Traveling Tiara, Movies, and Friends

My weekend was AWESOME!!! I was invited to join a group of ladies for scrapbooking at my friend Maryann's house. Her husband agreed to take their kids to a hotel for the weekend so we could take over their house for the weekend.

If you've never been to a scrapping weekend, you may not get the attraction. Even if you HAVE been to an event like this, it's likely it isn't QUITE like the ones we create! This is the first time we've done a big weekend like this at Maryann's home, but we have done a few before now. Maryann has a large room (used to be a garage) that we shoved full of folding tables and chairs and a LARGE amount of scrapbooking supplies, along with up to twelve women at any one time. Throw in a TV and a DVD player and a great variety of movies and you may begin to get the idea! Laughing, giggling, and sharing lots of meaningful conversation completed the fun. I hope to have pictures for you soon.

I stayed both Friday and Saturday nights and several other women did too. A few just came for Saturday. We had one baby who was simply adorable. One woman's birthday was today, so we celebrated with cake and ice cream. Great food was in abundance, as was coffee and even a glass or two of wine. OK, several glasses. :-D

I completed eighteen pages, so I got to wear the traveling tiara quite a lot. If you know my totals in the past, this does not compare. I did not do any power layout planning ahead and I also watched all or most of NINE movies over the weekend. Several of us are movie addicts. I fit that description quite well. Some of the others are not movie-people, but we are converting them! Here's that list.

Movies I have seen before (Easiest to scrap to, since I only have to pay attention to the "good parts")
Northanger Abbey - one of my favorites, as you may well know. A Jane Austen novel film adaptation
Miss Potter - it's ok. I got a lot done during this one.
North and South - Riveting! We watched parts 1-2 on Friday night and parts 3-4 on Saturday. Then we watched part 4 AGAIN on Sunday, rewinding and repeating the last few scenes with dedication.
Mamma Mia - yes, again! This makes six viewings for me!
August Rush - Oh, wow I had forgotten that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is in this! Woo-hoo! Loved him in The Tudors (HBO). Keri Russell is soooo pretty and that Freddie Highmore is quite an accomplished actor for one so young. Oh yeah, and a creepy Robin Williams, too. Also, some weird stuff about the power of music. But it made me cry.
X-Men - Just Dar and I watched this. I am converting her to my recently discovered love of comic book movies. She and I share similar tastes in books and movies. She says she liked it!
A Knight's Tale - as the packing up was just getting started and afterwards, we watched this. Then had dinner and went home!

Movies I hadn't seen before - watched these in comfy seating in the living room, instead of the scrap room
The Duchess - Dominic Cooper (Sky in Mamma Mia) was our impetus for renting this and he was pleasing. The story was quite poignant and none of the characters made choices I would have in most cases.
Someone Like You - with HUGH JACKMAN, Greg Kinnear and Ashley Judd - LOVED IT and am going to purchase it. Now I am thoroughly and completely a Hugh Jackman fan. I can't believe it took me SO LONG. lol

Yes, I did let other people pick the movies some of the time! LOL They also watched Baby Mama while I was doing something else. I've seen it before twice, and quite recently too.

So, now we are all back to our respective homes, our relaxing mini-vacation over. Can't wait til the next one!

I think I'm going to see Australia (hint - JACKMAN) this week. Even though I am utterly NOT a fan of Nicole Kidman. Not even a little.

Mamma Mia (2008)

My reaction to Mamma Mia is up over at Mirkwood Reflections. You can watch the trailer there too.

Under the bridge

David called after I left for work, sounding very upset.

Evidently he lost his glasses at camp.

In the water. Under the bridge.

Sigh.

I guess that adds something else for me to do tomorrow. Take David to the cheap glasses place and order him some new glasses. I don't think he has any spares since his previous pair broke, if I recall correctly. I believe he has used up his glasses insurance benefit for this year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In more cheerful news, I am now officially laid off! I don't know yet if I will go back to work at all when called back. My decision will come when I see how long the lay-off will be and how if any writing work is lined up. Some are predicting a long layoff; some say only a week. No one knows, probably not even the boss. I do still have two vacation days to use up too.

Tomorrow - pick up Angel Food, connect with David (someone else is bringing him back), probably order him glasses unless he found his, take him to a birthday party (which won't be much fun since he probably won't be able to see anything), Bob needs to go pick up a used stove we are buying from one of my coworkers, oversee the chores around here

Sunday - church, family time, I am going with friends to see Mamma Mia

~~~~~~~~~~
Man, am I TIRED. This has been a long long week. I am going to bed.