Beastly

I was able to score a couple of screening tickets for the new movie Beastly. It is the classic Beauty and the Beast story with a modern twist. It stars Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Neil Patrick Harris. The movie opens this Friday in theaters.

I wish I could say, run out and see it but I can't. It is a definite wait for it to come out on dvd movie. I thought Alex Pettyfer started out strong. In the first ten minutes of the film, he made you think wow what a jerk. This is gonna be good. But the rest of his performance couldn't hold up. The beast's look was very good. It was a unique interpretation and one that is easy to connect with in today's society.

Enter Vanessa Hudgens. She is pretty. But there isn't a lot of talent behind that constant smile and smoldering eyes. There is no depth to her. Her character had plenty of depth, Hudgens didn't have the ability to pull it off. I feel that she sabotages Pettyfer's performance. I did enjoy seeing Mary-Kate Olsen as the witch. Also not a great performance, but she at least she was believable as her character.

My favorite performance was by Neil Patrick Harris as the blind tutor. Every time the man was on screen, his wit and charm had the entire audience captivated. His performance was entertaining and worth my time in the theater.

The story line had big holes in it and sprinkled in a little of this and a little of that so it would resemble the fairy tale. The problem with filming a modern day fairy tale, is that everyone knows the story. The writers get lazy and give the audience an incomplete storyline.

The movie is rated PG-13. It is not the fairy tale that your little ones would enjoy. But the tween and the teen crowd will enjoy the movie as they did at the screening. Between the non-execution of a really good classic story and the absolutely wrong choice for the heroine, I give the film 2 stars for trying.

Ireland Turns 3

My grand daughter Ireland turned 3 and this weekend she had a Hello Kitty party. Everything was as pink and as Hello Kitty as any little girl could want. Mommy did a great job! She got a new dollhouse and lots of presents. I think she had a great time.

"Mom and me"
"It's my party"

Modeling the lastest in Hello Kitty Rainwear!

Pin the bow on Hello Kitty

As it got later, the grownups had a little celebration of our own. We celebrated with Hello Kitty Cocktails designed by Karla. It was 3 parts Tequila Rose to 1 part Pinnacle Whipped and lots of crushed ice. Pink and yummy!

The "big" girls celebrate.

WWMKD

I am the mom to 4 wonderful kids. They are all grow now. My three sons now have children and my daughter is only 19 and has lots of time to become a mom. Was I a perfect mom? No...who is? It is the hardest job in the world. But I gave it my all and I must have done something right because all 4 of them are wonderful young people.

What Would My Kids Do? Although they are way past the age of "needing" a mom, I think they would be lost if I were gone. Say...abducted by an alien. First off who would take the pictures? Mom always has the camera when the family gets together and no doubt she has it with her on Mars. She will be taking pictures of alien things instead of her adorable grand kids.

If I were abducted, I think that some of my kids would loose a few pounds. Who is going to provide the open refrigerator and pantry? But then they would miss me telling them to "stay out of that, I am saving that for something." And they would definitely miss the home baked banana bread! I can hear them now. "Mom better not be making banana bread for those space creatures. They don't even grow bananas in space!"

But if I were abducted by aliens, I think my kids and grand kids would miss the little things... a hug, a kiss, a phone call. Does Skype work in outer space? And is there a new app for that on my iPhone?

Being a mom of adult children gives me a little more to offer my kids than the moms of toddlers. When a mom creates a drum with a coffee can and beans for a 4 year old, she is praised and adored. But my 20 year old children can look at me a laugh. "Mom what are you thinking". Don't get me wrong. I don't take any offense to this. This is something else my kids would miss. They would miss my silly little quirks and miss making jokes about them. Of course they would be laughing at my abductors. Wondering what I was saving to recycle into the next best gift. And what about the homemade gifts. Even though they like the bells and whistles of the newest gadget or the sleek new fashions, they would miss mom's homemade gifts. I don't think sending them a vial of moon dust is gonna cut it!

At this stage of their lives, Mom stands for a constant friend, listener, advisor, cheerleader, and grandmother. I think they would miss me being there for their kids most of all. They would miss their kids not having me bake cookies with them, or do little craft projects with them. And especially when they need a night alone, they would miss knowing that they can count on me to take their kids for an hour or so. Or even overnight if needed.

The best thing about being a mom is that it doesn't matter how old your kids are, they will always need me. And I know in my heart they would miss me if I were gone. They also know that there is no alien out there anywhere strong enough to keep me from my kids and grand kids. They are my life!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

McHoppin Monday Blog Hop

A big thank you to The McMommy Diaries for asking me to cohost this Blog Hop. I love these hops. I gives me the opportunity to find all these great bloggers in 1 place. Have fun everyone and have a great day!

Too Sexy For My Shirt

Ok Ok! Who are we fooling here? But I did get your attention, didn't I?

Martin at TSHIRT PRINTING.net sent me one of their t-shirts to try out.

When I opened the package, my first thought was, "Kewl, it's a monkey." I know the spelling is off, but for those who know me, it's kinda my catch phrase...spelling and all. Anyway, you want the dirt on the shirt so to speak.

Right out of the box. Bright and vivid colors.

I ordered a large shirt. Past that, I get what I get for the review. And I was impressed. First the quality of the shirt was better than I expected. It is a 90%, heavy cotton shirt with the cutsie monkey silk screened on the front. The length was good. When you get a t-shirt, you want it long enough so that with every move, you don't risk showing skin. Another plus, the design was centered. Also the quality of the stitching was good. All the seams were double stitched. In the past, I have ordered lots of shirts for kids' groups. And the quality of the shirts had not been the best quality. I wish I knew about
TSHIRT PRINTING.net then because these shirts would definitely hold up to some heavy kid use.

The Shirt.

But who are kidding! Isn't everything better when it's brand new? So I had to do the dreaded wash test. Everyone has their own preference, but because the shirt was silk screened, I turned it inside out and washed in warm water and a cool dryer. I couldn't be happier with the garment. It came out of the dryer looking brand new. The shape was still good. The seams were in tact. The silk screened image wasn't cracked at all. I was a little concerned about the cracked image because the screening was thicker than on any of those trendy shops all over the mall. But then we all know how well those hold up to wear.

Right out of the dryer. Colors still vibrant!

If you check out their website, TSHIRT PRINTING.net has a no nonsense, easy to navigate site. They have their product line organized and clearly defined. I was impressed that they will do small quantities as well as large quantities. Of course with special orders, prices are based on what the customer needs.

This is definitely a company that gets a thumbs up!