It's snowing in Louisiana and I'm not there! It NEVER snows in Louisiana! I think the last time it snowed in Baton Rouge was 7 years ago. I've been longingly looking at facebook pictures all day. One more week until I visit though! I can't wait.

Our office is having a Christmas party today. Off to drink egg nog - the rum!

Hope everyone's week is going well :)

The She & Him concert was last night. And it was A-mazing! In case you don't know who She & Him are, She is Zooey Deschanel and Him is M. Ward (or Matt Ward). They got together and came out with an album earlier this year that consists of original songs written mostly by Zooey and some covers as well. I've been a fan of Zooey as an actress for a while now, but she also has a lovely, unique singing voice that I just adore.

The concert was at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Fran. It's a relatively small venue, and we stood in front of the stage so that we were about 5-10 feet away from the main microphone. The opening band was a band called Lavender Diamond, and the lead singer Becky Stark is seemingly good friends with Zooey as she also sings back-up for She & Him. Becky had a gorgeous voice but she was absolutely spacey! She kept talking about how there is no past or future, there's only the present and all that. She was adorable though, very energetic on stage and spouting out random comments about time: "There is no that moment, there's only this moment. It's a paradox. I'll explain it to you later. I mean, now!" They played for about 45 minutes and I really enjoyed them.

Then She & Him came on. Zooey looked exactly like I expected her to, except her hair was a little lighter than I thought it would be. She was wearing a cute babydoll-ish yellow dress that was sequined at the top with a flowy skirt. She had a flower headband and of course those signature bangs. I've heard about how shy she is, and I could tell she's still not completely comfortable being on stage in front of a large group of people. She talked to the audience though- asked if we were voting for Barack Obama and said that's who she was voting for- and made some cute comments. She and Matt worked very well together and you can tell they respect each other as performers and enjoy each other a lot. They played a lot of songs from their album along with some new original ones and some other covers. They played for almost an hour then left the stage but came back and played about three more songs. I had a great view of them the whole time and I just really enjoyed myself and my girl crush on Zooey has grown even more. I wish I could have gotten a pic, but Bimbo's is really strict about cameras. Oh well!

In other news, I voted for Barack Obama this morning. This day is going to be tough to get through, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm just hoping we reach it!

I have been doing a whole lot of nothing but working lately so things have been pretty boring around these parts (well, except for that whole baby thing ;). Work has been VERY busy...I had seven marketing meetings last week and I have six this week. So it's been a tad overwhelming, but it's nice to be busy for a change.

My mom is coming to visit this week! \o/ I haven't seen her in over 4 months and that is the longest I have gone without seeing my mother EVER. This weekend we are going to go to the Carmel/Monterey Bay area (which looks just gorgeous). It might be a little chilly, but I'm sure it will still be beautiful. So that's something to look forward to.

This weekend I watched the movie The Fall starring Lee Pace. It was visually stunning, which came as no surprise since The Cell had some of the most interesting and unique cinematography I've ever seen in a film. Lee Pace was absolutely fantastic and the real star of the film, a newcomer from Romania, Catinca Untaru was such an impressive young actress. I enjoyed the movie so much I've decided I'm going to do a picspam, so be expecting that in the next few days.

Alright, back to work now. I hope everyone has a good week!

A few years ago I saw Cool Hand Luke for the first time and fell in love with this gorgeous, blue-eyed, charismatic actor. Yes, he was 60 years older than me, but that didn't stop my love for him to grow with each new film I saw. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Hustler, Hud, The Sting, Slap Shot, The Verdict and many more. Young or old, he was a beautiful man who always brought something special to his roles. He was one of a kind and he will always be my favorite. I'm glad he lived a long, successful, happy life and I hope he knew before he passed that not only would he be fondly remembered by his friends and family but by millions of devoted fans as well.

Rest in Peace Paul.

Okay, I am now officially my brother's music pimp. This is a video of him performing his original song "Autumn Approaches." It's probably my favorite song of his. He just needs to make some kind of album already.

 

 

I know I'm biased, but I genuinely think he's a very talented guy who has some great music for the world to hear. So check him out and enjoy (: www.youtube.com/danielpattersonmusic.

Speaking of music, the boyfriend and I are going to see Radiohead and other various bands perform in Golden Gate Park tomorrow night. It's the first time a band has played in the Park after dark, and it's bound to be amazing. I'll be sure to attempt to take lots of pictures :)

Work has been pretty boring lately, but I'm learning new things everyday and preparing myself for next month which will involve a slew of marketing meetings for me to arrange and attend. And my mom is coming to visit in October, so yay!

Have a great weekend everyone! Here's looking at you
 

Saw Tropic Thunder tonight. Want to have RDJ's babies even more now than I did before I saw it. Just kidding but not really.

No, but seriously, the movie was very funny with absolutely no holds barred. A self-parodying parody, if you will, that makes fun of anything and everything about Hollywood it can get its hands on. I'm one of those people who like to learn everything I can about a movie and what goes into making them: behind-the-scenes stories, actor interviews, DVD commentaries, etc., and this one is pretty much hand-tailored for people like me. I don't think I stopped laughing for more than a couple minutes throughout.

So go see Tropic Thunder if you like humor, action, aren't too squeamish and aren't easily offended, lol.

Oh, and RDJ officially wins the Summer of 2008.

Some ramblings...

