read the reviews on that website, you might see some interesting fake critics named, such as the formidable Brian Powers and the remarkable Michelle Vander Missen... who happen to be my siblings. Ah, the little joys of marketing.)

Anyway, all I can think whenever I see that Jack & Jill poster is...

And in movie marketing old-news, there are bus ads all over town for this season's Project Runway, which (I think?) is about to end.  Now, don't me wrong: I love Tim Gunn's catchphrase, "make it work."  But this particular one-sheet design for demonstrates just how important it is to treat marketing copy carefully.

Yeah, it's clever and visually interesting to tuck little words into bigger ones.  But when you're doing that, you have to make sure you're not turning the phrase into something else entirely.  Whenever I drive past this one-sheet, I don't see the "it."  I see "MAKE WORK."  Which is regional slang akin to "busy-work," or work undertaken not for the purpose of completing a task, but for the purpose of keeping you busy.  This poster is telling you - though I don't think it intends to - that Tim Gunn appears on Project Runway not because he wants to be there, but merely to make him seem busy and engaged.

The moral of the story here is that one little word... be it "it," or "no," or "thanks"... can make all of the difference.  And I'll end today with four little words. I apologize for not being here to tell them to you regularly the last few weeks.  But I've had them in my heart, nonethless.

Multimedia Monday: It's time to start the music...

Today I'm introducing a brand new "day" theme: Multimedia Monday!  Each Monday, I will be reflecting on creativity in a variety of ways, including sharing my TV/film/art/music/literature recommendations, as well as - when I'm able - my own creative work.

Finishing the Hat started out as a way for me to communicate about - and share - my creative endeavors.  When I began my weight loss journey, so much of those creative endeavors began to focus on my fitness and my food, so the blog took a sharp turn in that direction.  Don't worry - I'm definitely going to continue my journey, and writing about it every day.  It'll even play into my Multimedia Mondays.

I still have a long journey ahead of me, but part of me has felt a little disconnected here at Finishing the Hat.  So much of my passion stems from watching (and creating! and also, in previous work, selling) film and television.  Actually, any creative endeavor makes my heart sing.  So each Monday, I'll singing my heart out here about it, here.

I'll start each MM post with "Short Cuts," a quick list of my thoughts and recommendations for the week.

• The fall TV season has begun!  Tom's been working 7 days a week for the past few weeks, so he and I have been struggling to keep up with the new shows (and the new episodes of our old shows.)  We finally killed the last new ones on our DVR last night, and we think we've honed in on one new show to follow, so far: The New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel.  It's charming without being twee, it has bite without being too cynical or ironic, and - this is a big one - it actually made us laugh.  

• I always feel happy when I make a good recommendation for someone else.  I had suggested to my father that he go see The Help, and though he was hesitant to see a "chick flick," he gave it a glowing review after seeing it.  If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a look.

•  As a former market-eer, I take close notice of film and TV campaigns. Though I haven't seen the film, I'm impressed with the tagline (which is the slogan typically on posters and in ads) for 50/50, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen.  A good tagline says it all in one punchy phrase, and the 50/50 tagline definitely does. "It takes a pair to beat the odds."  From that little sentence (and the accompanying photo of Rogen as he watches Gordon-Levitt shave his head) we can gather that this is both a cancer movie (his odds are 50/50; "a pair" = nads) and this is a buddy movie ("a pair" = Rogen + Gordon-Levitt.)  Ingenius!

• Over the weekend, we happened to see a trailer for a film I saw in early preview this spring.  I can't tell you anything about it.  I won't even tell you the name of it.  But I will tell you two things.  One, I loved the movie thoroughly.  THOROUGHLY.  And two, the trailer goes WAY out of its way not to tell you what the movie is really about.  I hate when that happens!  (As a former market-eer, I understand why it happens.  But I still hate it.)

 And on to today's topic.  I saw someone describe these beloved characters as "heartfelt, by hearts made of felt," and I can't help but agree.  I love me some Muppets.

My parents were fond of telling the story about how I used to dance to The Muppet Show before I could even walk.  Apparently, I would squeal as soon as I would see that spinning-top ITC Production Logo. 




My fondness for the Muppets certainly didn't end when I became an adult.  In fact, I may be crazier about them now than I was back then.  (I squeal less, though.)  Luckily for me, there's been a big revival of the Muppet franchise, and if you haven't noticed the resurgence of Kermit and the gang, you're bound to see it before the new film opens November 23.

