90's Heartthrobs

The 90's were my formative years, obviously. Unsure of what this says about me then, but these guys were my main men back in the day.

                                                       JTT--me and every other girl, right?

                                                                 Andrew Keegan--duh.

Zachary Ty Bryan--i had a picture of him next to my bed and kissed it every night before i went to bed. NOT KIDDING. 

Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains years)--oh my god leo, stop. you're so cute and funny and i can't stand it.

 DEVON SAWA--he was and always will be my number one, dammit.

Fave 90's male? GO.

Felicity

I write alot about TV because I watch alot of it. Always have.

There's something about sitting down for a half or full hour and getting sucked in to other people's worlds. I don't have to stretch my attention for a long period of time like I do in movies; I can continue along the path of someone's life I started  the previous week or even season before. It's nice getting to know people that don't really exist. Good fictional characters have always felt like real people to me--sometimes more real than real people I know. They don't make you guess who they are or what their motives are. And they always tell you bad news in a way that doesn't make you want to lose it, like some real people do.

Felicity totes made me feel better about being myself. I'm convinced I came out of the womb a thoughtful, analytical, and sometimes dramatic human being. At 14, I didn't really know anyone who journaled everyday to remember the details or knew anyone who only had unrequited loves. Felicity was kind of like the friend I really wanted but didn't have (someone who was bat shit complicating like I was).

FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT "FELICITY"

My favorite thing about Felicity (besides her hair, and then her ballsiness to cut off the hair) was her tape recorder. That was her journal. How friggin cool is that?! She would sit on the floor next to her bed and talk to it, sending the final product to a long-time close friend.

Ben and Noel--I was, and still am, a total 'Ben' girl.

That guy and girl who worked at that coffee shop

The fictional New York college

Felicity's apartment

NOTE: created by J.J. Abrams (bonus point) and produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard (87 bonus points).

That's some quality television right thurrr.

Edit: Old Disney Channel Shows; THE TORKELSONS

I feel like a total bitch, thanks to my little sister. Forgot to include the best, most special and most interesting show that ever lived.

This starting makes me cry because it's so good

To this day, I still want a bay window to talk to the man in the moon.

AND, Alan--from the Babysitters Club--is one of the little brothers, which is even better because as I mentioned before, I had a serious crush on him and now I know where it started.

LOOK AT RILEY NOW

Dorothy Jean's main man was her neighbor, Riley. She loved him but he never knew, which SUCKS LOLZ.------that was kella. Okay anyways, so Riley was nice to Dorothy Jean and stuff, but he was a senior and she was a freshman so there was no chance for them. This of course is the epitome of my adolescence which means Dorothy J and I are soulmates.

Basically, I love it and if anyone wants to get the DVD set for me for Christmas that'd be super fab. thankzzzzz!

8 Reasons Why I Love The Babysitters Club Movie

1) I still don't really get why they had to spend their whole summer saving money up for the greenhouse, so that they would have their own private headquarters. Have you SEEN Claudia's room??

2) Alan--I legit thought he was cute. I'm serious.

3) "The brain, the brain, the center of the chain..."--So educational.

4) "WHAT?"
    "She wants a pot holder."

5) The summer camp they started.

6) How the girls saved Kristy in the end.

7) Luca--Luca and Stacey MAKE OUT

8) Movie Soundtrack--Tell me this does not make you want to jump around and dance & sing with your girls. 

My parents got me this on DVD last Christmas. I don't care how old we get, this will always be me and my bff's favorite movie. A perfect go-to movie when you're sad, bored, nostalgic, stressed, etc.

BSC 4 eva.

Old Movies My Mom Introduced Me To As A Kid

I suppose my love of old things came in part from my mother. She was always introducing us to "new" old movies...probably wanted a break from all the Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows. It was an added bonus that we actually liked all of them.

It was very normal for her to walk into our rooms and see us with her paisley handkerchiefs on our heads, pretending to be living in the hills of Switzerland like Heidi, or doing the "Tiger Lilly" dance from Mary Martin's Peter Pan.

                                          Pollyanna: I adored her aunt's staff. And the "glad game."

