"Thor" Movie Review

This review is long overdue so I better write it now! I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the movie. I've seen quite a few Norse lore movies and they have all been pretty dark and dirty (nothing really wrong with that), with big, hulking men, weilding big, hulking swords, on big, hulking horse (again, nothing really wrong with that.) Nevertheless, this Thor is based off a comic, which usually means light hearted and a bit corny!

In short, Thor thinks he is ready to be king and defies his father by going off to the ice world to prevent them from ever attacking the kingdom again. Thor's father finds this foolish and banishes Thor to Earth until he can learn to be a good and honorable man. Thor meets a scientist, fascinated with the bridge between worlds. Thor believes he will not make it back home and his brother, Loki, is determined to be king instead. But with the help from Thor's warriors and the scientist, Thor recovers his hammer and saves Earth and his own world.

Suffice to say, it was on the corny side, much more than I expected it to be, but some of the effects were great, especially the big fight on the ice peoples' planet (sorry, but I do not know the official name.) I like the robustness of the characters. You can especially see it when Thor or his friends are on Earth. They have such BIG personalities compared to the humans.

Natalie Portman has not been a favorite of mine in just about anything I have seen her in. I think she tends to play the same character, a bit mopey. (Granted, I have not seen Black Swan, but I imagine her to be a bit mopey in that too.) She didn't strike any extra points for me in this movie. I tended to be more entertained by Kat Dennings (now starring in the show 2 Broke Girls. Love it!) who plays Portman's assistant and is wildly known for her fantastically dry humor!

I like Chris Hemsworth. He is a very bold and handsome Thor (very tall, which is always a plus!) and I look forward to seeing him in Snow White and the Huntsman. If only someone would stick a real woman next to him and not a non-communicative little stick like Natalie Portman or Kristen Stewart! Oh well.

Looking forward to The Avengers where all these comic heroes will collide. And did I even mention that JOSS WHEDON is directing!!! Let me say it again, JOSS WHEDON IS DIRECTING THE AVENGERS! Thank goodness someone had some common sense to hire him. He is BY FAR! the most ingenious man when it comes to movies and television!

Birthdays, Burritos, Calories, Bridesmaids, and Tea!!!

YESTERDAY WAS MY 24th BIRTHDAY!!! Last year, I wrote up a whole thing on my birthday, but this year the birthday was much more relaxed. Plus, I had to work so that threw a bit of a damper on the day. Nonetheless, a lot happened and it was an all around good day.

Also, I had a burrito from Qdoba for lunch! YUM! However, I have been watching my calorie count for the last month, and intend to continue to do so so that I will look good in my bridesmaid dress that I have the wear in August. I am alloted at a very reasonable 2,005 calories per day, and I keep track of my calories using the "Lose it!" App. VERY COOL! So, I really, REALLY wanted a burrito, but I knew it would be a lot of calories. With everything on it, the burrito stands right around 1,500 calores (not including queso cheese, which is delicious. :( So, I improvised and got pinto beans instead of black (-100 calories), no cheese (-220), no guacamole (-100), and tore off about 1/3 of the tortilla (-80). It turned my burrito into a 1,000 calorie burrito and it still tasted fabulous. I had the lime cilantro rice, pinto beads, shredded beef, pico de gallo salsa, lettuce, and sour cream!

Nevertheless, I still went over my calorie count because the parents got pizza and made cheese cake for my birthday, but heck, it was my birthday :).

The bridesmaids dresses arrived yesterday as well and I got to try mine on in the correct size for the first time. The other girls were having a few troubles with their dresses, all the straps were too long, and the busts did not fit, but mine fit perfectly! YEAH!

Finally, the whole day was topped off with a good cup of tea. I've recently become obsessed with tea. I love Twining's Black Tea, particularly the Blackcurrent Breeze flavor. It has caffeine though. Recently, I discovered Mighty Leaf. I got the Herbal Infusion Variety Pack. The little packages are beautiful, like little silk pouches and all the ingredients are real leaves, citrus, flowers, etc. A really nice combo of things. I'm drinking at least 2 cups a day not and I don't even crave pop like I used too!!!

So, that was yesterday! Hoe was everyone elses' yesterdays?

Another Look!

And, again, I am playing with my blog design. For those of you who saw the pink poppies that I had before, let me know if you like this design better. This is certainly more subdued, a bit more sophisticated, and WAY purple! (as opposed to pink like last time.) Note: I have not changed the colors of the side buttons yet. They won't have the pink/salmon border, but a purple or grey border.

If you missed the pink poppies, NEVER FEAR! Your opinion is just as valuable. Just let me know what you think of this particular, VERY purple design.

The old design kind of looked like this. The same background, but a different title color, more purple, and a semi-transparent background where this is a solid grey. 

Thanks for your inputs!

What DOESN'T my iphone DO!??!

Don't get me wrong! I am NOT a Mac person. NEVER was the biggest fan. I just don't lik ehow I can't disect their products to make repairs myself, upgrade, mess around with. I don't like how I have to go to them for everything and pay for their extra packages so I can be treated like GOLD instead of DIRT! I don't like how I pay a guaranteed $50+ just because an Apple is stamped somewhere on the product, etc!
However, my freakin' iphone does EVERYTHING! and I kind of like it. :)
Recently, I got a few Christmas presents for my iphone. (Really for me, but it felt more like I was getting it for my iphone.) What are these gifts, you ask? (What? You didn't ask? TOO BAD!)

