Oscar Nominations - Instant Reactions

Best Picture - The Help and War Horse were nominated!  I'm glad they increased the number of nominations.  Also, I DESPERATELY want to see The Artist!!!!

Best Actress - Viola Davis totally deserves that.  And what competition she has!  Wow!

Best Supporting Actress - I love me some Melissa McCarthy, but I hope that she doesn't win.  Based on the roles alone, others deserve that award more.  That's just how I feel.

Animated Feature - Wow.  For the first time since they created the category, I have not seen any of the films.  What is wrong with this picture?

Other thoughts - It's nice to see some of the movies I've seen this year up for various technical awards.  I really wish they would have made more of an effort to honor the entire Harry Potter series, though.

Congrats to all the nominees!

9th Annual Oscar Nomination Predictions

...based only on movies that I have seen.  Not what I think will ACTUALLY be nominated.  And I didn't see a lot of movies this year.  So this list is going to be...interesting.

** = should get an actual nomination

Best Picture:
The Help **
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
War Horse **
Jane Eyre
X-Men: First Class

Best Actor:
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class)
Jeremy Irvine (War Horse)
James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class)
Chris Evans (Captain America)

Best Actress:
Viola Davis (The Help) **
Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre)
Emma Stone (The Help)
 
Best Supporting Actor:
Rupert Grint (Harry Potter)
Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter)


Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Octavia Spencer (The Help) **
Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help)
Emma Watson (Harry Potter)
Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau)

Best Animated Feature:
Cars 2
Gnomeo and Juliet
Winnie the Pooh

Multi-Hobbies =/= Multi-Tasking

I've noticed something recently.  I can't seem to concentrate on more than one of my hobbies at once.  I generally have a bunch of things going on at the same time, but I can only give my full attention to one thing at a time.  When I'm in Scrapbooking Mode, that is all I will do.  But when I get done with that, I will let myself get way behind before I start doing that again.  When I'm in Cross Stitch Mode, I will get one of them done and immediately get started on the next one, but I'll usually get myself OUT of Cross Stitch mode before I finish that one.  I currently have a barely started Cross Stitch project to my left.  The Cross Stitch for my sister-in-law that is done and still needs to be framed is also sitting to my left.  (I hope to get that done on Wednesday, Amanda!!!!)  I have the pictures I ordered for my scrapbook (still in the unopened envelope) to my right.  And guess what?  I'm in Reading Mode at the moment.  I finished 2 books over the weekend and went to the book store this morning before work to get some new ones.  I started the next book and just forced myself to put it down so that I won't stay up past midnight like I did last night.

I can multitask with the best of them (I am a woman, after all), but when it comes to my hobbies, it's one at a time...to the extreme!

Book Recommendation: "Not My Type" by Melanie Jacobson

You might take note that this is the 2nd time I have blogged about a book by Melanie Jacobson.  I previously reviewed her first novel, "The List".  Read that here.  I really like her writing style!  It's very witty and fun!  In fact, I bought this book at the store because I saw she wrote it.  I don't think I even read the description on the back until I got home.  That puts her in the same league as Anita Stansfield, Rachel Ann Nunes, Traci Hunter Abramson and a few others.

"Not My Type" is about Pepper Spicer's adventures writing a column for an online magazine about her adventures with online dating.  She's got a lot of baggage in her life that she's dealing with and this job helps her get her feet back on the ground.  Who knew she'd find love where she least expected it?  The ending and a few plot points were fairly predictable, but Melanie has a way of grabbing your interest.  Even though you know how it's all going to work out, she makes you want to relish every detail of the journey!

I could NOT put this book down.  I read it in less that 24 hours.  In fact, by this time of night (it's currently 12:30 am), I've usually been asleep for a few hours.  But I stayed up tonight and finished the book!  Then I allowed myself a few tears as I lamented over my missing "happily ever after."  But enough wallowing in my severe lack of love life.  Read this book!  It's great!

No Band Wagon for Me!

I will not be watching the game tonight against the Patriots.  Why not?  Because I'll be at church.  Stake Conference > Broncos Game.  ESPECIALLY when we have a General Authority present.

That aside, there are several reasons why I have not jumped on the Tebow Train like everyone else.  The main reason being I don't care that much about football.  If the Broncos do well, I'm happy for them.  If they lose, no big deal to me.  This is nothing new.  I've felt like this for a very long time.  But all the hype surrounding Tebow?  I really don't care.  Sure, he's getting things done, but I really think we should wait to canonize him until he's played with the big boys for a few more years and proved himself over several seasons.

And Tebowing?  Ugh...that annoys me so much.  People are mocking something sacred.  I think it's great that Tim Tebow is vocal about his faith, but it's getting to the point where something I consider to be very sacred is becoming secularized.  If you're going to take a knee, say a prayer while you're down there.  A sincere one.  When you are simply "Tebowing", you are mocking God and mocking my beliefs.  I don't appreciate that.  At all.

You can agree with me or not.  I have a right to my opinion.  All I ask is that the next time you "Tebow", think about what you're actually making fun of.

Sledding with the Kids

Here are some pictures from our fun sledding outing on the day after Christmas!

And of course, the video of the crash and burn:

Angela's Year in Review (ish) 2011

It seems weird to be writing out my Year in Review.  Mostly because I did a blog a day this year, called A Year in my Life.  That's 365 blog posts.  I should probably still summarize the  year.  But I don't feel like it.  So we'll just wrap it up with this:

It was a year of UPs:

• Benjamin Keith Cecil Johnson (my adorable nephew), born March 2, 2011
• Neal & Amanda's Wedding, May 13, 2011
• The Sound of Music with Up in Lights, July 2011
• Scrooge at the Candlelight Dinner Theater, November-December 2011

It was a year of DOWNs:

• Too many health problems!!  Between bronchitis, sinus infections, and the recurring viral ulcers on my tongue (in May, July, and November), I have spent WAY too much time at the doctor's office!
• Having to buy a new car after just getting new tires and a new battery for my old car.  It's nice to have new wheels, but now I am WAY too much in debt again.

Mostly a lot of in between, so it definitely was a good year!  On to 2012.....