Movie Monday: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Okay, so I decided to try and give y'all some recommendations of some of my favorite films. I like new movies and I love old movies. My taste is quite eclectic ranging from Star Wars to You've Got Mail to Butterfield 8 to Good Fellas. I like chic flicks, comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, & westerns. Pretty much anything but documentaries, and some of those I could watch depending on the subject matter. I could watch Turner Classic Movies all day if I had the time. However, please keep in mind, I am no film buff and I don't sit there and pick apart a movie and analyze every sentence. I just love good movies. They often speak to places that are not always in the forefront of my mind but the whole dimension of the movie is there, I just may not be able to tell you what it is that I exactly loved.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for example. I have seen that movie at least 5 times and I've loved it every one of them. I have it saved on my DVR and DH knows not to delete or he's in trouble..lol. The movie stars Paul Newman as Brick, Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie "The Cat" and Burl Ives as Big Daddy. Well, Brick is a former high school football star and married to Maggie. In the beginning of the film Brick gets injured drunkenly trying to relive his glory days. They end up back at his father's  estate where his wife, Maggie, his half brother and sister-in-law and their kids are waiting to celebrate Big Daddy's birthday. Brick and Maggie are having issues and Brick's brother and sister in law are jealous of Big Daddy's love for Brick and Maggie even though they have no kids. I really don't want to give away what the movie is about. The whole fun of it the first time I watched it was that I had no idea what was going to happen. You can read the plot on Wikipedia if you'd like but I would rather you just watch it. The movie is pretty intense and deals with a lot of deep issues like adultery, alcoholism and infertility. For a 1950s movie this was no small feat. The actors in it were amazing and passionate and I was on the edge of my seat, so to speak for most of the movie. Paul Newman and Liz Taylor are two of my favorite actors and they didn't disappoint me in this. I loved Paul in Cool Hand Luke which was a great movie too...but I'll save that for another day...After watching those two movies I definitely developed a love for Newman...those gorgeous blue eyes didn't hurt either! {I think I must have an affinity for blue eyes because that's one of those things I love about my DH:)} Anyway, I would certainly recommend this to everyone. Have you seen it? If so, what did you think?

Calm My Crazy: What's Up With Lyle?

Okay, so this is my first Calm My Crazy Friday. I am linking up with Denise from According to Denise. This is a place where I can write about things that brighten up my day. When things gets crazy and chaotic, what grounds me and makes me appreciate this little life of mine. Feel free to link up with her! Click the button :)

So, today I was at work (I teach 2-year olds part-time and let me just say...they take LOTS of patience) and for the most part it was a pretty okay day. One thing about me though, I teach the way I mother. I am stern but show them that I love them also. In my class, and home, I am the boss...for the most  part...ha ha...Well, anyway, sometimes you gotta just take a chill pill and have some fun! Because I have to remember they are just kids and I need to let them be kids. So I had to get out of my rut of a routine and get goofy. I don't know if you've ever watched Veggie Tales but I just love them. I think they've gotten better and better. So we have this one episode which is in my top favs called Lyle the Kindly Viking. It's a musical and sort of a play off of Pirates of Penzance and I love the song What's Up with Lyle. It's so silly and Olaf (aka Nebby K. Nezzer) has this super deep voice. So when I was tucking in my little ones for nap time I started singing in a deep voice and giving all the kids hugs and pretend kisses. I mean, what two year old doesn't love a little lovin'? They are so stinkin' cute and loved every bit of it. Things like that make me put things in perspective. I'm so busy making sure they are learning their ABCs, numbers, shapes and colors, learning to follow instructions, not hurting each other that I forget to just be a big goober just to make them smile. Don't get me wrong, I act like a nut often (you've got to with little ones), but every time I do and I see the genuine smiles of joy on their faces, it makes all I do worth my while. 

So what makes you stop and smell the roses?

Btw...I've included the video of the song so you can get a picture of the silliness:)

What Do Y'all Think??

Okay, so what do y'all think of my new look? A friend helped me with the new header design. Doesn't it look great? I tried to simplify the sidebars and add my about me. Not lovin' the pic but I can change that as soon as I find one I do love :) Anyone want to take a nice pic of me?? I kinda liked the wood because it makes me feel like y'all are on my front porch for a chat {even though my front porch isn't wood anymore:( }Give me some feedback! Please :)