I'm looking forward to it.  Besides my beloved felt-hearted frog and his friends, it includes the talents of Jason Segel (who is starring as well as screenwriting), Amy Adams (who I've followed gleefully since her Oscar-nominated performance in the wonderful Junebug), and music by Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords.

They're building buzz around the film with a variety of different interesting projects.

For one thing, a cover album of Muppet greats - The Green Album - came out last month.  It's a surprising collection of Muppet classics as performed by a variety of popular and indie artists.  I knew I'd love the already-amazing "It's Not Easy Bein' Green," and the haunting-even-when-sung-by-Gonzo "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday," but I didn't realize how brilliantly clever (and kind of painful) the lyrics to "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" really were until I heard it performed by Matt Nathanson.  Big thumbs-up.

For another thing... I'm not a frequent purchaser of nail polish, but I can't wait to buy my own bottle of O.P.I.'s "Rainbow Connection."

Or "Fresh Frog of Bel-Air." Or "Excuse Moi."  Those two pictured above.

Oh, for that Excuse Moi polish a few Octobers ago, when Tom and I went as my favorite fuzzy duo for Halloween.

My favorite duo costume. Ever.  We don't fit 'em anymore, though!

As fun and playful as the Muppets are, there's such a deeper side to them.   Sometimes deeply sad.  Sometimes deeply inspiring.  I got the idea for this blog topic yesterday, when I stumbled upon a video that Henson Studios posted in honor of the 75th anniversary of Jim Henson's birth.

It's the finale from the television tribute special, after Jim's death.  I won't lie.  It made me cry. 





I was so inspired by the video that I started doodling... and it became another Art Journal entry.

Thank you, Jim, for the beautiful legacy you left to all of us.  Your creativity inspires me every day.

As far as my weight loss journey... it has been a bit of a challenge in the last week, and I'll write about it more tomorrow in my Weigh-In update.  This may be a hard path to travel on, but as I doodled, I realized that having all of you in my life - believing in me - has helped me to believe in me.

I believe in you, too.

Take care of you.

On Adventure Wednesday... who ya gonna call? Plus a recipe to haunt you.

Have you heard about Hollywood Forever? It's a cemetery in our neighborhood, where stone monuments commemorate those who've passed.

Some famous....

Photo via Mental Floss

  

Photo via Bridge and Tunnel Club

Some, not so much.

Photo via L.A. Kompany

   
Where peacocks roam free during the day.

Photo via Danica Waters

And where, on Saturday nights, you'll find hordes of Angelenos bearing picnic boxes on their way to the mausoleum to watch a movie.

Photo via Cinespia

   
Hold the phone - hang out in a cemetery? After dark? You betcha.

The Cinespia organization hosts films at Hollywood Forever each summer weekend.  What began as a way to help fund the restoration of a broken-down cemetery has become a Los Angeles institution.  People from all over the city gather to dine al fresco, and snuggle in with a blanket to watch the film projected on the mausoleum wall after dark.  It doesn't have a creepy vibe (well, maybe a little after dark) - graves are respected and the audience sits in a wide open field nowhere anyone's burial plot. When I'm there, I actually feel a sense of community, peace and relaxation.  Especially at dusk - swaying palm trees, gentle breezes and the calm dimming of natural light.

When they announced a screening of Ghostbusters, my gang of cinema nerds gathered together for the occasion.

And what's a nerd-outing without themed food?  I came up with a recipe for mini tarts, to which I would add a little neon food color.  I called them... ectoplasm tarts.

   
They're just the color of Slimer!

But you can call them Key Lime.  They're not the world's healthiest, but one serving is perfectly good in moderation: this batch is for sharing. Just don't let them haunt you, or you'll rack up calories like Venkman racks up bad pick-up lines.

Key Lime "Ectoplasm" Tarts
Ingredients:
24 Nilla Wafers
5 egg yolks
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (best if fresh)
2 drops of neon yellow food color gel (optional)
1 drop of green food color gel (optional)

Directions:
Line a mini-muffin tin with disposable liners, and lay a Nilla Wafer in each.  You'll need to "crunch" the wafer down to make it fit the tins, but if you push down on the center with a finger, it will maintain most of its shape.  Even if not, it'll work OK as the crust.

Mix together the yolks, milk, and lime juice until fully combined.  Add the food color (if desired) and pour over the Nilla Wafers.

 Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool and then chill in the fridge before eating.

You can see both poured (pre-baked) and Nilla crust in this photo.

