8:45am – Bath + Ducktales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp 🛀
Final thoughts for the day: Unfortunately I don’t have much to say tonight. Look at that wake-up time! I am EXHAUSTED. 😴 It was nice to relax in a nice, warm bath & enjoy a nostalgic adventure with some of my favorite ducks. I don’t think I ever watched this movie as a kid so it was cool to finally see it. More Ducktales is never a bad thing!
Fun Fact: Deep Canvas, an animation technique used in my favorite Disney movie Tarzan, was used in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The animation is beautiful! 😍
👂 Heard: Corey Burton as Gaetan “Mole” Molière | Mr. Burton has done extensive work for Disney so I’ll keep this short & sweet. All you need to know is that he voiced Professor Owl from the sing-along songs series. Now that’s a heavy dose of nostalgia! 😱
👂 Heard: Cree Summer as Kidagakash “Kida” Nedakh, Princess of Atlantis | You name it, Cree’s voiced a character from it. Seriously! Her distinct voice is everywhere. She’s been in other Disney projects such as 101 Dalmations: The Series, Dave the Barbarian, Disney’s Hercules: The Animated Series, Ducktales (2017), Jungle Cubs, Kim Possible, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Pepper Ann, The Buzz on Maggie, & The Proud Family.
👂 Heard: David Ogden Stiers as Fenton Q. Harcourt | If his name doesn’t ring a bell, let’s give these names a try: Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast, Dr. Jumba Jookiba from Lilo & Stitch, Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas, Mr. Jolly from Teacher’s Pet, & the archdeacon from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
👂 Heard: Leonard Nimoy as Kashekim Nedakh, King of Atlantis | All you need to know is that he’s the original Spock. 💫
👂 Heard: Michael J. Fox as Milo James Thatch | He is a well-known actor so I need only mention that he is Marty McFly in Back to the Future.
Lloyd Bridges, the original voice for Preston B. Whitmore, unfortunately passed away before the movie was finished. His version was much different than that of his replacement John Mahoney who brought new life to the character & shaped his final form.
Jim Varney, the voice of Cookie, passed away, but he was able to complete his voiceover work. The film is dedicated to him. ♥️
Did anyone else collect the McDonald’s toys inspired by Atlantis?? I’m pretty sure I had Audrey & Mole & maybe Joshua.
Final thoughts for the day: Atlantis isn’t a favorite Disney film of mine, but it is a fun movie to watch. It reminds me of childhood days spent with friends in the pool pretending we lived in an underwater city. Those were the days! 🌊
My North Pole elf powers have taken a serious hit in the past few years. In 2016, I had to repurchase two gifts due to damage. This year, I received two damaged gifts and was only able to successfully replace one. The other was a handmade, custom item and arrived twice in terrible condition due to measurement issues; I chose to walk away with a refund rather than risk receiving a third defective product. Seriously, what has happened to me?? Gifting used to be my cup of tea, and now I can’t seem to climb out of the funk I’m in. I carefully observe the recipients so I can pick the perfect gifts; I make an airtight budget so I can save and spoil my loved ones; and I buy from trustworthy sources (eBay has disappointed me one too many times). I’m still satisfied with my 2017 gifts, but I can’t help feeling disappointed. On top of my misery, I can’t see Star Wars: The Last Jedi until Monday night. UGH!!! On the bright side, I have a day off (from my retail job) to relax a little bit. Even though I have a to-do list of work that has to get done, I will definitely be squeezing in some baking, Christmas movies, & reading. Happy Saturday!
I have waited all year for this movie! Part of my birthday celebration was seeing the first showing at my local theater. As a passionate Agatha Christie fan, I have thoughts both good and bad so settle in for a semi-bumpy Orient Express ride.
Many people had doubts about Kenneth Branagh’s portrayal of beloved detective Hercule Poirot. If you’re a doubter, I want to put your mind at ease. Mr. Branagh is hands down the best part of the movie. He kept the spirit of the Poirot we all know and love while adding humor and his own unique touch to the character. He is a constant source of smiles and laughs, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Overall the ensemble cast did not disappoint. Johnny Depp is fantastic as always (SPOILER) even though his part is short-lived. Michelle Pfeiffer and Penelope Cruz have some shining moments, and Dame Judi Dench’s monologue about little Daisy Armstrong made me tear up. Lucy Boynton and Sergei Polunin’s respective portrayals of Count & Countess Andrenyi are dark, a hidden gem that is impressive considering their inexperience. Josh Gad was good for the most part, but the chase scene involving Poirot felt awkward. The conflict between Hercule and Dr. Arbuthnot also felt clumsy. Daisy Ridley acted well, but I did not like Mary Debenham’s demeanor. In the book, she is polite and reserved which leads Poirot to suspect she might be the mastermind behind the murder; his suspicion makes little sense in the movie because Mary is much too bright and happy.
