Emma (Masterpiece Classics)

Since I am not really very talented at this whole review thing, I won't say much. Instead I will just post a link to the website where you can watch this yourself in case you missed it. I love PBS Masterpiece Classic!

Click here to watch all three episodes online, available today through March 9th. It is worth the watch for sure!

After watching this version I really want to watch the other two versions. This one is the one I have seen before (I own it), and this one I haven't seen before, but I would like to watch it! (There is a slight possibility I could get hubby to watch this one with me since Kate Beckinsale is in it, and my husband is in love with her!)

At first I wasn't sure what to think of this version, having only seen this one I was partial to Gwyneth Paltrow and whenever I see Johnny Lee Miller I can only think of him as a Edmund Bertram from this version of Mansfield Park. (One of my all time faves!!) However, I grew to love it more and more as I watched it. The characters took some time to get used to, since I kept thinking of the other version, but I like how it played out, and I think some of them were better portrayed in this version. I guess I really just need to read the book again, it has been to long, but I don't know when I will find the time for that with all that is already on the list right now!

I liked several of the characters in this one, but I associated them all with different movies. (As I mentioned with Johnny Lee Miller above, who played Mr. Knightly.) Emma was played by Ramola Garai (Atonement, Vanity Fair, Nicholas Nickleby) and I think she did a good job. I wasn't overly impressed with Emma's father, (Michael Gambon-Dumbledore!!) he was played as almost crazy/depressed due to the early death of his wife. Therefore he was overly dependent on Emma for everything and constantly worried about his and everyone's health. But, I guess that is how he was..which is why Emma felt that she had to stay with him constantly and couldn't leave him to travel or even to get married! (There is always at least one person completely dependent on the Austen Herions, and often times everyone depended on them, I wonder if that is how she felt in her life?) I liked how Mr. Elton and Augusta Elton were played, so shallow and conceited, but I kept thinking of What a Girl Wants with Amanda Bynes when I saw Christina Cole. (I know, I am silly, but I really do like those cheesy movies-Amanda Bynes is too funny...don't even get me started on She's the Man-love it!!) In this version the characters were younger and prettier than in the other version I have seen. Some of them seemed too old in that one, so I will admit I liked the younger look of everyone in this version better. (Or maybe I am just getting older so people seem younger to me now!)

The Ball scene, in episode 2, is one of my favorites from the entire movie. When Mr. Knightly and Emma dance together you can really see their love for each other growing, whether they realize it or not!

**Spoiler Alert-if you haven't watched the movie-you might not want to read this next part**

I also liked how in the end, her Mr. Knightly took her to the sea. It was so sweet. Again, I need to re-read the book because I have no remembrance of this, is it actually in the book? But I liked it for the ending of a sweet love story!

If you want to read the Synopsis of each of the three episodes you can go here.
And don't forget to go here and watch them!

lots to say...no time to say it!

Well I have been busy here, some of it because I have been bad and spending too much money, but also some other fun things going on! However, I am about to run out the door for my fun night at Sips N Strokes with Mandy. So I will have to post pictures and show you what I have been up to later.

Sunday looks like it will be a super busy day as well with the first Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild meeting and I am meeting Mom and Dad in Atl to see the Princess Diana Exhibit, so who knows when I will get a chance to update again!

If you happen to read this and think about me, please send up a prayer for my head! I have had a headache for a few weeks now, and it just keeps getting worse. I think is from my neck hurting. I actually went home from work early yesterday because of it!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Jane Eyre's Daughter - A review

I will be the first to admit I am not really good at this whole book/movie review thing, but I love being a part of this challenge and sharing my opinion of what I have read/watched with you. So here is my opinion, you can take it or leave it as you wish and it won't hurt my feelings at all if you completely disagree with me.

Jane Eyre's Daughter by Elizabeth Newark was a nice, quick read that was entertaining yet predictable.

Basically my favorite type of book!

(Like RomCom's and me-loved Leap Year and can't wait to see When in Rome)

I am not the kind of person that likes to think too much while escaping from reality into some form of entertainment...be it a book, movie, ballet, play, musical, etc. Every once in a while I like to think, cry, be astonished, challenged or amazed by what I choose for entertainment...most of the time I just want to zone out of reality and be amused and happy by what whatever it is I am filling my time with! Jane Eyre's Daughter is a perfect book for that. I basically knew what was going to happen before I even started it, but that was fine with me. It was a fairly quick and easy read and is an interesting take on what happened to Jane and Mr. Rochester after the ending of Charlotte Bronte's fabulous (and one of my all time favorite's) Jane Eyre.

The focus of the book is on Janet, Jane and Mr. Rochester's daughter. The back of the book gives a great overview of the book as says:

"In this sequel to Jane Eyre, young Janet Rochester is consigned to Highcrest Manor and the guardianship of the strict Colonel Dent while her parents journey to the West Indies. As Janet struggles to make a life for herself, guided by the ideals of her parents, she finds herself caught up in the mysteries of Highcrest.

"Why is the East Wing forbidden to her? What lies behind locked gates? And what is the source of the voices she hears in the night? Can she trust the enigmatic Roderick Landless, or should she trasfer her allegiance to the suave and charming Sir Hugo Calendar?

"Whether riding her mare on the Yorkshire moors, holding her own with Colonel Dent, or waltzing at her first ball, Janet is strong, sympathetic, and courageous.

