Throwback Thursday

Over on Twitter, my publisher is talking about the "anti-proms" of the 90's on this week's Throwback Thursday. They tagged me on a picture, knowing I'm a huge sucker for Pacey + Joey from Dawson's Creek. Had to slap the pic here...because Pacey is just so...sigh.

Where, oh where, has Ophelia been. . .

So it's been about a month since I've blogged. It's summer, it's so blooming hot in Texas, and I just haven't been in a bloggy kind of mood. I'm sure you know how that goes. That's not to say I haven't been meaningfully occupied (as "I am very busy and important," to quote Bridget Jones).

Here are some of the fun things I've been up to:

I organized my iTunes library (more on that later).

I went through two edit passes on my upcoming NA (new adult) novel: Definitely, Maybe in Love (MUCH more on that later).

I started writing a new story--which I plan on finishing this week before my writers' group.

I've been listening to Sara Bareilles's new record The Blessed Unrest pretty much nonstop.




I swam a bit, bought a new patio chair, got a nice tan, talked to my mother several time, hmm, what else...? Oh, yeah, I made soup. Twice.

I've been drinking this:

I've been doing a lot of fun novel reading:

Matched - Ally Condie
Where We Belong - Emily Giffin
The Summer I Became a Nerd - Leah Rae Miller
The Ocean at the End of the Lane- Neil Gaiman
Losing It- Cora Carmack
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Billy & Me - Giovanna Fletcher
 
But most of all, I've been doing some pretty major vegging out. Meaning, I've watched a butt-load of TV and movies. For example, I caught this flick:

And then went home and watched this one...

This one:

Oh, and then I had a Star Trek weekend. Check it out...I watched the first (new) movie, the new-new movie...

Star Trek II - Khan, III - Lookin' for Spock, IV - the whale one.... 

And then the first TEN episodes of this:

So yeah, for the most part, I had a very productive month. But now it's back to the "real life" of writing and blogging and not sleeping. Hooray!

Hey there, Khan.

Halloween & TVD

20 days till Halloween.

1 day till Vampire Diaries!

Who's excited???

*squee*

Downton Abbey season 3 poster . . . 

 How excited am I. . . . . .

Right?

To sister.

My sweetest little sister celebrated her birthday over the weekend. A couple of months ago, I had hinted to her that I'd found the coolest bday gift ever.

Alas! Why didn't I buy the thing right then?? Because when I went to make my purchase, it was GONE! 

So, here's to you, sister. Like me, maybe just staring long enough at the picture will make you giggle.

And if it doesn't, maybe watching THIS will.

PS: Arrested Development rules all. 
~ex-oh, ex-oh

M is for Mary(s)

Shout out to all the wicked-cool Marys out there. 

Here are some of my favorites... 

 

 

Wanna hear some of my favorite Mary songs? Click here, here, here, here, here & here.

 

Now, go call your favorite Mary. Give her love.

simply smashing

* * *If you're not watching SMASH yet, seriously, what's your problem?* * *

 Take a listen to the two song birds here.

Happy Weekend!

Lady Mary: "Can you manage without your stick?" 

Matthew: (leaning on her) "You are my stick." 

(via: Bohemea)

Just because it makes me smile . . .

. . . and today is a day for BIG SMILES! ! !  

Writing Inspirations - The 4077th

Why I love M*A*S*H

 Henry Blake: Will you stop saying what I'm thinking?
Radar : One of us has to.

Frank: I'm taking this to a higher authority.
Trapper : Aw, Frank... you're not going to write your mother again.

Frank: This is the last straw!
Hawkeye: Remind me to order more straws.

Frank: The men hate me, don't they?
Radar : Just your guts, sir.

Frank: Why don't you guys like me?
Hawkeye: Because you're a lousy doctor and a rotten person.
Frank : Aside from that.
B.J. : Well, there's your pimples.
 
Plus, the theme song makes me cry.

Writing Inspirations - The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Why I love "Mary Richards" 

(skip to 5:15, kick back & enjoy the greatness)  

"Ya know what. You've got spunk."

"Well, yes.

"I HATE spunk!"

She CAN, indeed, turn the world on with her smile.

Being Erica

Meet Erica...

