Dinner table

We rarely use the formal dining room for meals, but for Passover this year we hosted the second night of seder at our house and so I broke out the tablecloth and the casual china to dress the dining table with. I debated using the formal china that belonged to Mr Hazel's grandmother (which we received when we got engaged), but as heirloom pieces, I'm too afraid they'll break so we have never, to this day, used them. I was nevertheless happy to set the table for a change, and with real cloth napkins to boot. It made me feel like a civilized grown-up.

Twilight Tuesday

Melissa Rosenberg, the Twilight scriptwriter, wants Channing Tatum to play the part of Riley in Eclipse. I'm already drooling over this, even though Riley was just a bit part. That battle sequence between Victoria, Riley and Edward at the end of Eclipse was awesome, and then you add Channing Tatum to the mix? Can he be shirtless, please? Thanks.

In New Moon production news, I found it somewhat strange that they built an exact replica of Charlie's house to be used for exterior shots, but it's only a shell and not durable. Why did they even bother, seeing as they are using a different Cullen house this time around? And I never did understand why Chris Weitz chose Vancouver instead of the original locations in Washington.

I absolutely love these pictures of RPattz at LAX. He looks in character here, i.e., Edward at the airport! And apparently they are going to be releasing pictures of a shirtless Jacob similar to the shirtless wolf pack picture that caused quite a stir among fans last week. Can't say I'm highly anticipating it all that much, but I am curious, and maybe Jacob will end up surprising me.

For those of you on Team Emmett, how do you like this one?

Lastly, because today is Twilight Tuesday, I wanted to link to my book review of The Vampire Diaries, a story uncannily similar to Twilight.

A find

I was browsing at a flea market over the weekend and stumbled across a treasure trove of old costume jewelry, including this brooch key. I'm guessing it's made of brass, but who really knows with flea markets? I also saw a wonderful vintage-looking watch pin that I was thinking I could turn into a charm for a necklace, but as I didn't have enough cash on me (and it didn't even enter my mind until it was too late that being at a flea market, I could've haggled), I ended up buying just the key. I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet, but I'm pretty sure it will make its re-emergence soon.

Green

It's so hot today that it feels like we've skipped spring and gone right into summer. In fact, all the rain we've had lately has made everything around me look like the lush and green of summertime.

Drooling

I'm usually not one for modern minimalist jewelry, but I am in love with these rings from Conroy & Wilcox. They have an organic, handcrafted quality about them that really draw me in. I especially love their gray diamonds, particularly the rose cuts, which beautifully mixes vintage and modern together (admittedly, I love rose cut diamonds). Usually when you think of gray diamonds, you think of poor quality diamonds with lots of inclusions. But with these rings, the inclusions just make them look extremely unique and super special, and become part of the rings' charm.

Louise ring.

Bedford ring - gray rose cut diamond.

Aquamarine cabochon ring.

Gray diamond ring.

Tumble cut amethyst ring.

Twilight Tuesday

Team Jasper? Or, more accurately, Team Jackson Rathbone!

The cast has just about wrapped up filming in Vancouver and the actors have started leaving. They finished the cliff diving scene at an indoor pool, and apparently RPattz was in it, which has to mean that we'll get to see him as Bella's hallucination. Next stop: Italy!

ETA: Ohmygod. I just saw this. The first official photo shoot of the wolf pack. Yeowzer! So much eye candy, my head is spinning.

A Monday circus

Today was definitely a Monday morning, no question about it. First, I woke up to rain and gray skies. While feeding the cats, I forgot to close the pantry door all the way, which meant Nomad and Moxie managed to get into their bag of kibble and go to town on it. When I came back downstairs half an hour later they were both smacking their lips and looking at me guiltily. By then I was running late so I couldn't give them a proper scolding. After many false starts, I managed to get myself out the door and at the train station, where I found out that my train was going to be a whole hour late due to a disabled circus train blocking the tracks down south somewhere. A circus train, you say? That's right - a circus train. Somehow the idea of a circus train on what was turning out to be a circus of a Monday was poetic irony. But it's not over yet. I then slog back to my car in the worsening rain, race over to the other train station (which is on a different line) hoping that I could catch the last train there, risk life and limb by sprinting up and then down the numerous staircases, and managing to get on board that train in the nick of time, hyperventilating all the while. Needless to say, I was exhausted and ready for a nap by the time I finally made it in to work.

Happy Friday

It's a gorgeous spring evening here. I went out for a run and the whole neighborhood smelled like flowers. I also stopped to pet a few neighborhood dogs, two of which were these adorable chow chows that resembled furry little brown bears. I am in love. I really want one now.