1. A vid of my brother and sister singing together at an open mic night in BR:



My brother writes and sings his own music, and he's really, really good at it :) http://www.youtube.com/user/danielpattersonmusic

2. I just watched Definitely, Maybe for the second time and liked it more than I remembered. Ryan Reynolds has always been on my hot guy radar, but I've liked him more and more as an actor since Smokin' Aces. He's known for his comedy, but he really can do drama very well, and he's proving that with the roles he's choosing these days. Anyway, it's a cute movie and RR has good chemistry with all three leading ladies (well, four, if you count Abigail Breslin).

3. I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT TO SEE TROPIC THUNDER. I just know it's going to be my kind of comedy. I think the set-up for it has just been divine, and I love the plot. And plus, you know, Robert Downey Jr. can do no wrong. Except for maybe the pornstache he's now sporting for Sherlock Holmes.

4. Some pics of me in Italy: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2388798&l=65f57&id=23415477

This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while





ETA: The vid should be working again!.

This video is featured on Astronomy Picture of the Day today:



Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, I think.

And I can't stop watching this video. ilu Jack Kelly Christian Bale.

 
ETA:   Yum.

I just walked down the street from my work (in Berkeley) to get something for lunch, and who should I see but Nicole Richie, Joel Madden and their baby. They were just sitting outside of a shop talking. She was absolutely tiny but looked pretty (which is weird because I don't really think she's pretty). I've seen a couple celebs irl before, but it's always such a weird feeling when you get that intital recognition and think about all the things you've seen them in and know them for. Anyway, it was pretty random.

I turned 23 today. It seems like such an insignificant number. A girl at my work who sits right across from me has the same birthday, so that was a funny coincidence. I got a new phone from my parents (a Black Jack II) and lots of calls and texts and facebook messages wishing me a happy day. It's been a good day so far, and tonight my bf and I are going to eat at a restaurant in SF called First Crush. It's a wine restaurant so that should be tasty :)

Went into San Francisco today. We had a good time. We walked down to Pier 39 and enjoyed the view of the Bay and ate some good food. I don't know why they don't call San Francisco the Windy City though. It was ridiculously windy. I went to Chicago a while ago and it was no where near as windy. Hmph.

We also saw Lou Ferrigno (who played the Hulk on TV forever ago) signing autographs in the middle of Pier 39. It was pretty random.

Here are some pics of our day in SF:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2376049&l=9d992&id=23415477

(You don't have to have a facebook account to view those by the way.)

Hope you're having a good weekend!

I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. I went in expecting a fun, entertaining, ridiculous flick- with another great performance by James McAvoy -and that's exactly what I got. It doesn't hold back in its heightened reality setting, and it's got some really funny moments with a few surprises packed in. And James...he just plays the part of Wesley perfectly. From bonafide apathetic loser to deadly assassin...he's believable at every turn.

In conclusion, if you like James McAvoy, and you've enjoyed movies like Smokin' Aces and Shoot 'Em Up, then I think you should definitely go see Wanted. What a ride.

Hi!! Well, here comes a major update on MY life...

• The french movie Jeux d'enfants (or Love Me if You Dare) with the fantastic Marion Cotillard and adorable Guillaume Canet. It's about a game of dare that a boy and girl start when they are children, and they continue to play as they grow up, even though the dares and consequences are often perverse and hold much more meaning than they did when they were younger.

A clip:

• This extremely hot photoshoot with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Claudia Schiffer.

• James McAvoy Entertainment Weekly outtakes. Damn. I may have to make some more icons soon.

• The fact that I don't have work tomorrow.

• And last, but not least, Chocolate-covered Sunflower Seeds. Yum.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

It's been a while...in the past couple of months I've gone to and returned from Italy, gotten a new (temporary, hopefully) job, cut and dyed my hair, and have basically just been trying to plan my escape from this town. The boyfriend has a job interview this weekend in San Francisco, and if that all works out (fingers crossed), I may be moving to Cali in the not-so-distant future. I'm not able to completely grasp what exactly that would entail right now, so I'm just going to have a positive outlook on things and hope everything works out for the best.

Also, I watched the movie All the Real Girls last night and just had to post about it. It's one of those movies that just sticks with you after you watch it. It's a story about love. It's true to life, it's true to love, it's true to heartbreak...it's just a real story, and it means a lot to me because of that.





I don't want to give up too much of the plot, but I just wanted to highly recommend this movie. It's a beautiful piece of film full of poignancy and truth. I've been a fan of Zooey Deschanel for a while now, but Paul Schneider is the one that really made the movie what it is. He has a naturalness about him that makes his humor and charm very appealing.
 
That's all for now...hope everyone has a great weekend!

I made some James McAvoy icons because I lurve him...  

  




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Please credit if you use, and comments are love, as always!!

I haven't updated in a while...

Well, I am now officially a college graduate. Now for the million dollar question: What do I do with my life now?

My Christmas and New Year's were both memorable. My family went to North Carolina for Christmas to surprise my Grandfather for his 70th birthday. He was quite surprised to see all of his children and grandchildren caroling at his door...it was a priceless moment.

I'm leaving for Italy tomorrow morning...I'm nervous and excited. I want everything to go smoothly, but I know that most likely won't happen, and that that's half the adventure of going to a foreign country. I'm a natural worrier and a bit of a pessimist, but I'm going to try to have a positive outlook. I just can't really believe I'm actually going after talking about it for almost 4 years.

And when I get back, I'll worry about that whole "career" thing :)

Oh, and I finally saw Atonement. I thought it was amazing. Joe Wright is a fantastic director, all the performances were wonderful, and the story was intriguing and heartbreaking. I also saw Juno, which was fun, quirky and unique. Ellen Page as Juno was just delightful.

Well, when I get back I'll definitely post pictures from my trip!