Serving size is 1 tart - and the batch makes 24.

 Cinespia's screenings had gotten pretty crazy in the past, with lines for blocks, in which you had to wait for hours with no guarantee of getting in until you made it up to the gate.  Fortunately, this summer they're trying pre-sale tickets and guaranteed on-site parking.  And this made all of the difference for us.  We'd given up on getting in after a disastrous attempt last year, but knowing that no matter how long we had to wait in the parking line, that we'd all be guaranteed admission... it was so much better that I think we'll be going back again this year!

It was our first picnic since our weight loss journey began, so we brought a great healthy picnic with us.

Tom enjoys his eggplant salad pita.

   

Our contribution to the shared spread included the finished tarts,
plus curried chickpeas, a light veggie-orzo salad, and crunchy veg with hummus.
Here's to Rena for bringing her collapsible picnic table!

   

A shot of the mausoleum, where the film is projected.
Photo courtesy of our friend Erik

   

As the sun goes down, everyone settles in for the movie.
Photo courtesy of our friend Erik

   
And... showtime!

Photo courtesy of our friend Brendan

   
I highly recommend a trip to a Cinespia film if you're in the Los Angeles area (or if you're visiting!)  The films are announced about a week or two in advance, and pre-sale tickets and parking (which I HIGHLY recommend) can be purchased for $10 about 5 days in advance, through the Cinespia website.

And if you aren't in the area... there are a ton of summer outdoor movies.  Be sure to check out your area listings, and give it a try!  There's nothing quite like gathering with friends to share a beloved movie - or one you haven't seen before - in an unusual location.

I'll be back tomorrow with another recipe for you to try, and until then, take care of you!

Food (and Friend) Makin' Monday at Eat Real Fest

As a healthy living blogger in Los Angeles, I'm always on the lookout for local happenings that encourage Angelenos to eat real food instead of fast/processed/marketed food... or "edible food-like substances," as Michael Pollan is fond of calling them.  So when I heard about Eat Real Fest at Helm's Bakery, I slapped it on my calendar immediately.   I mean, just look at their description and their mission statement:

"Eat Real combines a state fair, a street-food festival, and a block party to create a celebration of good food. At the Eat Real Festival, participants learn where food comes from, who grows and makes it, and how they make it. ...  All food incorporates regionally-sourced, fabulous, and sustainably-produced ingredients.

"Eat Real is a social venture business with an affiliated non-profit focused on promoting and teaching food craft. Eat Real’s mission is to help revitalize regional food systems, build public awareness of and respect for the craft of making good food and to encourage the growth of American food entrepreneurs.

It touches on so much that I care about, and a lot of what I embrace with the changes I've made to my eating, toward the goal of better health.  So Saturday morning, Tom and I hit the road - Carmageddon be damned - and checked it out.

I have much to share about the festival, but that will have to wait until an upcoming Adventure Wednesday.  Today is Friend-Makin' Monday, the perfect time to tell you about the highlight of my day at Eat Real: meeting my favorite Food Network star, Aarti Sequeira. 

   
Tom and I are avid fans of The Next Food Network Star, and last season was especially compelling to watch - not just because of Aarti's scrumptious-looking Indian dishes, but because of her warm personality. (Plus she had an enviable collection of flower hair clips - something I've been wearing for years, too!)  We cheered out loud when she won, and we've been watching her series ever since.  (We even used her chai and raita recipes for our Indian-themed edition of Supper Club 600!) 


I kept seeing her around the festival, and I was almost too shy to go up to her.  In LA, it's considered good form to smile politely and not approach celebrities... but I always felt such a connection to Aarti, so I mustered my courage and approached her.  She was every bit as warm and sunny as she appears on-screen.  (More, if that's even possible!)  It's a rare opportunity to meet someone who inspires you, and meeting her was a complete joy.  I highly recommend watching Aarti Party on Food Network, or her earlier online food/variety series Aarti Paarti.  Here's my favorite episode, which includes her recipe for Huggy Buggy Bread Pudding (plus some excellent ukelele action.)








All right!  We've got a great week ahead of us, with some recipes, some crazy shoes, some neon-green Ghostbuster ectoplasm, and my thoughts on being healthy at every size.  I hope you'll come back and visit soon - and in the meanwhile, please take care of you!

