M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 38

Channing Tatum Movies

Okay, if you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, you know I glom on movies when I get a new movie crush. So I’ve watched a LOT of Channing Tatum movies the past few weeks. I’m going to let you know which ones are worth the time and which aren’t.

She’s the Man–I had never seen this movie about the girl, Amanda Bynes, who disguises herself as a boy to get on a soccer team. I never would have watched it, either, if not for CT. I ended up buying it. It was pretty adorable. Some goofy bits, of course, but kinda sweet.

Step Up–This was on TV a few weeks ago and I just left it on the TiVo. I watch it every Saturday night after Fred goes to sleep. There’s one part that I HATE, but for the most part I love it. On the verge of buying it, too.

Stop Loss–Probably my favorite, but I won’t buy it. It’s very sad, but the performances are incredible, and I love that most of it is set in Texas. It’s about two best friends who serve in Iraq together. They return to Texas to a hero’s welcome, though both plan to get out of the military. Only one friend is stop-lossed, meaning the Army keeps him in. He goes AWOL. Great movie. Not one you can watch a lot, though. Also, a movie with a dance scene and he doesn’t dance!!!

Public Enemy–I saw this the first time a couple of years ago. It was good. Channing Tatum is in it about 3 minutes, no kidding. He’s Pretty Boy Floyd.

Battle in Seattle–About riots in Seattle a few years back, also has Martin Henderson. Horrid violent movie.

GI Joe–I’ve seen it a couple of times. Very silly.

Dear John–Okay, I resisted seeing this one because it’s Nicholas Sparks, I think. But I ended up buying it. (Okay, I bought it for the surf scenes. It was $8. Totally worth it.)

The Son of No One–TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE movie. Do not even bother. Slowest hour and a half movie ever. Also, the mustache. EWW!

The Vow–I could have liked this one so much more without Rachel Adams. I don’t know why she bugs me so much. Anyway, she’s lost her memory, doesn’t remember CT is her husband. Just go with it, girl!

21 Jump Street–saw this before my crush, but will watch again when it comes on premium channels this month. Really crude with some funny bits. My son likes to quote Ice Cube. I personally liked the “overconfidence” scene when CT was in science class. Cracked me up.

Next up is Haywire, but I think he’s only in that for a minute, too. Thank goodness for Netflix streaming!

I’ve decided I like him best where he can show some charm. I love watching his interviews because he’s adorable. Not all of his movies allow that.

Chit Chat

I stole this idea from Romance Bandits, kinda to replace my Favorites.

Listening to

The Magic Mike sound track.

Reading

Joss Ware’s latest post-apocalyptic book, Night Forbidden. I’ve been so tired, though, it’s only a couple of pages at a time!

Loving

School. Sewing. Channing Tatum.

Watching

We’ve been re-watching Defying Gravity, a canceled series that had been on ABC, I think. It’s about a group of astronauts on a mission through the solar system, and their colleagues back on Earth. There are two couples with history on the space ship, and one of those women is married to the man who was supposed to be the commander but he got sick and is back on Earth. Anyway, very Grey’s Anatomy in Space.

Looking forward to

Cooler weather (it’s already in the 80s when I leave for work before 7 AM!), visiting the boy in Austin, the new TV season, The Avengers on DVD.

Craving

Fried chicken. I’m trying to be good about eating at home, but I can’t make that one just right!

Goals for the Week of Labor Day

Yes, we have a three-day weekend already. Crazy, right?

 

This week:

1) Start heavy-duty revisions on cowboy novella.

2) Faculty meeting

3) Sew something. I have several pieces of material and I’d like to keep one project cut out at all times so I can work on it.

4) keep up house

5) work on exercising. I’ve cut out snacks pretty well, but last week I made three different things with bread. Still, I’m eating healthier, but need to figure out how to have enough energy to exercise!

Not bad, not bad!

