Favorite Film Friday #3: Howl's Moving Castle

 

Remember how I said that book to film adaptions are always awful? Well, this is an exception.

One of my favorite parts of the book/movie is that Sophie is a milliner. It just makes me so happy.

 Miyazaki's (wonderful) movie is very different from the book and that's a good thing. What usually upsets me most about adaptions is they are either too far away from source material or too close to it. This movie is clearly inspired by the book, but it's far enough away that I can enjoy both without one being ruined by the other.

 I very rarely re-read books, but I've read Howl's Moving Castle (and it's first sequel, Castle in the Air) many, many times.

My copy does not have this on the cover.

Diana Wynn Jones is brilliant and I love what Hayao Miyazaki did with her story. The English dub cast is fantastic. We've got Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer(!!!), Jean Simmons, Josh Hutcherson, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner and Billy Crystal! Will Friedle even has a teeny cameo!

I know a lot of purists like to listen to the original dub with subtitles, but Disney's team does such a fantastic job gathering talent for these movies, it seems wrong not to listen to it at least once or fifty times! 

Here's one last picture of Sophie being a milliner.

Ok... I'm going to go watch it again.
Happy Friday!

It Rained Today

From one extreme to another! It has been dry, dry, dry here for most of the Summer, and then today not only did it rain, it hailed! I got the super fun experience of running through the hail to get my puppies. I know. You're jealous. ;)
Because I am still wrapped up in awe at all the cool things my phone can do, here is a video of the hail and many instagram photos.

 

The last time I was in a hail storm, I was... probably 8 and I was at gymnastics class, which took place in a metal building, so it sounded like boulders were being heaved at us. My friends and I ran around like maniacs hiding from the impending doom while our teacher went outside to check it out. He said the hail was about the size of a tennis ball. That was a fun afternoon.

This is after I braved the storm to bring my babies inside. I wasn't very happy. My rain boots took on water.

G'night!
Madeline

Autumn Equinox

It doesn't much look or feel like Fall here in Texas. It's getting closer though. Temperatures have been in the 90's the past few days. That's almost as cold as it usually is on Christmas! Haha
I wish it looked a little more like this outside...

At least I can go to Starbucks and get pumpkin muffins! Yum.
Have a great weekend!
Madeline

P.S. SUPERNATURAL IS BACK TONIGHT!!! Haha... Sorry. :D

All photos via Pinterest

I got an iPhone!

I've had at it all of 2 days and I am unable to remember how I could have possibly functioned without it. Haha
My favorite thing is instagram. It's just as cool as I imagined it would be.

Some of my instagram photos...

Well, I'm going to try to find more apps to put on my phone and watch the last disc of Supernatural. Season 7 starts tomorrow night!
Happy Thursday night!
Xo
Madeline

P.s. I am even posting this from my phone! Because of that, if the format is weird, sorry!

This is my iPhone. It has Marc Boutavant stickers on it.

This is an isle of ribbons at Michael's

This is my dog, Coco.

This is a Christmas decoration

This was the fortune I got with my lunch.

Reading Habits

I have a really bad habit of starting a book, then getting another book and then I read a few pages that turn into chapters. This process continues to go on and on until I am in the middle of 6 books.

I excel at taking fuzzy photos.

Six books. How did this happen? I have no idea which one I should finish first. I stacked them in order of when I started reading them. I've been reading Runemarks since last Summer. Wait... that's not true. I started Runemarks last Summer. I haven't read anymore of it since then. There are a few more that I seem to have misplaced, too... I know I started Hector and the Search For Happiness and The Cabinet of Wonders: The Kronos Chronicles Book I.

I love this book. I'm about 4 chapters in. It reminds me of Pushing Daisies.

 I think I hid the Cabinet of Wonders under the bed in my Sister's old room so I wouldn't have to feel so guilty about not reading it. I was having a hard time getting into it. There is a season for every book and that book's season has not yet come.
I know I won't really be finishing any of those books soon because I got this in the mail Tuesday.

More blurry photo goodness! I'm really glad I caught the sparkly bits on the box. It makes it look like Dean's standing in a rainbow.

Season  7 starts back next Friday! I'm so excited!

Happy Thursday!
Madeline

FFF #2: Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Georgia. Oh, Georgia.

Yes, she is dressed like a giant olive.

I love this movie.
I love these books.

They are full of wisdomosity and hilariosity. What? You aren't familiar with those terms? You will be if you watch/read Georgia. I think the books (Louise Rennison is a comic genius!) are better than the movie, but isn't that almost always the case?
The movie gets better the more times you watch it. There are a number of, "NO!! Don't do that! It could only possibly end in disaster!!!" moments, but they become more bearable on the second, third, and forty-fifth viewings.

As much as I say only love movies for their looks, I also really love them for their quotes. I quote this movie/books a lot. Soooooo, here are some quotes!

* The pictures don't always correspond with the quote

Angus chasing a poodle.

"They look like giant cheesy puffs!"

"Georgia, it's a boy! Result!"

"Libby, will you stop dressing Angus in drag?"

"You'll soon discover this is a mad house."

Dave the Laugh!!!

"Is my moustache showing?"

"Whatevs. Your Mum's well with it, Minger."
(You really must do the hand gestures with this one.)

"Libby, stop licking Robbie!"

"Georgia, why are your legs so orange?"

"Mum, I really don't need to learn about astronomy right now."

Peter Dyer, a.k.a. Whelk Boy

DTL: You look really gorgeous tonight, Georgia.
G: Thanks. You're really honest.

"You're a heartless user. What you did is just pants that is."

Replacing words with "Pants" is a common occurrence with Dave the Laugh.

"Listen to Dolphins because they are clever and unselfish."

R: I wrote a song about you.
G: Really?
R: It's called, "Bitch in a Uniform"

Tom is much better in the books.

Aaron Johnson's face makes me laugh here.

Have a good weekend!
xo
Madeline

Book photo via Pinterest

Halloween Conundrum

I am having a Halloween costume identity crisis.
I know, Halloween is over a month away, but I need to have things planned. I freak out and stress and stress and stress and stress. Kind blog readers, would you mind sharing an opinion?

I'd been planning on going as Glinda

I was going to find a vintage-y pink prom dress and I already have pink glittery flats.


Then I was thinking of going as The Blue Fairy since my hair is blue and I have a blue tulle prom dress

I'd be a brighter royal blue-ish fairy though.

Minnie Mouse could be fun (but is that too similar as The Cat In The Hat? That's what I did two years ago.)

I've toyed with the idea of being Penelope... I could wear just about anything and a pig mask or a scarf wrapped around my face. That could prove a risk of suffocation though...

I found these awesome vintage silver shoes last Summer and I was going to be Cinderella for Halloween last year (only wearing one of said shoe) but then I ended up being the Joker's Daughter.

I'm also totally inspired by the Snow White design from the Disney Princess Designer collection. I was going to be Snow White a few years ago....

This has nothing to do with my Halloween costume but it's really cool!

What do you think? Any opinions?


Blue Fairy image via Pinterest
Snow White and Minnie Photos via Weheartit