The Parent Trap: I loved the idea of summer camp (hence, Bug Juice), and how can anyone forget the intro? 

"John. Marsha."

Bye Bye Birdie: Ann Margaret was the first woman that I remember having true sex appeal. 

Duh.

Peter Pan: Tiger Lilly changed my life. I'M SERIOUS. It's kind of terrifying now, but still so so genius.

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes: Again, during my "I want to be an old fashioned/pioneer/farmer girl." Margaret O'Brien is the cutest thing, EVER.

Grease: I always wanted to be this badass in front of the boy I like. 

Shirley Temple:

     Heidi

                        The Little Princess                         

                                                                                 ...don't judge me. 

The Long Long Trailer: Our closets provided wonderful trailers to live in for me and my sisters. Oh, Lucy.

Geekery

Thought it was about time to write about something other than TV. (Don't get used to it--will not happen very often.)

Ok, so I figured out what Etsy was about a year ago. If you don't know what it is, you have to google it because I will have no patience to explain it to you.

My current favorite thing to do at work while I'm busy slacking off is to look under the "Geekery" tab on Etsy; specifically, the "kitsch" items. I've busied myself all morning and found a couple great things that I'll need to buy people for Christmas.

For Dad

For Mom

My Sister

My other Sister

For Me

Another one for Me

Maybe another one for Me?

Duh.

For all my friends.

Old Disney Channel Shows

Growing up, me and my sisters watched Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel like it was our job. I miss those times. In the winter, we'd bundle up and wait for mom to bring us hot chocolate while we watched; In the summer, we'd have our lunch watching these before we left for the pool. It was always me and my sisters and one of the following shows. I hope other people got as much joy out of these as we did!

Adventures in Wonderland~ Intro; I was so obsessed with the intro to this...I wanted a freaking mirror to fall through and a gray kitten named Dinah.

Under the Umbrella Tree~ Intro; I loved Gloria. But I also wanted to have a built in bookcase that I could sit in and read like the lizard. And what exactly was "down the umbrella tree"?? Did Holly REALLY live with a bird, a lizard, and a gopher? What about a boyfriend? Or maybe a girlfriend? My brain is still plagued with all these important questions.

The Babysitter's Club~ Intro; I can close my eyes and still remember what a Saturday felt like when I'd lay around and wait for this to come on. Who didn't want to be Stacey?? And do people really trust 12 year olds with their children?

Bug Juice~ Intro; This is probably the most recent of shows we used to watch. I loved the original cast--couldn't fathom how kids my age left their parents for weeks at a time (I spent 3 days at horse camp with my girl scout troop and cried the whole trip...)

Flash Forward~ Intro; This was a kind of precursor to my Dawson's Creek years.

Kids Incorporated~ Intro; FERGIE, HOLY SHIT.

Ocean Girl~ Intro; I've never met anyone who ever watched this show, but this was the influence to every pool game my sisters and I played: Ocean Girl (obvi.)

Road to Avonlea~ Intro; So much like Anne of Green Gables. Also when I was in my wanting to be an "old fashioned" girl phase.

TV Couples

It's no secret that I watch a lot of TV. I'm also a sucker for a good love story.

Here are a few of my faves:

Zack and Kelly: I LOVED this episode. Their own little prom. So romantic.

Pacey and Joey: Duh.

Brandon and Kelly: I was a huge fan of Brandon and Kelly when I first began watching. Totally hated her with Dylan. But once I watched the full series, I realized that her and Dylan are actually soulmates. Nevertheless, my favorite episodes are when B and K are together. 

Dylan and Kelly: See Above.

Lucas and Peyton: Favorite ever. I love their story and I love Peyton, so they're obviously the best.

Nathan and Haley: Naley 4 eva.

Seth and Summer: There's always gotta be a dork who gets the girl.

Sawyer and Kate: Pure SEX.

Ephram and Amy: So innocent and sweet. I always loved her hair too.

Harvey and Sabrina: Ehhhh

Cory and Topanga: Again, loved the hair. And I seem to have a thing for childhood sweethearts.

Ross and Rachel: Obvs.