1. A cube thingy that that plugs into my headphone jack and swipes credit cards!!!! HECK YEAH! The charges are incredibly reasonable! No monthly payments, simply a percentage taken off the top of every swipe. I think 2.75 or something like that. That's less than what Etsy takes. So, now I can accept credit cards when selling my jewelry and can send a reciept wirelessly to the customer's email address.
2. Camera lenses that magnetically attatch to my phone's camera!!! NO WAY! This was too cool when I saw it. Of course, it would have taken a small fortune to buy just one in the Apple Store (The most disgusting place on Earth! I'll explain later.) However, it cost much less to get 3 lenses with 4 different purposes, plus a tripod and small jawstring carrying case, when I purchased them on Amazon. This has been great for the photography I have to do of my jewelry, but now I want to try some landscape photography as well. Did you know any camera with at least 6 megapixels will blow up to poster size!!! WHO KNEW?!

3. I haven't bought this one yet, but I'm going to. It's a skin that makes your phone look like an original Nintendo controller! SWEET! You know the ones that you could check across the room and not worry about the batteries falling out or the analog stick breaking (because there were none!) 4 buttons and a directional pad is all you need!

Anyway, totally awesome and so worth it!

Now, why the Apple store is the most disgusting place on Earth!!! My mom and I had to go to the only Apple store within 100 miles in order to change the battery out on my dad's phone before the warranty was up. We made an appointment so that someone would be ready to take care of us. When we got there, to this small hole in the wall, I was disgusted with the amount of people packed into this white and cream room stuffed with tables and counters, all displaying tons of electronics, each with therir own ipad, displaying the different features of said product. There was one whole table with 10 or more of the new iphone 4S. Each with and ipad as well as headphones that you could put on so that when you asked Siri a question, like, "Siri, do you like me? Siri, do you want to come home with me? Siri, why am I so desperate?" you could hear her reply over the muck of voices in that place. There were dozens of workers in red shirts, also adorned with ipads that they were tapping away on. None of the workers actually talked to eachother.

Anyway, soon after the guy at the door checked us in with his ipad, another ipad clad young man stopped by to confirm our appointment and take comments about why we were there. We told him what we said before, that we just needed the battery replaced. He skipped off to get the technician. In the meantime, I noted to Mom how nuts it was that all these people were here playing with the toys left out on the tables. I suggested to my mom, "Let's just stand here and look bored and maybe they will want to get us out of here sooner."

Eventually, the technician arrived, this time with a Mac Notebook. He plugged my Dad's phone into his computer and the computer was able to tell us everything the phone had done, every dropped call, every crashed app, etc. Found out it did need a new battery. Mom politely asked, "Are you a genius?" In which he humorously replied that he needed a few more months training in order to beome a genius. Ha!

Anyway, we got out of there with a new phone to replace Dad's old one because it would have been too complicated to remove the other's battery etc, etc. That's where the getting treated like gold pays in. We also walked out with one of the cube card readers, in which I gasped, "Dangit! They got us! That's why they make you wait so long! They know you'll be forced to buy SOMETHING!" Granted, we get our $10 back in a rebate. :)

So, like I mentioned, as we left the store, I whispered, "That store is the most disgusting place on Earth," as every passerbys' eyes were drawn to the snowy white decor, including small impressionable young children that need nothing more than an iphone to play with...NOT!

What are your thoughts?
In love with, disgusted by, or some combination of both when it comes to Mac?

A NEW LOOK!

I guess I didn't feel like waiting until after the Holidays to begin this little project. I might still change my mind, but for now, this is what I got! The entire layout has been changed, including removing things that I really didn't need. I love the colors, but I still want to make a new heading and revert some of the old pages to fully match the new design.

So, what do you think? Too pink? lol.

Maybe this will help me forget about winter! It is a very Spring-like design. :)

The BEST 3 Minutes in the Theaters in 2011!

My cousin was selling those magazine subscriptions to raise money for his class and I felt like supporting him so I signed up for one the only magazines that I really dive into and read almost everything. Entertainment Weekly!!! For some of you who may feel the same about the magazine as I do, you might have noticed that they named off their top 10 lists of EVERYTHING--Books, Movies, TV, Music, etc. And, on a random page, they noted that the new Hunger Games trailor was the best 3 minutes in theaters! I laughed because, partly, it was so clever, and the other part, because it was so true! (Note: My mom had just seen the trailor for the first time (having not read the books) when we went to go see Sherlock Holmes 2 and she thought it was clever too!)

I'm wildly excited for the movies. I read ALL THREE books in a matter of 4 DAYS! LOVED THEM! Really, a very VERY clever plot. I was nto surprised when I heard they were being turned into movies. I had no idea who they were going to choose to play all the characters, but I am pleased with who they came up with. They're going to blog Twilight out of the water!!!

So, have you seen the trailor?
Was it the best 3 minutes in the theaters for 2011?
If not, what was?
Have you read the books?
Looking forward to the movie?
Other thoughts?

