At the Top of My List: TOP HAT

You can't help but smile while watching this movie. It's just delightful. Filmed in 1935, this film protrays Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at their best! I have seen many of their other films, but this, THIS, is the most wonderful. Everything is perfect. Nominated for four Acadamy Awards including Best Picture, I love love love this movie.

The humor is subtle and silly.

The costumes are beautiful.

The music is joyful. You might recognize the famous song "Cheek to Cheek", which originated in this film. It was nominated at the oscars for Best Original Song.

And the dancing, OH the dancing! Nominated for Best Dance Direction. . . look at this picture!

If anything, watch this movie for the dancing. Fred and Ginger are stunning in the gazebo dancing to "Isn't it a Lovely Day", and Fred dancing for Ginger as the sandman is so romantic!

Did you see Hugh Jackman host the oscars last year? His intro contained a musical number based on this movie!

The story begins with Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) trying to impress his producer Horace Hardwick with some new dance steps late one night in Horace's hotel. In the room below, Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), is awakened from Jerry's dancing above. She hurries upstairs to confront him and they are immediatly attracted to one another. Dale soon mistakes Jerry for Horace, which causes all kinds of confusion.

This film is one of my favorite musicals, so please watch it! You can't help smiling throughout the whole thing. All the best to all you readers out there, and Happy Friday!

Seen any 3D movies lately??

WE have. It sure is fun with these awesome glasses. Thank you movie theaters, for improving from the paper frames and red and blue lenses to these show stoppers. Classy right?

It think I'm about due for a friday night movie this week, stay tuned...

Wonderful Oregon

Our annual trip home is over already, and I didn't take enough pictures. We love going to Oregon, mostly because it's home for both of us, and we had the absolute best time. Thanks to both of our parents for their hospitality!

The trip was full of work and play here's what we did:

1) A rousing game of dodgeball (pictured below). Basically, it was Dan versus all the neighbor kids, totally hilarious.

2) A night of Shakepeare at 'Twelfth Night' in the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre with my husband

3) Replaced a hot water heater at the Zimmers

4) Swam everyday in the back yard and bbq-ed lots of delicious food with Joe and Kelly

5) A VERY musical night of fireworks and 4th festivities

6) Window shopping and hat buying in Jacksonville with my awesome Mother-in-Law

7) Lots of golfing

8) Painted the Clason house

9) Painted and replaced light fixtures in the bathroom there too

10) A night out with my sister to the stage production of 'Pride and Prejudice'

11) A day of boating at Emigrant Lake, a fabulous day (pictured below)

Backseat Photo Shoot

It was a fun drive to ikea. . .

Red Cliffs

On our last day in southern Utah we went to a really neat place called Red Cliffs, just outside of St. George. It was a short walk to an amazing spot with swimming holes, natural rock slides and narrow pools to hike through. The cliffs were amazing. We had a blast climbing them and finding all the unique places to stand and look down. Beautiful.

That's us climbing to the jumping rock, and that's Heath in midair! Kinda scary but worth it.

This is a great pic of Heath on one of the cliffs

Slidin'!

The perfect spot

This is Daniel jumping off one of the best rocks, the falls in the middle was an awesome waterslide. I rode that a few times . . .

We will definitely be returning to this little gem next time we are there.

It's Friday. . .The Philadelphia Story

It's a rainy day here in Utah. I'm in need of an uplifting classic that will make me think about summer! Thank heavens it's Friday, and after two long weekends of traveling we are glad to be staying put. Tonight we are gonna eat popcorn and make some smoothies while we watch.

An American romantic comedy, The Philadelphia Story was filmed in 1940 and winner of two academy awards including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

Starring James Stewart (winner of the Best Actor Oscar), Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn; three of the absolute greatest, if you ask me. The best thing about this movie is the hilarious love triangle. Really, truly, FUNNY.

The Plot: After getting a divorce from C. K. Dexter Haven (Grant), Tracy Lord (Hepburn) a privileged spoiled beauty, prepares to marry again... however, just before her wedding, Haven and a reporter (Stewart), show up at her doorstep. From there, Tracy is forced to choose among her past love, her present love, and her new love.

I just love Jimmy in this movie, what a hunk!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. . . We are heading to a classic car show, a nephew's birthday party and lots of bbq-ing. Happy Friday!

Memorial Day at Zion

"I love southern Utah!" That's what we all kept saying on our trip there over Memorial Day weekend. It's warm, it's red, it's desert, and it's beautiful. We didn't want to leave. The night before we left we decided to stay another day! And I'm so glad we did.

My sister Liz and her husband Heath joined us as we visited some of the places where my parents spent most of their young lives. If you know my Mother at all, she loves rocks, especially red ones. Now you know why!

Zion National Park was the first stop. . .