Thinking of you...

I'm back from my unintentional hiatus! Sorry I've been away for a month my lovelies! I've missed you all and now I'm up to date with the various courseworks, essays and other demands on my time, I'm back to blogging! :D So let's get right back to it all!

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a song on the radio and thought it was Alanis Morrisette. It wasn't. It was Katy Perry with her new song 'Thinking of you'. The first time I heard it, I hated it and thought she was warbling unnecessarily with a run of the mill power ballad...and I'm not big on ballads.

However, yesterday I thought I would watch the video and give it a chance. After all, I love her last single 'Hot n cold' something chronic! Well let's just say I think it is now one of my favourite songs. The video is pretty emotional and beautifully filmed and put together and I must say without irony, it brought a tear to my eye. All ten times I listened to it. And that just doesn't happen with me and music videos. Ever.

The video comprises of flashback and present day and shows a young couple very much in love, when he goes off to fight in WWII. He is killed and she tries to move on with a new man, but finds herself unable to stop thinking of her previous love; the one. It's pretty heart-wrenching and reminds me a lot of "The Notebook", one of my favourite films that I have posted about before.

Also, before I post some screencaps for you to enjoy; look out for Matt Dallas (of the brilliant Kyle XY) playing Katy's first love. Isn't he lovely? And check out the video here and you won't be disappointed.

L-O-V-E

Happy Valentines Day!

Here is this very talented girl Mia's version of a Nat King Cole classic and one of my favourite ever songs; "L-O-V-E".

I hope you all have a lovely day!

In which all credibility goes out the window

Ok, to accompany the other videos in my last post, I thought I would post a couple of my guilty pleasures as it were. Here they are:

V- Blood, sweat and tears:

Adam Rickitt - I breathe again:

And last but not least; Chesney Hawkes - The one and only:


Don't you pretend you don't love that last one as much as me! And because the laughs keep rolling, this is a clip from BBC2 music/comedy celebrity quiz show "Never Mind The Buzzcocks". I think it may be one of my favourite tv moments EVER! :D

A couple of new favourites

I have finally figured out how to post youtube vids onto my blog. How I wish I had clicked the blogger 'help' button sooner...

Two of my favourite songs are Dire Strait's "Romeo and Juliet" and Bruce Hornsby's "That's just the way it is". So the wonderful Genius application on iTunes suggested some songs that I may like. I immediately purchased "Mandolin rain" by Hornsby and The Killers' cover of "Romeo and Juliet"; both of which I had never heard before.

Here are the videos of each, for you all to enjoy too.

I adore the piano in this song and the video fits perfectly. It's so beautiful.

It's not the easiest task covering a Dire Straits classic, but The Killers somehow put their own unique spin on it. I love Brandon Flowers' vocal.

Some things last

Tonight I saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". As a rule, I'm not Brad Pitt's biggest fan, but I must say: he moved me. The film was exceptional, which I suppose you would expect considering it's nominated for 13 Oscars.

It's about a man, who ages backwards; born in 1918 an elderly man (look out for the wonderful motif of the railway station clock). Through his life he witnesses the deaths of those he's 'grown up' with and faces the trials of living a life where everybody is ageing backwards to him.

The Telegraph reviewed it as "the anti-Slumdog Millionaire: a film that's stately, tasteful and genteelly melancholic rather than fevered, rollicking and euphoric. It's a film about time that seems almost out of time."

I would agree. It makes you think. About life, death, love and everything in between. And I will admit that out of four of us that went to see it, only two left the cinema without mascara running down their cheeks (and I wasn't one of them). The film was touchingly beautiful, yet makes you consider your own mortality, not something that people usually want to have to dwell on. 2009 is certainly turning out some must-sees.

Guest posting

Fran, over at one of my favourite blogs Fishing for Beautiful, has asked me and Rachel (the mayfly, another of my daily reads) to guest on her blog all of this week which will be no doubt lots of fun! You can check out mine and Rach's posts for Fran over there for the next seven days.