OH BOY! Do I Really Want to do This AGAIN!!!

Sooooooooo! I was thinking about performing another blog makeover. I'm pretty sure it has been almost EXACTLY one year since the last one!

I just feel like it is time for a change once again. I might even just go to one of the generic templates that Blogger has designed for you. Maybe?

I just know that something has to happen. I am tired of the black and white border mostly (GAWD! That took forever to create!) I still like all my buttons on the side. I could use the same ones, but change up the color. That really wouldn't be too bad.

Hmmmm!

Any suggestions?!?!
Color ideas?
A template you really like?
A place you go to get your template? (Preferably free.)
So in love with the current thing you just couldn't bear to see it gone?

I'm really open to just about anything.

Let me know!

Just Another Update (Still GIVING AWAY my earrings!)

New beaded necklace with six strands.
Made entirely of agate and glass
beads.

Hey guys! Just felt like popping by and doing an update of the last few days!

The new job is going really well. We've been busy and I have had lost of editing to do (which you all know I love!!!)

Another beaded necklace with six
strands. Made entirely of tiger's
eye and glass beads. Lays beautifully!

Been working very very hard on my Etsy store. There is a whole slew of new pictures for you all to see. They're all scattered around! Here is the link to my store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AubrieAnne?ref=si_shop And remember that I am still holding a giveaway for a pair of my sparkling earrings. You can read the review and enter here: http://sweeptight.com/2011/12/aubrie-anne-jewelry.html

Single strand beaded necklace with
stone wire-wrapped pendant! There are
5 new necklaces like this!

I haven't seen a lot of movies lately, but I do have some reviews soon to come, like Thor!

Another single strand beaded necklace
with sterling silver wire-wrapping!

Reading too has been show. Still reading "Spyglass" by Maria V. Snyder (my current favorite author!) I did just recently read Haiku for the Single Girl by Beth Griffenhagen (http://www.amazon.com/Haiku-Single-Girl-Beth-Griffenhagen/dp/0143120018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323876589&sr=8-1) It was hilarious and so easy to relate to as a single person. I think even the happily married and dating for years person could still enjoy it, remembering the days!

Barettes like this are hard to find
so I started making my own! Only
one up so far though.

Other than that, not much else (not a lot of time for much else!)

See ya around. Let me know what you have been up to!

So many new sterling silver earrings!
Adding more all the time!

FIVE Exciting things going on! (1 Giveaway, 2 Features, and 1 Blog Hop)

First, hopefully you all know about my feature and giveaway on Sweep Tight! If not, click on this link...

http://sweeptight.com/2011/12/aubrie-anne-jewelry.html
Also, I am being featured on Glamorous Without the Guilt! Visit here...

http://glamorouswithouttheguilt.blogspot.com/

Glamorous Without the Guilt is also the one hosting the great blog hop above. JOIN IN ON ALL THE FUN! And possibly win a free pair of my earrings! Yippie! And HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I'm Giving Away A Pair of My Earrings!!!!

Yes, that's right, I am giving away a pair of my earrings! I thought it would be great with the upcoming Holiday season!!! Sweep Tight has been kind enough to review a pair of my earrings and my Etsy store. PLUS, they were nice enough to host the giveaway!!!

Please, visit the following link to learn more and find out how you can enter the giveaway!

http://sweeptight.com/2011/12/aubrie-anne-jewelry.html

PS. The little giveaway widget that they use might take a while to load. Just refresh the page or wait a sec and it should show up. Of course, you know me and my computer. It's been a bit fritzy with the loading! :)

Poll #8 Results: If you could be a part of a fantasy race, which one would you be?

I know it took me forever to finish this up, but I am pleased with the amount of votes we got! Here's what the chart ended up looking like...

YEAH! I went for the multi-colored this time around.

So, kind of an odd question, but I thought it was appropriate with all this love going around for the supernatural and what not. I looked up a few different lists online. I wanted a good variety but not too many things that people would not know.

Anyway, here were the results. (Sorry, I didn't add all the little labels to the pie chart like a usally do, and some of the names got cut off because I was in a rush,) but here's them all layed out...
Werewolf...1 (I was surprised by this. I thought more people would have voted.)
Vampire...7 (No surprise there! Lots of people like Vampires!)
Elf...3 (YEAH Legolas!
Goblin...0 (No one wants to be so ucky!)
Dwarf...0 (Kind of figured on this one as well. Although, I love Willow, and the short professor from Harry Potter. That might even be the same actor for both. I know he had a couple roles in Harry Potter.)
Demon...1 (This was pretty general, but I thought I would enter it anyway. I mean, I think some would consider a Vampire to be a demon, maybe even a Banshee or Goblin.)
Ghost...5 (This surprised me. If I were a ghost, I don't think I'd like it. I don't think ghosts can really do much but freak people out, maybe, if they are talented anough, they can send cryptic messages. That could be cool, but frustrating if the people you are sending it to don't get it!)
Brownie...1 (This was one that I don't think many people knew what they were. If you've ever seen the movie Willow, they are the very little people that cause a lot of mischeif. I think I would really like to be one in another life! lol. They're hilarious!)
Fairy...7 (I would also like to be a fairy, but a normal sized one that could hide her wings. They're also very beautiful usually.)
Banshee...1 (This is an older race, I think. Perhaps Irish or Norse (someone can jump in here. I don't have my old fact sheet near me.) I just know they scream!)
Centaur...1 (I think centaurs are totally cool. I don't know if I would want to be one, but they are very very cool.)
Minotaur...0 (I wouldn't choose this fate either.)
Zombie...1 (In reality, I wouldn't really want to be one, but I think they are the most interesting  characters. It's like an instant plot handed to you on a silver platter.)
Other...0 (Yeah, I couldn't think of any others either, so this works.)