Emeralds

For my birthday this year, Mr Hazel's parents gave me a pair of Colombian emerald earrings they got while on vacation in Cartegena. I've never worn emeralds before, and this pair is particularly lovely. The green is vivid and startling, a contrast to the daintiness of the earrings.

Twilight Tuesday

The big news is that Aro has been cast, and sadly, it isn't Prince Caspian. Chris Weitz chose 40-year-old Michael Sheen to play Aro, and SIL Alissa and I aren't happy. First, they cast a guy who looks like he hasn't even gone through puberty yet to play Caius, but Aro is going to look like a 40-year-old? How does that even make sense? I read that Chris Weitz specifically courted Michael Sheen in order to lend "gravitas and credibility" to the production. I've got news for you, Chris Weitz - you're worrying about "credibility" and "gravitas" when Twilight took in $80 million during opening weekend? How much more credibility do you need? Bah! I knew I hated this guy ever since I saw that god-awful Golden Compass travesty. Is it too early to get worried? I mean, look at Aro! He's supposed to be a scary, powerful, menacing vampire, but he looks like Tony Blair!

But then I was excited to read about how Edward's Volvo is going to be changed to the Volvo as it was meant to be: the s60r. The use of the other, sportier 2-door model in the first movie has always bothered me.

And Lainey Gossip has a set shot of Bella holding a camera - could this be her fateful birthday gift from Charlie?

Cullen Boys Anonymous also has set spoilers of Edward and Bella at the Forks High School parking lot, near Bella's truck. I'm dying to know exactly what scenes are being filmed here. Note that Edward's makeup looks much better.




And lastly, we get this piece of news from Lainey Gossip:

Am told that a party scene involving the Cullen Family and Bella is (at press time) scheduled for tomorrow at a private residence

Is it paper cut time?!

Pink snow

At the movies

We saw I Love You, Man this weekend. It started out slow, but ended up being very sweet. Paul Rudd is a cutie. But what I was really excited about were the previews - so many awesome movies coming out in the next few months! X-Men Origins on May 1, Star Trek on May 8, Terminator Salvation on May 21, and the sixth Harry Potter on July 17. Star Trek especially gave me the chills, particularly when they showed Spock (hey there, Sylar!)

Twilight Tuesday

First, I found the Twilight script. I am ecstatic. There were some changes in the actual movie, but a lot of it is the same. Second, there is so much New Moon production news to report this week. Here's Taylor Lautner filming the triple date scenes at a bowling alley (when Bella, Jacob, and Mike Newton went out on their defective date and they all got sick). Jacob's wig is so much better this time around than on Twilight, but he still doesn't scream "leading man" to me. This dude is supposed to tide me over until Edward's reappearance? Yeah, right. But then this! The arrival of the Forks High School posse - Jessica, Eric Yorkie, Mike Newton, and Angela Weber. This had me so excited that I couldn't chillax. Lastly, who needs a Snuggie when you can have this instead?

A cardinal

Look who paid a visit among the rapidly pinkening blossoms. I've never actually seen a cardinal this close before. There were two of them, chirping as loudly as you please, with Moxie hanging out on the windowsill, riveted, watching and waiting to pounce. I love spring.

Live model

My friend Victoria gave me permission to post pictures of her at the three New Orleans balls she attended for Mardi Gras this past February. She's wearing the necklace and matching earrings I custom made for her. Doesn't she look fabulous?

Blossoms

The cherry blossoms reached their peak today. They look like bunches of fluffy white cotton balls perched on top of the tree.

A geeky conversation

Upon hearing the news that Peter Facinelli is going to be at Dragon Con this year, I immediately IM'd Mr Hazel. The ensuing conversation turned out to be so funny that I'm reproducing an edited version below.

me: can we go to Dragon Con? the guy who plays Carlisle in Twilight will be there.

him: ...

me: i want to go to Dragon Con!

him: to see some stupid actor for 30 seconds?

me: well, and other things

him: alright

you're going to be bored out of your mind

but if you want to go

me: why would i be bored?

him: what is there that would interest you at all?

it's a room full of geeks

with nerdy things

most of which you have never heard of

you'd be bored in 10 minutes

me: i like comics!

him: I don't think...you have any idea just how little interest you are going to have in the convention once you actually get there. If we go, I'm going to make you stay for 8 hours.

me: i'll stay for 8 hours

him: maybe I'm wrong

but I'm pretty sure

that after about 10 minutes

you are going to realize that you want to leave

me: i like geeks

and sci fi

and fantasy

him: there's a difference

when you are surrounded by Battlestar Galactica and Dungeons and Dragons stuff I don't want you to yell at me :)

I'm not sure you are terribly excited about the new 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons and the D20 system of combat.

me: ...

him: but maybe you can find something else there

me: Twilight

him: wrong convention