We're practically Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins (check out the Sunday Night Project), minus the massive hair, stand up skills and the prowess required to reunite the casts of various 80s shows (Dallas anyone?)

You got me smilin'

At work the past couple of weeks, I have kept hearing a song. It's got stuck in my head very quickly and I rushed home today to google some of the lyrics to find out what it was.

I thought it sounded like Birmingham singer Bryn Christopher (whose song "The Quest" has been playing for weeks). I was right and it's called "Smilin". Also, it's been out since August 2008. Catch up Sophie! Anyway, I love it and think you may too (although everyone's probably already heard it haha!) :D

The guy's got style and it goes to show that my work really does play the best music!

He's just not that into you

Well I broke the habit of a lifetime last night and went to see a chick-flick with friends (I'm sure you can sense the sarcasm?)

With an all-star cast ranging from Drew Barrymore to Ben Affleck and Justin Long to Scarlett Johansson, "He's just not that into you" had a lot to live up to. Based on the dating guidebook, surprisingly entitled "He's just not that into you" by Sex and the City writer Greg Behrendt; the film (much like the book) gives a rundown of what-not-to-do in the shark infested waters of dating.

For example, do not and I repeat DO NOT, do as Ginnifer Goodwin's character GiGi does and turn up at the preferred bar of the guy she went on a date with once, using the excuse that she came to return his promo pen. Bless her.

On that point, Ginnifer Goodwin is one to watch, I reckon. You may have seen her in Big Love and Mona Lisa Smile (as the equally loveable Connie) , but we will be seeing more of her in the future I am sure.

I haven't laughed so much at a film in ages and laughed we did. Copious amounts. Everyone cringed, hissed and awww-ed throughout the movie and it was brilliant to be in a screening that was so vocal.

I finally found a film that I loved Jennifer Aniston in (Friends has often proved too much to top) and I actually liked Ben Affleck. The characters had chemistry, the plot was intricately woven, yet easy to understand and it was also genuinely funny. Every character seemed to invoke affection and that is rare for such a large cast.

"He's just not that into you" is probably one of the best films I have seen of that genre and has catapulted into my top ten films of all time. Seriously. See it and love it!

Music to blog to

Image from www.concurringopinions.com

Yes, I finally got round to making a virtual mixtape of videos! Sorry it took so long but I have been pretty busy :D Terrible excuse I know!

Anyways this will be a regular thing now (I'm thinking 'Mixtape Mondays' although I know it's Sunday today!) so let me know what you think and your ideas for the next one.

Right, so the first suggestion came from Anna of the wonderful, funny and touching blog "Part Mummy Part Me" and her appropriate suggestion was songs to blog to. And seeing as blogging is what we do, I thought that would be an excellent place to start.

Here are a few songs that keep the inspiration flowing :D (click on the links for the vids). Personally, I like a few of the 80s and 90s classics and a bit of jazz!

1. Robbie Williams - Strong

2. Nina Simone - Sinnerman

3. Texas - Inner smile

4. Emilie Claire Barlow - Les yeux ouverts (dream a little dream of me)

5. Finlay Quaye - Sunday shining

6. MGMT - Electric feel

7. The Only Ones - Another girl, another planet

8. Stereophonics - Just looking

9. Bananarama - Robert De Niro's waiting

10. The Waterboys - Fisherman's blues

11. The Corrs - Would you be happier

12. Katy Perry - Hot n cold

13. Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere

14. Deacon Blue - Real gone kid

15. Del Amitri - As soon as the tide comes in

16. U2 - City of blinding lights

17. Tori Amos - Cornflake girl

18. Bobby Darin - Mack the knife

19. Bryan Adams - Run to you

20. Matchbox 20 - How far we've come

Hope you all liked it and found a few new cool songs :D What music do you like blogging to? And don't forget to leave your suggestion for the net mixtape theme!

The Notebook

I love "The Notebook".

It must be one of the best romantic films ever and never fails to make me sob and despite popular belief :D I don't cry at films often! It's a bittersweet, touching tale of star-crossed lovers and the leads, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are perfection.

After all, surely, 'behind every great love is a great story'.