After all, she is her mother's daughter..."

If you liked Jane Eyre, or if you just like books set in the victorian time period, I would definately recommend it. It is a cute, easy and lighthearted tale about love and family.

Oops! I forgot about this giveaway in my earlier post!

I forgot to put in the information for this giveaway in my special links to giveaway's post earlier this week! Sorry y'all, the winner will be drawn tomorrow so get over there today if you want a chance!!

Cathy is celebrating her 200th post with a giveaway!! Check it out here!!You have the chance at not one but two fun prizes!!

My Miracle Part 2

My day started out with me waking up with a headache...so I stayed snuggled up under my warm and comfy covers for as long as I could. Kevin finally announced we had to get up (He hadn't slept well so was happily putting off getting up as long as possible as well!) and so I forced myself out of bed and I got ready for the day. I went out to the car and when I started the engine guess what happened...


One of my CD's popped out of the CD player for me!

"Haaaaa-lle-lu-jah, Hallelujah, hallelujah..."


and I literally broke out into


"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below...."

as I started out my drive into work this morning!

I quickly went through and selected and ejected each of my six CD's (I was not going to try to push my luck this time, and I just got my CD's out of there!!)

Thanks for the prayers my friends!!

On to other news...I had fun with some sewing last night and put together the disappearing nine patch blocks (now I just need to decide how I want to put the final top together and get that done) and I started working on my batik project! I am loving it!! I think it is up there as one of my faves right now! I just love these fabrics!!
I joined another swap! I am excited about this one because I think it will be quite a challenge!
Also, Monday night I finished reading Jane Eyre's Daughter so I will hopefully get a review written on that soon! (It was a nice quick read!)

A few giveaways in blogland

Well, there are 4 different giveaways going on in blog land that I have signed up for, and I can get an extra entry or more if I blog about it...so here I am passing on the news to you! (So if you win please share with me!!)

First over at Laura's Reviews she has 3 different books she is giving away. (2 copies of each!)

#1: Becoming Jane Austen by Sheila Kohler (ends Feb 5th)
#2: The Bronte Sisters (Jane Eyre-Charlotte, Wuthering Heights-Emily, and Agnes Grey-Anne) (ends Feb 5th)
#3: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds (ends Feb 12th)
Also, over at Sew Many Stitches Later, Lara is giving away a fun sewing prize, including some Christmas fabric and a few sewing tools. Click here to check it out. (ends Feb 7th)

Making up for a lazy week

I feel like I got a good amount accomplished over the weekend. I guess I was trying to make up a bit for my laziness last week. (Although I did get this completed while I was zoning out in front of the tube last week! I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet.)
I painted two canvases in preparation of a project that didn't work out. That was a bit disappointing, but not everything can work out like we want I guess! I love ME (Mary Engelbreit) art and so I have had an ME calendar and/or daily calendar for the last few years. Instead of throwing the adorable little works of art and quote/saying away each day I cut them out and save them. I was wanting to use some of my favorites (with the mod podge) on a canvas or two and hang them in my sewing room, but I just couldn't get it look right.
However, another project I had in mind for the mod podge worked out great! I used a calendar (of old maps) to cover two paintings I had originally used in our bedroom, but were now in our guest bath. (They were flowers painted on wood with some kind of a border embossed/engraved on it.) I just used the mod podge to put the maps right over the painting and I think it turned out pretty good. I still need to spray them with a sealer and then I can hang them back up in the bathroom. I think they will look much better than the flowers. I don't really know why I bought them in the first place, I am not a big flower person, but they were most likely on sale for a ridiculously good price so they came home with me!
I also finished the scarf I made from the leftover t-shirt fabric from the fun ruffle t-shirt scarf I made last Monday night. I don't know if I will really use this, but it was fun to play with the leftover t-shirt fabric. Waste not, want not right!?!I cut into my beloved batik fabric for a new project I am excited about. I am making this one as a gift and I can't wait to see how it turns out!I also laid out and sewed up twelve nine patch blocks from some Christmas fabric I had cut into squares back in December but never got around to sewing. I then cut them into quarters and now I just need to sew them into disappearing nine patch blocks. (I haven't done this block before, but have wanted to for awhile now.) After I get them sewed together I will need to decide on a layout for the blocks to make a nice quilt top-not sure what I want to do exactly, but I do like this one or this one with just a simple sashing around each block. Sunday daddy came over for dinner, so wonder of wonder miracle of miracles (Yes, I was singing the Fiddler on the Roof song in my head, what a wonderful movie!)....I actually cooked! I made spaghetti, and served it with a salad and some cheese & garlic bread. (I sure to love my Super Target-fresh baked bread-I just had to cut into pieces, add the garlic and cheese, and throw in the oven for a few minutes-so easy!) We watched an interesting dvd that dad brought with him from the History channel about the Exodus of the Israelite people from Egypt. Since we are all reading through the Bible this year (One month down and Kevin is still plugging through.) and we are right around there in our reading so it was a perfect time to watch it. Very interesting theories and evidence was brought up and I really like that sort of thing. (Again-sign of a clone here-seriously, what 28 year old really enjoys the history channel?)
I also put together and baked (without burning!!) a carrot cake for Keith's (one of my coworkers) birthday. (Which is actually today, but we celebrated in the office yesterday.) Don't get too excited it was a box mix, but it sure looks yummy!