Meme - Five Faves 6

I haven't done a little post on this for a while now, and I feel like bringing myself out of my overworked study slump, so listing my favourite things at the moment will hopefully amp up a positive mood for me, don't you think?
Anyhoo, here are my favourite things that are making me smile lately. 

1. Norah Jones and this beautiful song. I've been listening to her whimsical tunes on repeat for the last week and she is calming me down.  This song is beautiful, and it reminds me of my sister's wedding. We played a few songs of Norah's and they fit the mood perfectly.

2. My recent holiday plans.  My friend and I have signed, sealed and nearly almost payed for our holiday next year. We're celebrating our graduation, and a little trip to NYC, London, Ireland, Italy and France is going to be fabulous.

3. Jake's holiday stories.  My lover Jakey is overseas at the moment, while I'm stuck at university - boo.  I do however love his stories and phone calls all day.  I also love his constant purchasing of holiday gifts for me, he's so sweet.

4. This new book.   I already have Pip's other book, and I just recently ordered this bad boy in from Angus & Robertson.  So fingers crossed it won't be too long.  The sad fact is that I haven't been sewing all year... I haven't had my sewing machine at uni with me, and I am very excited to go home for the holidays to spend time with my family as mum bakes Christmas cakes and I sit at the table sewing up a storm drinking Chai Lattes with her.

5. As per usual my clog obsession a.k.a 'clogsession' has spiralled even more out of control.  I actually have to stop. Sportsgirl have new ones in, but it's these bad girls from Gorman that are catching my eye. These clogs are ah-mazing. Actually everything from Gorman's is catching my eye at the moment, including this dress. 

What are your favourites for the week?

* These are some pictures from home, which are also making me happy this week

Oui Oui, je vous aime

Ainsi faire la fête j'aurai des ballons à notre mariage et nous danserons la nuit loin  - In English terms, "So to celebrate I will have balloons at our wedding, and we'll dance the night away."

Why, yes pahlease.

I love France.  I've never been, but in 3 months I will be whistling a different tune - perhaps a French tune, while I eat a baguette, with a cigarette in my hand of course, wearing a red beret and a drawn on moustache.

But anyhoo, this blog, and in particular their wedding is making me fall more in love with France than I thought possible. I have to admit, I've never seen balloons look so ultimately sophisticated at a wedding....And I'm not usually a fan of wedding balloons. At all. - I guess I am whistling a whole new tune. A French tune of course.

Fin

*Images are from the above linked blog, and are so whimsical that I had to show them on my own.

Soundtracks That Make Me Smile

I've got to admit, certain movies have me watching them over and over again simply, because of their soundtracks. 

The music that plays in the background softly easing you gently into a new scene, or blasting through pivotal moments, or even ending a scene to make you cry, and cry everytime you hear that song - these are the types of soundtracks that stick in my mind. 

The ones, that even when I'm not watching the movie, if I hear that song I can remember - Hey? that's when Baby leapt into his arms, or This is the moment when Penny Lane was singing on the bus, or even This is when, Lelaina, Troy, Vickie and Sammy break out to My Sharona in the petrol station.  All these moments define movies to me, and heck, I think it's because of the schmick soundtracks that pave the way for those moments that make me smile.

So here they are, my favourite soundtracks - I must warn, there are quite a few, and I am in no state to choose my favourite, so I will list them in alphabetical order for argument's sake.

What are your favourites? Or have I pretty much listed every fabulouso one out there? In my opinion. Yes. Yes I have.

* If you were holding me at hostage, and demanded an answer I would probably admit that my top three are - Almost Famous, Juno and Garden State. shhhhhh!

** Aristocats nearly made it to the list - nearly.

*** Pulp Fiction, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Way We Were, and 500 Days of Summer are also pretty dang ace

1. Almost Famous - This soundtrack is possibly the best thing since sliced bread.    This movie completely changed my music style. After watching it, I started listening to Cat Stevens and Simon and Garfunkel and Tiny Dancer by Elton John became my favourite song. Ever. Listening to Thunderclap Newman - Something in the Air, was my favourite thing to do when I worked at the pizza shop on Friday nights, and I must say, I'm very upset that Led Zeppelin - Tangerine, never made the cut, because this scene is pure love.

The. Best. Sing - a - Long. Ever. - You are home.

2. Cruel Intentions - Four songs stay in my mind. Placebo - Every you, Every me. Counting Crows - Colourblind. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony, and Fatboy Slim - Praise You.  All four of these songs, whenever I hear them I can remember the exact scenes in which they were played, and they made the movie for me.  Cruel Intentions, for me, has the best ending to any movie I have ever seen, and it's because of this song.

The. Best. Ending. Ever.

3. Dirty Dancing - I know the favourite song for this bad girl is usually, "I've Had the Time of My Life", and even though I do dig it, I still love, The Four Seasons - Big Girls Don't Cry, The Ronettes - By My Baby, and of course, Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes - To me, that's Dirty Dancing, Baby.

4. Footloose - Oh, Footlose, how I love you.  Bird and I used to watch you every other weekend when we weren't watching Dirty Dancing, and we'd sing along to all your songs.  Our favourites: Kenny Loggins - Footloose, Deniece Willliams - Let's Hear it for the Boy,  and possibly my favourite tractor race scene ever, with Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out for a Hero. It gets me every single time, Kevin Bacon. Every single time.