So, there you have it! This poll is finally over with. I will think of a really good one for next time. Perhaps one that goes along with a lively discussion!

Bookmark Break Final Month Update!!!

This little message goes out to all the lovely people who have yet to join the Bookmark Break Challenge! THERE IS STILL TIME!!! Very little time, but time nonetheless! All you need is a list of all the books you have finished this year. (NOTE: You didn't have to start it this year, just finish it.) Then, you need to put that list somewhere on your blog where it can be updated with any other books you finish before midnight on December 31st! IF, by the end of the year, you have read more books than me, there are prizes to be had!!! For full details, visit the Bookmark Break Challenge 2011 page on the left hand sidebar. (It's the button with the two children reading under a tree.) Or, click here for a direct link.

NOW, for those of you who are participating and have been participating since January 1st, KNOW THIS!!! You only have until Midnight on December 31st to update your list. Meaning, THE CHALLENGE ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ON DECEMBER 31ST!!!!! I will be by to gather the final information on JANUARY 1ST!!!!

(Due to the time difference between all you grand people and myself.)

SO, I CANNOT STRESS IT ENOUGH!!! Have your lists updated so you can WIN!

P.S. Sorry, I do not have an updated list right now (considering I am writing this all up while I am at work), but I hope to have one up this weekend.

P.S.S. I might be holding back on my list just a bit. So, if you are thinking that you are sitting pretty cushy with being 3 books ahead of me, I'm not saying anything! You may be okay, and you may not. ERGO, read, Read, REad, REAd, READ!!!!

Project 231

Recently, a local photographer, by the name of Sarah Armstrong, started Project 231. It's a photographic collection of 231 women in the 231 area code here in Michigan. My mom found the project through Facebook where Sarah was asking for volunteers to get their picture taken. Mom and I were immediately interested, and by the time we were all set up, we were already numbers 170 and 171.


The popularity of the project astounded me and it's still creating quite the buzz. Sarah was on the news last night, announcing that the project will be turned into a book that will be available to order before Christmas!

Here are the shots that were chosen of both me and my mom for Project 231!

For more information, please check out Sarah's facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/Project231), or search "Project 231" on Facebook.

Buying Books Without the Guilt!

Today my mom and I were out shopping for Christmas presents (and for ourselves!). It was a blast. We even went out of towna nd everything so that made it all the more exciting! PLUS, there was this great bargain book shop that I never knew about and they had an entire wall of $1.00 books! So, of course, I scanned through almost them all. Lots of older stuff, and tons that I had never heard of, but that made it more interesting.

I ended up with two books for a whopping $2.12!!!

Here's what I got...

"Countdown" by Michelle Maddox

and

"The Warrior" by Kinley MacGregor

I know nothing about them, but it looks like they will be fun and quick reads.

Anyone else heard of them? What did you think?

Anyone else find some good deals?

Jewelry for the Holidays!!!

Just getting started with your Holiday gift ideas? Got started early, but still looking for something? Well, I have two new X-Mas inspired pair of earrings now available at my Etsy Store!!!

Intruducing Eggnog Swirls...

Direct link to these earrings: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87327340/sterling-silver-earrings-eggnog-swirls

And Emerald Droplets...

Direct link to these earrings: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87325670/sterling-silver-earring-emerald-droplets?ref=v1_other_2



I wish you a happy shopping experience!!! Remember to buy local and handmade gifts this season!!!

Link to store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AubrieAnne?ref=si_shop

Curious? How is my blog loading these days?

Who's Your Editor? has grown a lot in the last few months and I feel like now it's not loading as fast as it should. At first, I blamed my computer (it is ever so old), then I blamed my newest upgrade to Internet Explorer 9 (or whatever update we are on), but now, I am thinking that perhaps my blog has too much on the first page. My biggest problem has been that the scrolling is not smooth. Then again, this isn't just happening on my blog, but on other pages as well, like my Etsy store.

So, I turn to you. What do you think? Is the page loading for you? Any suggestions?

Thanks for all you help!!!

"Twilight:Breaking Dawn Part 1 (4)" Movie Review

Yes, I did end up seeing it in theaters. How could I resist after that shocking yet funny story my friend shannon told me the other week? (To read the FUNNIEST TWILIGHT STORY EVER, click here.) For some reason, a lot of my friends thought I had already seen it, but no. Yesterday was the first time.