Jess and Rory: Loved Jess. He was always so much better than boring ol' Dean. And I still feel that he was better than Logan. They should have ended up together, dammit!

Winnie Cooper

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I love alot of very different, very random things.

These said things inspire me, teach me, guide me towards the life I've always wanted.

Sometimes, these things are people, both real and fictional.

One of my favorite things is Winnie Cooper. She's cute and smart, and always carries herself with dignity and class:  everything I've always wanted to be.

My top 3 favorite Winnie Cooper moments (or top 3 Winnie & Kevin moments):

1) Season 1, Episode 1--Winnie's brother Brian dies in Vietnam at the end of this episode. She's obviously heartbroken. When Kevin finds out, he immediately runs to find Winnie to make sure she is okay (adorable). Kevin finds her in the woods somewhere on a rock. She's just sitting there, looking at the ground (NOTE: Winnie is the ultimate woman of class here--she isn't throwing herself at the ground and pounding her fists, but rather sitting up really straight and quietly grieving the loss of her brother). And then at the very end of this moment, Kevin and Winnie share their first kiss, all the while Percy Sledge's voice is blasting "When A Man Loves A Woman" (who doesn't want to have this song playing in the background during a make out sesh??)

2) The Series Finale--Kevin and Winnie get stuck in this barn. They had been arguing because Winnie kissed another boy, even though we all know it didn't mean anything because Kevin is always her #1. Anyways, they're snuggling, getting all up close and personal with each other. Winnie innocently looks at Kevin and says something about not wanting "this" to be over. Kevin loves Winnie for all the reasons I love Winnie, which is why I've always understood their relationship. Winnie is young and a little naive; her puppy dog eyes make you a little sad because who wants to upset Winnie Cooper?; she says things quietly, rarely getting loud and annoying.

3) Season 4, Episode 20--Now this is my ALL-TIME favorite Winnie Cooper moment. (I guess these should be Winnie and Kevin moments, but the thing to remember is that there would be no "favorite Winnie Cooper moments" without Winnie.) Okay, so Winnie and Kevin get into an argument and Winnie storms off in a car with some of her friends. They get into an accident and she breaks her leg. As soon as Kevie finds out, he rushes to her house and waits outside until she comes home from the hospital. Winnie's parents tell Kevin that she doesn't want to see him (she's still pissed). So later that night, Kevin climbs up to Winnie's window; he looks in to find her propped up on her bed, all bruised up and stuff. They mouth "I love you" to each other, which is the most romantic, most special moment EVER.

How could anyone NOT love her?!

Plus, she's even good at math.

Things Oprah Taught Me

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As with most women my age, I great up watching Oprah. Everyday after school, my mom would have our after school snacks ready and the TV station turned to The Oprah Winfrey Show. When the last episode aired on May 25th, I almost felt like someone close to me had died. I love Oprah. Alot. And even though I've annoyed the hell out of those around me with, "Did you see Oprah yesterday?", I'm never going to stop preaching what I've learned from the woman.

"Never let them take you to the second location"--Thankfully, I've never had to use this, but I know that if I'm ever faced with such a situation, this man's voice will be screaming in my head.

A good bra means everything--Enough said.

Get a man like Stedman--He has always embraced Gayle as part of the family (any man who understands and  even appreciates a friendship like that, is a hero in my book...watch here).

Follow your passion in life--"My great wish for all of you who have allowed me to honor my calling through this show is that you carry whatever you're supposed to be doing, carry that forward and don't waste any more time. Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world." -from The Oprah Winfrey Show finale.

A New Earth--This has become one of my favorite books ever; may be more like a guide to how I wish to live my life. Eckhart Tolle is kind of like my version of a guru, and this book is perfect for finding ways to become more present in daily life. It changed my life, which means it can change anyone's...you can still work through exercises and watch the podcasts on Oprah's website. DOOOOO ITTTTTT!

Talking about books is cool--Most of the books she's picked over the years prove to be some of the best works of literature I've ever read. (i.e. She's Come Undone, We Were The Mulvaneys, A New Earth, Their Eyes were watching God).


Mattie Stepanek

What has Oprah taught you?!