5. Forest Gump - This movie is so beautiful, and the music deserves it's own big, fat congratulations. How can you possibly not listen to this soundtrack over, and over again without not feeling like you were living in the swinging '60s? There are just too many songs to list, but, Scott McKenzie - San Francisco and Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin'  are at the top.

6. Garden State - Garden State, you and your brilliance get me every time. Coldplay, The Shins and Nick Drake - Bravo to you. Whenever I hear these songs I feel like I'm living in a town where everyone has cemetery's for their pet hamsters.

7. Juno - 'nuff said. Seriously though, whoever made this soundtrack is a pure genius. Barry louis Parker, Kimya Dawson and Belle and Sebastian you rock my socks. P.s I always cry when Cat Power - Sea of Love is played.

The. Best. Opening. Ever.

8. Looking for Alibrandi - The opening to Looking For Alibrandi is so schmick and cool with the Italian themes at Tomato Day. The teenage anthems and the popular songs at the time of its release made me run out and buy the cassette - yes a tape. Whenever I hear, Lo-Tel - Teenager of the Year, U2 - With or Without You, and Silverchair - Miss you Love, I think of this movie, and Josie crying at John's funeral and making out with Jacob Coote - he pretty much made the movie for me.

9. Lords of Dogtown  - David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and this scene, right here - Make this movie absolutely ACE, and Maggie May possibly the coolest song in the soundtrack, and forever etched in my mind.

10. Reality Bites - I love, love, love this movie. Ethan Hawke Circa Reality Bites is my favourite. And the grunge music that plays throughout the film makes me love it even more. When they dance to My Sharona in the petrol station I just want to do the same.  Crowded House - Something So Strong, World Party - When You Come Back to Me, and U2 - All I Want is You Yes, this is in Spanish, but the ending is this.

"You see, Lainie, this is all we need...a couple of smokes, a cup of coffee...And a little bit of conversation.You and me and five bucks.You got it." - Ethan Hawke, this is my favourite line in any movie.

11. Remember the Titans - We used to watch this every week in HPE, and I've got to say, I knew every song off by heart, and they pretty much rock. Best football film ever I say. Plenty of Creedence, and The Hollies - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, makes me think of school over and over again.

12. Risky Business - I do have a mild crush on 'Old School Tom Cruise', definitely not 'New Tom Cruise'.  Risky Business is the bomb, his underwear, Bob Seger - Old Time Rock n Roll, scene is classic.  The Police, Bruce Springsteen and Phil Collins also made this movie a hit for me, but it was pretty much hotty Tom Cruise in his underwear. dancing to this song.

13. Rock n Roll Highschool - This movie started my everlasting love for The Ramones, and they have rocked my world ever since. Yes, Fleetwood Mac makes an appearance, but for me this was all about The Ramones. Please watch this movie, it's effing fabulous. Riff, I am going to name my first born after you.  
High School Musical? pfffffft.

14. Sixteen Candles  - Oh, Jake Ryan, you are the epitome of high school love, and this soundtrack is the epitome of John Hughes and classic movies.  Spandau Ballet - True, The Vapors - Turning Japanese, Darlene Love - Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry, make me think of Jake Ryan, standing outside on the street in front of a red porsche.

15. The Breakfast Club - Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me will always remind me of that scene, and nothing else.

16. The Wedding Singer - Oh the Wedding Singer, Bird and I just love this whole soundtrack, and we love to sing it when we're entirely drunk off Passion Pop, where Bird is the Side Burn Lady, and I am her Wedding Singer. I want this scene to be reenacted at my wedding thanks.

LOVE STINKS

17. Walk The Line - I heart you Johnny Cash, but I heart you even more, Walk The Line Soundtrack.  Folsom Prison, Jackson and Ring of Fire make this movie brilliant.  Whenever I hear Folsom Prison Blues (Which is very often) I always think of the prison scene, university, and interpretive dances.  

18. You've Got Mail - Possibly one of my favourite movies, and the soundtrack unexpectedly is so good.  The songs fit the theme and mood of the movie so well, and even though I would not have personally listened to them beforehand, after watching this movie, Harry Nilsson is forever in my Itunes. This movie made me want to own a book store, while playing this soundtrack over, and over again.

A place called, Betty Blue

On Friday, the lovely miss Popcorn and myself headed out for an early morning breakfast to start planning our overseas adventure. 

At the end of the year we finish university, with both of us graduating as eager new journalists! hurrah! We are uber excited, and to celebrate our hard work over the last three years we are planning on a holiday break to Ireland, London, New York, France, Italy, Amsterdam, Spain and all those little places in between.

So, we headed to Betty Blue to discuss our plans, and decide where and when we want to set off on our very own 'Euro Trip'.

Contiki is ticking all of our boxes, and I especially love the Amsterdam trip, where we will be going to cheese farms AND, wait for it.....a clog factory, where we will learn how real clogs are made! seriously, it's my dream come true - Cheese and Clogs! eeep. 

The Italian trip will also be amazing as we stop off in Verona (where Letters to Juliette was filmed) and we'll get to reenact Romeo and Juliette's famous love scene - Beth, can I be Romeo?) - More on our trip later though, stay tuned!
Anyhoo, our breakfast date was amazing, filled with lots of talking, sipping on coffee, and some wonderful plans for our future holiday together - I can't wait.

Until next time, I love you Betty Blue...

*Seriously Betty Blue, I don't want to leave Townsville because of you. You and your 'shroom bruschetta, and your waffles. BOO