Oscars!

First things first - no real surprises in terms of the awards themselves. The King's Speech cleaned up, just as I and so many others predicted it would. And deservedly so. It's been a long time coming for Colin Firth, and I am very happy for him.

Yeah, yeah. James and Anne weren't the greatest Oscar hosts of all time. But I thought they did a fine job. And not just because I have a huge crush on James Franco and want to be best friends with Anne Hathaway. I mean really, everyone complained about Ricky Gervais going too far with the insult jokes at the Golden Globes, and now every single blog and gossip column is slamming these two for being boring. Come on people, not everyone can be Billy Crystal. And isn't it nice to see something different every once and a while?

Mila Kunis looked fantastic. The lavender was so unexpected for her, but in a good way. I love the lace detailing on her breasts, and the teasing nature of the gown. If only I could think of a word that means sexy, soft and elegant all at once. That's this dress.

Awww, I love Natalie Portman! She was positively glowing last night, and I was so happy when she won. Everything about this dress was just perfect - the colour, the neckline, the train. What a beautiful woman!

I had never heard of Jennifer Lawrence before last night. All I can say is, wow. She is GORGEOUS!!! I heard this dress criticized a lot today for being all Pamela Anderson in Baywatch. Maybe they're onto something there, but I still love it. She obviously has a fabulous body, why not show it off? Who says you can't channel Baywatch on the red carpet? As long as you do it in a classy way, which she undeniably does.

On to the most controversial dress of the night. I hate it. It's such a shame, because Cate is so beautiful. I think I could have lived with the dress if it wasn't for that terrible fluorescent yellow business, which looked even worse from the back. Yuck! I think Joan Rivers said it best when she described it as looking like an unsightly skin condition, or something to that effect.

All in all, though, I thought it was a great night for fashion. Well played, ladies!

I'll Never Love You More

I hope that my fellow Ontario residents are having a lovely Family Day. My human family members are for the most part federal government employees, so I'm spending a day with my furry, four-legged kin.

This video is making me very, very happy, so I thought I'd share with you.

Review: Just Go With It

It's been a while since I've reviewed a film here on Magic Lantern, but rest assured it hasn't been for lack of movie-watching. I've certainly seen movies over the last few months that are better than Just Go With It, however it just so happens I've been blessed with time this Family Day weekend, and feel like contributing my two cents.

Anyone who has seen the trailer for this movie knows the premise. Adam Sandler plays a wealthy plastic surgeon who uses a phoney "my wife is an evil bitch" sob story to pick up chicks and have all the one night stands he wants without the consequences. He finally falls for a hot 23-year-old named Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), and ends up having to weave a tricky mess of lies involving his assistant Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), who stands in as the fake ex, and her two children. They all end up in Hawaii and things unfold in a pleasingly predictable fashion.

This movie was exactly what I needed this weekend, what with the -20 degree windchill outside and a scratchy discomfort at the back of my throat, foretelling yet another illness in the making. Images of beautiful people outside in the sunshine, their bare skin kissed by benign breezes and the refreshing waters of the South Pacific bring me great joy this time of year.

And the movie itself isn't half bad. It's genuinely funny in parts, and I and my companion laughed out loud on numerous occasions. Jennifer Aniston is intensely likeable in most everything she does - even the not-so-great films - and her chemistry with Adam Sandler is definitely what carries this movie.

Oh, and Dave Matthews and Nicole Kidman randomly show up halfway through the movie, making for an amusing twist and ensuing situational comedy.

I really have nothing bad to say about Just Go With It. It knows what it is and succeeds at achieving the desired effect. And it's just what the doctor ordered for late February in Canada.

P.S. I am aware that all my blog posts, columns and conversations over the past couple months have somehow involved my hatred of winter and how I'm dealing with it. I can't help it. I promise it will stop as soon as I can regularly go outside without wanting to immediately seek shelter.

Hello there blog!

Wow, I think this may be the longest length of time I've gone without posting. For so long my poor excuse for being a lazy blogger was my crippling unhappiness with life. Now I am glad to say that it's pretty much the exact opposite. After almost five months, I'm still thrilled to have a job I actually like - not that it isn't stressful at times, but it's a good kind of stress. And I'm actually paid now to write blog-like pieces, which is wonderful.

You can read my latest column here and the one before that here.

As usual, I'm super excited about the Oscars. I've also been obsessed with the idea of a vacation, and have developed an unhealthy fixation with all things that remind me of Paris, Rome or the Caribbean - the top vacation destinations, in my opinion. The parents are currently planning a trip to Rome, and I'm having a ball living vicariously. I'll pretend like the two weeks I spent in Italy make me an expert on all things Italian in order to have the luxury of re-living all the beautiful, life-changing experiences I had there. ("Oh my god mom, you simply CANNOT eat dinner before nine or people will think you're SO un-classy"...that sort of thing).

Valentine's was nice. I got Steve a key chain that says "I love my Russian Blue" with a picture of a cat that looks exactly like Napoleon. I'm pretty sure it's meant for old ladies but he loved it. He got me a gift certificate for a spa, even though we had promised we would not buy each other expensive things.

I wish I could say I've been baking, but I haven't been. Post-holiday winter makes me lazy.

I'm anxiously awaiting spring, and know I probably will be for at least another month. But that's alright, I suppose.

That's about it.