Let me provide some backing for my feelings about Twilight. It all began on a road trip to Cedar point in Ohio one beautiful afternoon. Nine of my friends and myself were packed into two cars and we were stopped on the expressway behind a truck full of sheep (the animals, not the common idiot.) Some of us had hopped out of our cars and were roaming around, looking for something to entertain us while we waited for traffic to get moving once again, but two individuals (girls) were still crammed in the back of our car with their noses shoved in the pages of this black, white, and red hard covered book. Deciding to ignore them for the moment, I continued walking around, being entertained by the boys daring each other to do something funny in front of the other cars.

(I promise this comes to a point)

The weekend ends after getting lost in Ohio, sleeping in a KOA, spending the entire afternoon on rollarcoasters, spending the entire evening with friends and whisky, experiencing the entire next morning and ride home with a hang over, and then finally asking the girls, "What the hell are you reading?! You don't read?! What is this?!" Turns out it was Twilight and the books was shoved in my hands and I was told to read it now!

Suffice to say, I loved it! I called Borders the next day and told them to reserve me the first three books in hardcover (the fourth wasn't out yet) , and I would be in the next day with my $63 dollars to purchase them all!

To this day, the first book is my favorite, the second, my second favorite, and so on.

I was thrilled to hear a movie was being made, but upon going to the first midnight premiere, I was thoroughly disappointed. I began blaming everyone who worked on the movie, except for Carter Burwell, the music composer who I appreciate very much and was recently brought back for the last two movies!!! I did not enjoy Catherine Hardwick's artistic inputs and Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were more awkard together than milk and lemon juice!

The second movie was a little better, especially since Taylor Lautner got more of a part, but I was still disappointed that the two main characters were not being portrayed accurately (in my personal opinion.) Eclipse was okay. I still liked the second one the best. When it came time for Breaking Dawn, I was NOT EXCITED AT ALL, only mildly curious if someone could make it remotely work.

Let me give a very general summary in bullet points:
-Bella and Edward get married
-Jacob is not happy
-Bella and Edward go on their honeymoon
-Bella gets pregnant
-Baby is killing her
-No one is happy
-EVERYONE wants to kill the baby except for Bella and Rosalie
-Baby is born
-Everyone is happy
-Bella = Newest Vampire

(Hopefully, this doesn't give anything away. It's pretty much layed out in the trailer. There are no surprises really.)

So, the big question...Did I like it? The quick answer...Yes. I was quite impressed that the story stayed true to the books with only a few scenes that were a bit indulgent. Like when Jake finally imprints and we travel back into his mind to when he first told Bella what it was like to imprint, and the person he is now in love with grows before his eyes and all that links him to her at the moment are her hazel colored eyes. He is so taken by the moment that he must fall to his knees, finally complete in his search for THE ONE! I tried not to laugh. My friend, Amanda, was bursting at the seams. Or, when we get to hear the werewolves voices for the first time while they are in wolf mode and Jacob has an "Inigo Montoya" moment as he declares himself independant from the leader of the pack.

Other than that, I was trilled with the outcome. Congrats to Bill Condon for getting it right on most scenes. Congrats to Carter Burwell for his return as the Music Composer. Congrats to Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson for FINALLY getting it together, not stammering, and realizing that they have got to be comfortable with each other by now (you're really dating for goodness sakes!). And congrats to everyone who did not faint this time around.

That's all I'm saying. lol.

I need more books like I need a million holes in my head!!!

Yes, I bought MORE books. This time I limited myself to two books before walking into the store...Well, I found two outside the store and two inside...That's okay, right?
Anyway, I thought I would add to my previous list of books I own but have not read featured here, here, and here.
This is what I bought:

Evanovich- One for the Money

Richardson- Labyrinth

Clare- Clockwork Angel

Holder & Viguie- Crusade

Anyone else read any of these? If so, what did you think? If not, do you want to read any of them?I know the Evanovich novel is being turned into a movie! Do you plan on seeing it?

PS: I did see Breaking Dawn today. I hope to have my review up some time tomorrow. If not, then definitely on Monday. NOTE: There is a stinger at the end of the movie. So, if you see it, stay through the credits.
PPS: Did anyone know that there was a stinger at the end of Percy Jackson and the Lightning theif?

I just made my FIRST SALE!!!

I just sold my first pair of earrings at my Etsy store!!!! I can't believe it! It's made my entire week and paid for all my fees on the website for the next 4 months!!! YEAH!

My store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AubrieAnne?ref=si_shop

The Amber Droplets are now gone, but I have two other pairs in the same style, just different colors that should go up at some point!

Amber Droplets

Plus, I added 4 new pairs today and photographed 4 other. Photography is the longest process and I plan on doing more tomorrow morning as long as it isn't raining. The rain will steal all my light!

Moss Squares
http://www.etsy.com/listing/87065066/sterling-silver-earrings-moss-squares

Egyptian Groove
http://www.etsy.com/listing/87065462/sterling-silver-earrings-egyptian-groove?ref=v1_other_1

Wish me luck!

PS. I might be seeing Breaking Dawn tomorrow so watch for a review! I've heard pretty mixed feelings, but it's obviously faint-worthy! lol.

