NOT Wallet-Friendly

So Nashville is soon getting two of my favorite stores ever.  And I'm stoked about it. 

First up, in August, is Paper Source!

It's going in the Hill Center, where it will live in excellent company--with West Elm, Whole Foods, Anthropologie, California Pizza Kitchen, and several other cool spots.  If you're not familiar with Paper Source, I have to ask what the holdup is.  They have some great gift ideas, along with cool papers and basic stationery goodness.  (This is a picture of the Atlanta store.)

Then, in November, The Container Store is opening!

It will be at The Mall at Green Hills, presumably taking over the space left vacant by the Davis Kidd bookstore.  I won't be buying so much here, but it will be a great place to browse and get ideas.  Again, nifty gifts can be found here.  Thanks for the head's up, Missy! 

Now...if only we could get an IKEA.  I think that would make my retail life complete.  I'll definitely take what I can get, though!  Who's up for Christmas shopping this year?!

States Appeal

A while back I posted about where it makes sense to rent vs. buy.  Now I bring you this:

also from LearnVest. 

Isn't it great?!  Again, we have something that's graphically appealing.  That guitar represents me and several of my friends/readers.  I love the idea of living simple. 

Where do you fall?  (Sorry, international readers.  This one's got the home court advantage.)

Unbearable Lightness

Confession:  I read the following book expressly because of Oprah.  She had Portia de Rossi on her show a few weeks ago, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

This is a memoir that centers around Portia's struggles with eating disorders and body image issues.  And it was fascinating.  Even though I pretty much knew the ending (she is married to Ellen, for those who may not be aware), it was still a page turner. 

I remember Portia from her breakout role on Ally McBeal, which I loved in high school.  She played the ice queen so well.  And then she turned around and did Arrested Development.  Genius.  It showed a totally different side of her and her acting abilities--one that is whip-smart but vulnerable at times.  

Early on in her career, she had lingering insecurity from her teenage years spent as an emotionally needy model.  This book tells the story of her rise to fame while her personal life (and health) spiraled out of control.  All I can say is that she does a great job of taking the reader right to the dark places in her mind at the time.  It's definitely worth the read.  My quote from page 230:

"Not just anyone could have anorexia.  It was a disorder of the highly accomplished, cultured, beautiful.  It belonged to models, singers, and Princess Diana."

Redbox Roundup

When isn't a movie weekend a smashing idea?  One of my semi-new favorite things in life is Redbox.  New releases for $1.  You can't beat it.  (Especially in a recession.  Am I right?)  Last Sunday I had a mini-marathon, as I was woefully behind on some movies I'd been jonesing to watch.

First up was Hereafter.

Did this one pass you by?  That's a shame because it's really interesting.  Matt Damon is the biggest name in the cast, but there are lots of great performances.  Plus, it has twin brothers.  And they're British.  I'm a twin, so I'm always intrigued by stories like this.  It's not a very fast-moving story, but that's ok.  Not everything has to have Furious in the title.

Then we have this one.

Oh, Natalie.  You just chewed up every piece of that scenery, didn't you?  But I liked it.  I guess it was sort of a bummer to have seen most of the pivotal clips on awards shows and whatnot, but the overall tone of the film was unlike anything I'd ever watched.  I was rooting for Nina, but I sort of knew how things would end.

I rounded out the film fest with The Social Network.  And I know some of you may disagree with me, but I could not get on board with this movie.  I think that the Oscar buzz was way overrated and not deserved.  It just seemed like a movie of the week to me, and Jesse Eisenberg seemed completely one-dimensional.  I hung on for about an hour and then had to cut and run.  At that point, I did not really care what happened.  Facebook is still around.  Fin.

If you're not familiar with Redbox, it's time to get that way.  $1/night is super cheap and legal.  You can find one here.

Misnomer

It's funny how GQ can be so polarizing to me.  In one article, they'll gripe that $6 is too much for a lip balm, and on the next page they'll tout a $400 shirt.  That's probably more than I spend on all clothes I wear in a year--including shoes. 

Anywho, imagine my surprise when I glanced the latest cover:

Back?  Where did he go?  Since The Hangover, I'd go so far as to say that Zach G. has been damn-near ubiquitous.  Due Date.  Dinner for Schmucks.  Up in the Air.  SNL. 

Can I get an amen?

Also, mini-rant: The Hangover was a funny (definitely R-rated) movie.  Why couldn't we leave it at that?  Why did they have to do a sequel?  The obvious answer is the money.  But wasn't it somewhat refreshing to watch that comedy way back in 2009 and actually laugh? 

Of course I have not seen the sequel and can't speak to how funny it may or may not be.  But look at the movies in the last, oh, I don't know...ten years.  They're either fairly terrible remakes or comic book movies.  That's why I blog about movies such as Rabbit Hole and Away We Go and even Kramer vs. Kramer.

What are some of your favorites?

Down the Rabbit Hole

If you have not yet seen Rabbit Hole, it's time to hit up a Redbox.  It's a dollar.  And it's awesome. 

Granted, this is not the feel-good movie of the year--quite the opposite, actually.  But to say that the cast is wonderful is a major understatement.  Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, and Sandra Oh are the central players, and they all turn in performances that are aptly described as layered and moving.

The story centers around a middle-aged married couple whose son is killed in an accident a few months before.  We get to see how they continue to grieve in their own ways, and I found that this movie put a few new ideas in my brain.  I definitely recommend giving this one a spin.