 

Good First Week

I know I’ve been quiet this week, lol! I’ve been WIPED! I’ve worked on revisions, but that’s IT. But it was a good first week and I’m really excited about this year. I have some classes that will be a challenge, but I have a stronger discipline plan that seems to be working. I started a choir and we met for the first time yesterday. There are way more kids than I anticipated, including 3 boys. Having my planning period first thing in the morning is an adjustment–used to be last–but the day goes by fairly quickly. Next week my lessons will be more varied, so I may be more stressed, but I’m excited, too. I’m wondering if it’s just that I’ve done this before, I’m more prepared–not sure. But I’m having fun.

Now to figure out how NOT to collapse when I get home. I did cook most nights, but nothing too complicated. But I hope I can start having enough energy to sew a bit every night.

Goals for the First Week with the Students

Seriously, the first week is ROUGH. I wish it could be the second week already, just so everything is smoothed out.

I’m actually ready. Like, really ready. I feel good about this school year, focused. Tomorrow, though, I’ll be in the gym with Coach so we can go over the rules together. Will be HOT, and I miss dressing up on the first day

Josh is settling in, I guess. I forgot to get him a shower curtain, so he had to go get one, but forgot the hooks. He has friends up there, so is hanging out with them.

This week:

1) Get on a schedule, feeding the critters and everything, getting dinner, fitting in exercise and revisions.

2) Write a query and synopsis and finish revising the last chapter.

3) Faculty meeting

4) Work on revisions on novella.

5) sew a blouse. I plan to do a step a day.

I think that’s good for now

Ready to Start the School Year

So today was our workday and it was CRAZY. First, I walked in JUST at 8, because today was the day Josh moved to UT and I wanted to say good-bye, then I had to get black poster board and I needed a giant Diet Coke because I’d slept about 4 hours.

I had to sit in on a SPED meeting, and I was interrupted so many times I kept making mistakes. But I finally finished at 3:30 and I’m actually pretty happy with it. I thought I’d share the highlights.

This is my bulletin board in the hall. It has owls with the names of the songs I taught the kids last year.

This is my discipline plan. Each class has a note with their teacher’s name. If they behave, the note moves up. If they don’t, it moves down. The first class in a grade level to reach the top of the staff gets a treat. I forgot to add the letters, though, with the names of the line and space notes.

And this is my favorite. I saw something like it on Pinterest. This is why I needed the poster boards. Then I wrote all the objectives for the year on the owls. The ONLY thing is, I didn’t leave enough room on the wall for the songs I teach every week. Not sure what I’m going to do about that.

Back to School!

So today’s the day, and whatever annoying commercial with the back-to-school jingle is playing through my head.

I realized I forgot to show you what I made these past 2 weeks.

Here are the skirts. The two shorter ones are the same pattern, but I liked the fabric, and that pattern doesn’t take much.

The denim skirt I had, and I saw the idea on Pinterest (naturally.) Not sure if I really love it, and I need to lose a bit more weight before I can get into it. (I made it when I was exercising instead of sewing, lol!)

The one with the beautiful western fabric….I’m not in love with. I love the fabric, but not the waistband. Not sure if I should take it completely apart or what. But it didn’t come out the way I had it in my head. I haven’t hemmed it yet because I’m not sure what I’m going to do.

Now, the dresses. The orange one is the same pattern I used last year for the skirt with the ruffle on the bottom, only this time I skipped the ruffle. I like the fit. The pink one came out neat, but has a LITTLE bit of a décolletage problem. I have a scrap of fabric left that I might just sew into the neckline.

Which am I wearing today, you may ask? NONE OF THEM. We have to wear a brown school shirt (not even our school colors!) and khakis. >:-P

BTW, finished the novella yesterday by nap time! So just working on revisions this week.

Goals the Week of Back to Work and The Boy Moving Out

I know I posted this picture last week, but this caption is apt for what I’m feeling this week!

First goal: Try not to cry at the drop of a hat!

So it’s over, my summer vacation. No more sitting in the sun room on my couch, alternating writing and pinning, with the occasional game of solitaire. This week I can still go out to lunch, then it’s back to whatever I can eat in half an hour. No more quiet mornings. No more naps. I never did have a movie day, though I had a couple of reading days.

I’m going to have to remember to feed the critters before I leave, since Josh won’t be around after Thursday. I have to figure out how to fit exercise in.