Adventure Wednesday at Hogwarts

So I have this Google spreadsheet that I use, to lay out my blog topics in advance.  (Otherwise I'd never remember what I had planned!)  And that spreadsheet tells me that today was going to be Adventure Wednesday with Ghostbusters in the Cemetery.  Which is a delightful adventure, and even includes a recipe.  But while I prepared Monday's Diet Butterbeer recipe, it struck me that I should veer off schedule and share some photos of our trip to Orlando - exactly one year ago - to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  After all, it is two days until the last film hits theaters.

We happened to be in the Orlando area just weeks after the Wizarding World opened at Universal Islands of Adventure.  My mother left our family a last gift of a vacation together, so the fifteen of us (including my dad, my siblings and their spouses and children, and Tom & I) hopped an island cruise from the Orlando port.  We figured that while we were there, we would be bad Potter fans if we didn't get to check out the new park - even though we knew it would be incredibly crowded.  What we did not realize was that it would also be incredibly hot - like, well upwards of 100 degrees - and they'd march us the long way around the park!  So by the time we got there, we were soaking wet but still happy to be there.

I'm going to show mostly detail photos, and try not to include too many spoilers - I know a lot of my readers haven't been there yet.

We wish the Hogwarts Express was actually running - would've
been a cooler way to arrive (figuratively and literally!)

Young wizards' trunks on the platform.

  

We headed right for Hogwarts, where the Forbidden Journey ride awaits.

   
The queue is amazing.  Better than any queue I've seen.  Which is a good thing...

...because we were about to spend two hours in it.

Flying warthog greets us on our way in.

   

We coiled around outside for about an hour, until we finally made it into the Herbology greenhouse.

   

Cheeky mandrake.

And finally inside the cool - past the Mirror of Erised.

   

The moving portraits were by far my favorite aspect of the park. This picture does not do them justice.

   

We traveled through several classrooms, an office and a house common room.
Here's a detail from the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. A Lockhart book!

   

Very overheated at the entry to Dumbledore's office.

   

Pensieve!

  

The heartbreaking thing about The Forbidden Journey is that when it first opened, it could not accommodate larger riders.  Two members of our party - including myself - were unable to board.  I knew going in that it would be the case, but it didn't make it any easier when I finally got to the front of the queue and knew that I couldn't enjoy it with my family.  Tom offered to stay with me, but I wanted him to enjoy the ride and tell me all about it, so I sent him on his way.

To this day, this was one of the two most upsetting size-related experiences I've had.  I'll write more on the other one, one day.  This is one of the many reasons I am glad to be on a path to good health - to avoid similar experiences.

I'm told that the ride now accommodates some larger passengers.  And I'm really looking forward to returning and enjoying all of the rides.

From there, we headed into Hogsmeade.

Love the little details everywhere.

   

The shops were brilliant.  Everything beautifully themed, and the souvenirs were fantastic.

A self-stirring cauldron! Great use of animatronics throughout the park.

Scrivenshaft's Ink and Quills - from the outside.

Scrivenshaft's elegant window display, up close.

   

Weasley Wizard Wheezes! The Puking Pastilles "waterfall" was my favorite of all the window displays.

But Honeydukes was my favorite, inside! There was a long line just to get into
some of the stores - and at the registers. So we got a lot of Honeydukes photos.

Crowded view of Honeydukes.

   

Bertie Bott's display.

   

They look just like the ones from the movie! No cheaping out with plain packaging at WWoHP.

   

Same goes for the Chocolate Frogs - looks like they're hopping off the shelves.

Lots of traditional British candy, too. I didn't get a photo, but
I LOVED the sherbet pears. Wish we could find some around here!

   
 
   

View of Hogsmeade, with Flight of the Hippogriff in the background and frozen Butterbeer keg in the foreground.

   

   

We ended our day with a hearty pub lunch and a frosty glass of Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.

   
We were so hot, and it was so crowded, that we totally skipped the rest of the park.  (Except for a ride on short-lined Cat in the Hat for the benefit of air conditioning.) I really liked what I saw in passing, so I'm really looking forward to our eventual trip back, whenever it might be.

I thought I'd leave you today with a comparison photo.  Since the trip was exactly a year ago... I thought we should take a look at how far I've come.

Me in front of Hogwarts, at the least flattering angle possible.

   

   

Compared with my photo this morning - weirdly angled and make-up free just like I was in Orlando.

  
And that brings us to the end of our adventures today.  I'll bring you that Ghostbusters-cemetery-recipe post next week, and I'll be back with an unusual post tomorrow.  Until then - keep taking care of you, and I'll do so, too.