Here are the ABC's of Being Erica: She's thirty-two years old, perpetually single and making barely enough money at the dead-end job she's about to lose. Her friends are busy getting married, buying their first homes and climbing the corporate ladder. They're moving up and on in their lives and leaving Erica in the dust.

After suffering a series of mishaps that ultimately land her in the hospital, Erica meets the mysterious Dr. Tom - a therapist who knows a lot about her. He issues a bizarre challenge - if she wants to fix her life, he can help her. Frustrated and heartsick about how her past choices have lead her to this current, pitiful situation, Erica accepts his terms. Her first homework assignment: Erica is to provide the good doctor with a detailed list of her life's greatest regrets. And it's one long list.

Then comes the fun part. Suddenly, Erica is supernaturally launched back into her own past to make different choices this time around. Each episode, she knocks off one more item on her list.

Coolness!

It made me wonder, however.

In reality, would new choices really change anything? Or do we wind up who we are...no matter what? I make decisions every day. Some important, some not-so-much. But they're mine. And they all seemed good (or good enough) at the time. So perhaps we shouldn't waste time wondering what might have happened, and instead take full ownership of our choices. At least that's what I'm intending to do.

Nonetheless...
I LOVE Being Erica's adorable, bumbling, teachable Erica. Her therapy is my therapy. Often times, the sage council she gets from Dr Tom goes right into the notebook I save for important saying and quotes. Here are a few of my favorites from season one:

 
"What do you do when you see your life as a series of bad choices, when you'd give anything to've made different ones? The question is, if you could go back and do it all differently, would you still be you?"

"Our lives are like a house of cards. Some of the cards are cosmetic. While others are low bearing walls. You move one of those cards and the whole thing comes tumbling down. Chip away at what makes you "you" and you become something else." -Dr Tom

"Why can't I meet someone whose not damaged or crazy or a...fake African mask collector?"

"It wasn't the humiliation of other people seeing me, it was more me questioning my own judgement. And ever since then, I'm just so picky... As far as relationships go, it's debilitating...as soon as I meet someone, I start looking for faults."

"Learn to be what you are, and learn to resign with good grace all that you are not."

"Life is about choices. Every day, every moment is a choice...And all you have to decide is...what's your choice going to be here."

Plus, Lily Frost's darling theme song charms my socks off.

#17 is in the can

3 down, 37 to go.

Au Revior, Chuck Bass. We'll always have season 2.

(via: Ramblings)

(via: fanpop)

ex-oh-ex-oh.....

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Ok, "West Wing," you're starting to cheese me off. (SPOILER ALERT...for those of you who are also a decade behind in TV.) First, the cliff-hanger with President Bartlet "stepping down" while the FBI searches for his ecstasy-popping, French prince-dating, pre-"Mad Men" kidnapped daughter. Then they bring in his replacement: big, fat, blustering, gun-toting, southern republican, played by John Goodman. Thanks, Aaron Sorkin, for sticking the conservative side with such an obvious cliche. Then Rob Lowe left the show. /gasp/ Then Josh got demoted. Sort of. And now the president and first lady aren't speaking because this isn't what she signed up for. Oh, and Chandler from "Friends" is a reoccurring character? Weird. And Leo didn't make VP? When will Josh and Donna hook up already? Toby, dude, enough with the Jewish yelling.

Stop preaching, Sorkin, and show me the love. And more walking the halls, please.

Miss you, Rob....

The Closer. (And no, not pitcher Brian Wilson.)

Should one be interested in a TV show of uber greatness...season seven of The Closer previews tonight. TNT, 8pm CST.

The writing is fresh, clever and relevant, and seldom resorts to being blatantly sleazy. The ensemble cast (of mostly men) is superb. And the storylines have ceased to get old.

But what I love most about TC is Brenda Lee Johnson (AKA Mrs Kevin Bacon). Her fantabulous hair (perfect ringlets or pulled up in a cheerleader-type pony), her snazzy K-Mart skirts, pink trench coat, terribly annoying southern accent--which has somehow grown on me, her dreamboat FBI Agent husband Fritz, her catch phrase: "Thank you," (wide, sticky-sweet smile) "thank you so much," and most of all, her desk drawer full of Ding Dongs, candy bars and other unknown yet seemingly endless deliciousnesses.

Brenda's a tough cop hero chick I can truly get behind. I can't wait to see what's she's wearing tonight!