NaNoWriMo (Day 22-24 of 30) So, Yeah...I'm throwing in the towel and participating in Black Friday! (??? words left)

My first year at Nano has not been the greatest. At least I was writing every day there for the first 16 days or so. lol. Now, I think it's just bad timing. So much has been going on with job hunting, building my Etsy store, now being hired, and the holidays. I have decided to throw in the towel with my 6,178 words. Of course, as I continue to get down my first draft of Strangers in the Dark, I will keep you updated and post some passages. Now, my focus is just in a different place. A good place, but sooooo different. I'll be working 40+ hours a week and my Etsy store will take up a lot of my free time. And I still want to blog all the time. :) Just wanted to let you know.

Well, I hope your bellys are full, your spirits are high, and you're ready to put on your running shoes for Black Friday!!! I'll be working at Express for the afternoon. I may stop into Target before I go, but not planning on trampling anyone for the second season of Vampire Diaries or the fourth season of Big Bang Theory that will both only be $12.99. What will be will be!

In all the excitement I forgot to mention...

Yesterday was a HUGE day!!! I opened my etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/AubrieAnne), I started up my twitter account again (http://twitter.com/#!/Aubrie_Anne), AND, really the biggest news of all,

I WAS HIRED!!!

I am now the new production assistant at Knorr Marketing! I start next week!

Happy Thanksgiving to ME!!! And Happy Thanks giving to all of you!

My ETSY store is now open!

Happy Thanksgiving and soon to be Happy Holidays! I have been hard at work (not writing) but building my Etsy store! I woke up early and started taking pictures of my jewelry (mainly my earrings), then I built my store, got all the policies down, and started adding my products! I have 16 pairs up earrings up now and more to come throughout the week and before Christmas! Come visit it here and think of those gifts you still need to buy for all the wonderful women in your life. I ship to the address of your choice and my rates for Sterling Silver are AWESOME!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AubrieAnne

I really am excited about this. My line was ready for the next step and this is it!

See you all around here and there!

Plus, I'm tweeting a bit now. Get all the updates on each product that I add to my store...

http://twitter.com/#!/Aubrie_Anne

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" Movie Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the final movie in the Harry Potter series and boy did it end with a bang. I really don't think I could have been more pleased with the series as whole. Each movie got better and better, the actors grew beautifully through the series, the effects, costumes, make up, writing, etc, were all stunning. I'm a happy camper.

To say a bit about the movie without ruining for any of those poor souls that have been unfortunate enough not to have read the book OR seen the movie. Harry is down to his final mission, stop the dark and evil Lord Voldemort before he destroys both muggle world and the wonderful world of wizards. The final show down takes place at Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, and Ron's wizardry school. Everyone fights, some die, some fall in love (Finally!), some give rousing speeches that make you cry more than any other part in the whole movie (Thank you so much Neville Longbottom!)

All in all, I thought the movie was spectacular. In this case, I do recommend that every one read the books first. They are fantastic, but if you must only see the movies, I guess that in fine too. Just know that you are missing out on a bit.

(Damnit Neville Longbottom!!!)

What did you think of the Harry Potter movies?

Did you read the books?

Were you satisfied with the final movie?

NaNoWriMo (Day 21 of 30) Strangers in the Dark (43,822 words left)

So, I think I'm getting stuck in my head again, and my head is somewhere in Australia trying to convince myself that I do NOT need to revise now! But I want to so freaking bad! Like I had mentioned last week, I saw my friend Kimberli (the friend that is preparing for publication because she's a brilliant writer.) Well, speaking with her just made me realize how much more I have to learn about writing and how much my writing can still improve. She also pointed out all the "telling" in my story. (That's really my biggest nightmare!) I think I would prefer that (DARE I SAY IT!?!?!?) my manuscript be full of typos rather than be full of telling! (THE HORROR!)

But, I am going to try and move past this instead of seeking perfection on the first try because I know it's not possible. Kimberli said that her drafts always start out like mine and then she goes in later and plays around. I just have to get the basics down.

Suffice to say, I'm not completely over it and was only able to get down 86 words, but here they are.

Strangers in the Dark

(Still on Chapter Two)

What was I doing? Thinking I could simply walk out the door with a pack in one hand and a gun in the other? What did I expect? That I’d walk around the corner, see my brother or father struggling with a Recruiter, shoot the Recruiter in the knee cap, and get the hell out of here? Absolutely not. No way it would ever work out like that. Nevertheless, I stood with only one foot out the door, wishing that’s exactly how it would play out. (86 words)

"Immortals" Movie Review

I got the chance to see this movie in the theaters with my cousin, Michael. (The same cousin that saw In Time with me last week.) It certainly looked like a movie I would enjoy and since it had the same producer as 300 (Mark Canton) I figured I really couldn't go wrong as far as it being entertaining.

In summary, a slave is caught in the middle of a war between men, gods, and titans. Secretly trained by Zeus himself, and the unofficial body guard of the virgin oracle, he's the best warrior to save man.

The storyline on paper sounds fantastic, but it really didn't take the spotlight. Instead, it was overwhelmed with the multiple beheadings and virtual buckets of computerized blood. Don't get me wrong, the fight scenes were choreographed beautifully. It was just very hard to see with so much splattering going on. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

The cinematography was beautiful, though. As were the costumes, makeup, and abdominal muscles. lol.