I will get to listen to audio books, and I’ll see my friends and fix up my room. I’ll work out what I’m teaching the first couple of weeks. Once I get through the first couple of weeks, it comes easier.

So, goals:

1) finish novella

2) fix nails, plan outfits, change purse

3) make home cooked meals for the boy the next few nights

4) work through revisions on novel

5) work on the dress I cut out

6) figure out lesson plans

7) get room ready

8) exercise

9) any last minute stuff Josh needs me to do before he leaves

This week will be a rough one. I’m hoping the writing can distract me.

Weepy

Yes, it’s the last Friday of summer vacation. Yes, I didn’t get nearly as much done as I planned.

But I’m weepy because a week from today, The Boy is moving out. He’ll be heading to the dorm at UT, which is an hour away, not terrible, but my stomach is in knots and all I want to do is cry. This has been an on-and-off thing for a couple of weeks. I think he’s as prepared as I can make him. Actually, I think if he could move today he would.

I worry that he’ll have trouble adjusting to the big campus, to having a roommate he’s never met, to being a little fish in a big pond. I worry he won’t eat right (not that he’ll eat junk food, but that he won’t get enough protein on his vegetarian diet.) I’m only a little worried he won’t take it seriously enough, because he did have trouble getting in, and this is his dream school. I worry he won’t get an internship at the paper. I worry because our bank doesn’t have a branch in Austin and I don’t know how to transfer money into his account until he can get a job.

I try to tell myself it won’t be bad for me–I won’t lie awake waiting to hear him come home. I won’t have to worry about making vegetarian dishes (MEAT!). He wasn’t home a lot last semester, or even the beginning of the summer, but the past month since his girlfriend left, we’ve had lunch and dinner together almost every day. It might have been easier if we hadn’t.

So in addition to going back to work next week, I’ll be quietly (and maybe not so quietly) freaking out that my one and only baby is leaving the nest.

Remaining Projects

So, it’s Wednesday of my last week of summer. I’ve completed 2 skirts from scratch and modified 2 more. Yesterday I spent the day making necklaces and thumbtacks out of scrapbook paper and I made a skirt last night. So I’m trying to decide on my next project and feeling a little overwhelmed.

Here are the necklaces. The thumbtacks are drying And I bought the wrong kind of bails, the things that attach the pendant to the necklace, so I ordered some last night from Sun and Moon Crafts. Hope they get here before Monday!

Here’s what I know I want to make, in what pattern:

 

Okay, not particularly gorgeous, but when Mom and I were at a craft show last week, we saw a really cool t-shirt that had ruffles in the front. It was $50. I am going to attempt to copy it, using this pattern. I may end up wishing I’d spent the $50.

 

I bought this pattern on clearance last spring and I have enough to make one of these 2 dresses. I’ve never made either pattern before, so not sure which would be better.

 

I saw this red fabric at a quilt store and it was almost gone, so I grabbed a yard, not sure what I’d do with it. Turns out, you can’t do much with a yard (I kinda knew that, but it was EXPENSIVE.) I already had the blue leather-look fabric, so I’m thinking of making this blouse, with the blue in back and red in the front.

 

Of course, AFTER I bought the red, I saw this at JoAnn’s for half the price with my coupon. I bought all on the bolt. I’d like to make the white skirt in it, but don’t have QUITE enough. Maybe I’ll use the blue leather look for this one and denim for the other.

Now, here are the undeclared pieces, meaning I have NO idea what to do with them.

 

This is a beautiful sheer border print that a friend gave me. I’m not good with sheers or border prints, so….scared to try anything!

 

Another sheer, not as much fabric.

 

I bought this last year when I was crazy making purses and stuff. It’s 2 yards, historical Texas print, and I love it, but it’s not dramatic enough for a skirt…not sure what to do with it.

 

This is the print I’m most eager to do something with. Isn’t it gorgeous? Again, I got it at a quilting store, again, only a yard. I have an idea, but it would be a copycat of a skirt I made last year, so not sure. OH! Just had an idea. Hope it works. If so, I’ll be showing you pictures soon!