NaNoWriMo (Day 19 & 20 of 30) A Busted Day (??? words left)

Uh huh...guess what? Yep...no writing. But I will fill you in on some stuff!

GREAT NEWS!!! I have and INTERVIEW tomorrow! I am super geeked! It's for a local marketing firm and the job I am going for is in their production department. I don't know a ton about the position, but I will be involved in the production of the literature that is created for clients. There's proofreading, writing, designing, and many other things to do! It all sounds PERFECT to me!!! I want it! So, hopefully, it goes well.

Other than that, not too much. Been hanging with friends, working on side projects for the Chamber, SHOPPING for CHRISTMAS, getting excited for THANKSGIVING, preparing to work on BLACK FRIDAY!!! Too much fun stuff that has been stealing all my creative time, but in a very good and enjoyable way.

How's everyone else doing?

FUNNIEST TWILIGHT STORY!!!!

So, I don't know if anyone has heard or read one of my rants about the new Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 movie that came out this weekend. For the last year, I've contemplated whether or not I will see the movie in theaters, complained about the movie being split into two parts, still commented on how much Catherine Hardwick messed up the first movie, discussed whether or not Melissa Rosenberg should have been chosen to write ANY of the movies, let alone ALL of them, and contemplated how Bill Condon was going to transform the final book into any form of a movie.

Now, my greatest hope and fear has been realized!!! I haven't seen the movie yet, although I am almost positive I will see it in theaters (especially now!!!). Here's why...

My friend, Shannon, and a few of her friends went to go see the movie during the midnight premiere and one of her friends FAINTED while Bella was giving birth to her half human/half vampire child on screen! Apparently, the blood and sheer gruesomeness of it all got to her. (NOTE: Shannon said the scene wasn't really all that bad.)

If any of you have read the book, you may understand exactly what happens during the birthing scene, and perhaps even realize that it must have been the most difficult scene to transform from book to the screen.

Suffice to say, this is the most hilarious story I have been told in a long time, and it makes me want to see the movie all the more!!!

NaNoWriMo (Day 18 of 30) Uggghhhhhh! (??? words left)

As you can tell, I did not write on the 18th day either. No reason really, just didn't do it. Blahhhhhh! Also, not feeling it tonight. So, there could beanother one of these boring messages about how I did not write. Grrrr! Probably should be writing now instead of writing this post. Going to go try. :)

NaNoWriMo (Day 17 of 30) Another Bust (??? words left)

Yesterday was a LONG day. I worked, met with an old friend, Kimberli, from one of my creative writing classes, helped my aunt transfer all her old music over to her new laptop (Best Buy wanted to charge her $100-200!!! RIDICULOUS!), then I met my cousin, Michael, and we had dinner and went to go see the new movie Immortals. By the end of the day, I was so drained, I wasn't doing anything else.

An encouraging note to all writers out there, though. My friend Kimberli just returned from a writer's conference in Wisconsin and received some excellent feedback. She ended up getting a meeting with a counselor she really liked--apparently the woman is brutally honest--and she said to Kimberli that her writing was brilliant, and even though her manuscript is not completed, she needs to publish NOW!!! So excited for her. She's currently working on polishing her first few chapters and writing her query letter!

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on her. I've read a lot of her story so far and I can't wait for her inevitable success!

"Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3)" Movie Review

This is another one that I saw in theaters and was completely unsure about. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and second movie, especially since the only other version I had seen of the books was an old VHS recording of some ancient TV series that tried to recreate the books with the combination of live action actors and animation...Strange!

In the third installment, only Lucy and Edmund return to the fantastical world of Narnia, along with their annoying cousin Eustace Scrubb. The appear in the ocean where they are picked up by Prince Caspian, who appeared in the franchise for the first time in the second installment, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This time, all of Narnia is being threatened by a creepy green smoke that is spreading across the sea, gobbling up ships and everyone on them. It's up to Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and even Eustace to five the seven missing lords and their seven missing swords to break this curse and stop the evil green smoke.

It really sounds cornier than it is. Nevertheless, this is still my least favorite of the three movies out so far. It felt more like a series of four or five small stories rather than one whole storyline, making the whole movie a bit disjointed. Also, the green smoke had a tendency to bring out the "ugly" in everyone. Caspian was a bit power hungry, Lucy wanted to be beautiful like her sister, Susan, and Edmund is STILL haunted by the White Witch (I'm not sure how thrilled Tilda Swinton is about returning to these last 2 movies for a mere 5 minute cameo. I'd be done with it.)

But, the colors were beautiful, the effects were nice, and the actors were doing there thing. I also enjoyed watching Eustace go from fainting at the sight of a talking Minotaur, to getting teased for talking to a seagull, to asking if he could return to Narnia someday.

NaNoWriMo (Day 16 of 30) Strangers in the Dark (43, 908 words left)

I had the day off today so it was a good day to write, but the bad news is that my car had to go into the shop :( It's making a bad noise!!! So far, it's not looking too expensive, but the people aren't done looking. Cross your fingers for me.

Other than that, I want to ZUMBA! tonight and it was totally fun and a good work out. I'm thinking of doing it every week. :)

Well, here's more of Strangers in the Dark...

Strangers in the Dark

(Chapter Two Continued...This is almost the end of chapter two. I just have one more section planned.)

Handling a gun wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. The cold of the metal, the weight of the trigger, and the kick of the shot made me feel more confident. The only thing that jolted me was the blasting sound, but I even got used to that after a few shots. Kale had built a makeshift man out in the fenced off backyard using a sturdy wooden table with two cardboard boxes stacked on top. Nora stood on top of a kitchen chair so she could be the look out, letting us know if anyone was walking by or if the shots were attracting unwanted company. Nora gave the go-ahead nod.

Kale continued with his lesson, “Now that you’ve got the feel of shooting the gun, let’s try aiming. The best way to incapacitate someone with little chance of seriously injuring or killing them is to aim for the meat of their thighs. Think of this set up as a man standing in front of you. The boxes are the man’s head and torso. You shoot there and you could be causing some serious damage. It really should be the last resort unless you really understand the body; like where the empty space and the vital organs are inside. Now, think of the legs of this table as the legs of a man. Squeeze the trigger of the gun slowly while aiming at one of the legs. Then, take a single breath, and squeeze again at the same leg.”

I did as he asked and aimed for the front leg on the right. I wasn’t sure where the first shot went, but the second nicked the inside of the leg I was aiming at. Once my ears stopped ringing a bit, I could hear Kale clapping.

“Excellent job. Nora had to try at least three times before hitting the leg, and her target was twice as big.”

“Watch it, mister. Now I could take off your pinky finger if I wanted to.”

Kale smiled for the first time since I met him. “That’s very true. Now try again, Talis. You’re doing just fine.” I repeated the same two shots with the same results. “Again.” This time I hit it with both shots. “Good, here’s a new clip. Replace it and make the same shot.” I was sloppy while replacing the clip, but I got it in there and made the same shot, hitting the leg twice again. “Now, aim for a different leg, using the same kind of shot.” I did as he said, aiming for the front leg on the right. I missed the first shot, but nicked the outside of the leg with my second shot, a near mirror image of my first try. I looked to Kale for further guidance. “You’re aim is very consistent. That’s good. Let me try something now.” He took the gun from me and adjusted the sights on the top just a bit. “Now try again, same leg, same kind of shot.” I did as he said and hit it twice, splintering the leg from top to bottom. “Perfect. Let’s try a few different shots with the rest of the clip.”

Nora jumped down from her look out spot and placed some empty pop cans on the table, on the boxes and on the ground. There were four cans all together.

Kale instructed me once again. “Now, this time, aim at the first can on the ground, shoot, take a breath, aim for the second can on the table, shoot, take a breath, and so on. Even if you miss, go to the next can.” I did as he said. I missed the first can on the ground, hit the second on the table, hit the third on the card board box, and missed the fourth by the fence, only by an inch though. “Great job. I’m actually very impressed,” he said while giving me a little hug around the shoulders. “We should stop, though. I’m sure we’ve attracted some attention and it’s getting dark. You might get the chance to practice more in the future, but spare your bullets just in case. Just remember, even though you have a gun, doesn’t mean you have to use it. Be careful, be resourceful, and defend yourself.” (716 words)

See you all tomorrow. I should have another movie review tomorrow as well. If not tomorrow, then definately Friday. Have you guys been enjoying them? I bet you can tell that I have been watching a lot more movies than reading books. I'm sad to say that I haven't finished a book in a long time. I've been reading the same book for the last two months. The even sadder thing is that it's an excellent book! Oh well!

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon (3)" Movie Review

I did see this movie when it came out in theaters. In fact, I am pretty sure that I saw it twice. Once with my friend Amanda who always manages to be able to see movies with me the day that they come out. And once with my friends Sarah and Morgan that decide to go see it randomly a week or two later.

I enjoyed it both times, but it certainly was more over the top than the first or second. More about the huge effects than the actual storyline.

In short, and as always, without giving too much away, the Decepticons are at it again, trying to take over Earth, but this time they are looking to bring their home planet here and enslave all the humans as a workforce of 6 billion and growing! Of course, Sam, his new obnoxious girlfriend, and the Autobots are there to stop them.

Speaking of Sam's obnoxious new girlfriend. I didn't like her. Yes, she was pretty, like Megan Fox, but blonde. And yes, the writers tried to make her a strong female lead, as in she was the one with the good job, bringing home the bacon, while Sam moped about his glory days. But she screamed A LOT! And her miraculous hair transformed from curly, to flat, and back to curly more times in the action scenes than was humanly possible. Plus, I guess no one thought we would notice how she changed shoes several times from 4 inch black stilettos to black flats while also running for her life (all while still screaming her head off.) I thought for a while there that maybe she just broke her heals off (reasonable and probably more practical) but NO! In the final scene, as she stood on a car, with the wind blowing through her newly curled hair, her heels were back! Thank goodness!

Did I mention that the city of Chicago must no longer exist because it was completely decimated by an alien race and half the army blowing shit up. Anyone been there lately? Does it still look like an atom bomb went off?

All in all, you're going to enjoy the movie if you love the big effects and watching buildings crumble under the strength of a giant robotic sea serpent/worm/snake/whatever that thing was.