The book’s methodical layout is not perfectly suited for a movie. Some may find the added action irritating, but I understand the necessity to shake up the format onscreen. That being said, some of the clues got lost in the shuffle due to a speedier pace. As far as I remember, all the clues from the book were included, but they weren’t given the time they needed to simmer and encourage the audience to consider possible outcomes. Perhaps the extra, non-book stuff could’ve been trimmed to accommodate character interviews and clue discoveries, making the final reveal much more grand than it actually was. I also want to mention that I don’t remember Biniamino Marquez being named at the end. (SPOILER) The twist relies on the shock of twelve people being involved, each with a specific connection to the Armstrong family. The cast may seem large, but those who know the story well won’t miss anything, even if only one name is passed over. This goes back to details being muddled at the end. Murder on the Orient Express is one of the greatest stories ever written in the mystery genre. If you don’t lay it out correctly, you spoil the thrill and fun of the twists and turns.
I love two-thirds of the movie, but the ending is a disappointment. Things can surely get better from here so I hope Kenneth Branagh is giving the chance to continue the series, perhaps with a book that has less adaptations. I truly believe he can do great things with Poirot. The final scene hints at a sequel based on Death on the Nile. How great would that be?! 😄
Time for another story from the misadventures of Lauren Michele Stewart! Just kidding. This tale is actually very thought-provoking. *GASP*
Back in my college days Spanish dramas were my escape from reality, Isabel, Los Hombres de Paco, & Un paso adelante being my personal favorites. On top of that, I listened to a lot of Spanish music in an attempt to perfect my ear for the beautiful language of España. Never in a million years did I think that music and TV shows in another language would affect me around English speakers, but it did indeed happen. One day while I was in class, my ears started to interpret English in a different way. At first I thought I was just extremely tired, which is normal for a student, but careful listening proved that I was indeed hearing what sounded like the only other language in my life: Spanish. At one point I silently prayed that the teacher and students wouldn’t talk to me because I couldn’t understand a word they were saying. Even though I was hearing a familiar language, my brain wasn’t distinguishing the words. After a few minutes everything went back to normal, but I never forgot what happened.
The experience gave me a higher level of respect for both polyglots and immigrants learning a foreign language. I wasn’t necessarily scared or overwhelmed, but it was unexpected and left me feeling disoriented. I don’t necessarily have a moral or a mind-blowing message to share with you. I just thought the experience was unique, something I’d never heard of before. I wish my tongue had miraculously become bilingual in that moment and remained so. 😂 As a side note, I highly recommend utilizing television and music as immersion techniques for learning a language. I am by no means fluent, but I understand a decent chunk of Castilian Spanish. I refer to a specific type because that is what my ears are accustomed to; I have a very hard time understanding accents outside of Spain. 🇪🇸
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I can’t apologize enough for my absence. To make up for lost time, I’m going to be blogging through Hanukkah. I will call it “Blogukkah.” Genius! I have a good excuse for not blogging this week. I worked myself into the ground and got the flu. I had the worst day of work possible Tuesday, and it went from bad to worse once I got home. I spent both my days off resting and reenergizing for my last two shifts before Christmas. I hope you follow my art blog and Youtube channel because I’ve been active on both those platforms all month long. I’m not sure why I haven’t been posting as often for Blogmas this year. I think it has a lot to do with my retail job. I’ve felt like such a grinch and haven’t done anything outside of working. No spirit and no fun means no good material for your reading pleasure. I do have something to share with you tonight so let’s jump right in. I watched Frozen for the first time. I’ll let that sink in for a moment.
Have you composed yourself? Alrighty then! I’ve heard a lot of different perspectives. People loved the movie. People liked the movie. People hated the movie, some only because of the ridiculous amount of attention and hype. I didn’t want my first viewing experience to be ruined by someone else’s opinion so I waited and waited and waited until the right time. I’m glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised. I knew the music would be good, but other than that I had no expectations. I ended up liking it much more than I thought I would. The animation is beautiful, and the characters are charming. Idina Menzel’s voice is beautiful as always, but Kristen Bell’s voice stunned me. WOW! I love the end (SPOILER) when Kristoff is available to save Anna with an act of true love, but she ends up being saved by sisterly love. That is a refreshing twist. It’s adorable how Kristoff’s gruff exterior is slowly melted by Anna’s quirks. I could watch an entire movie with him, Sven, & Olaf. Those three crack me up! I highly recommend this film if you love Disney, but wait until your mind is clear from the bombardment of other opinions.
I know I’m starting Blogmas six days late, but I have had quite the week. I worked a long weekend then had possibly my worst day as a Youtuber yesterday. I filmed three videos, lost two of them, hated the third, and burned my finger on a candle. I am determined to maintain maximum holiday cheer so I’m going to get the party started with a hilarious story from my exciting job as a retail associate.
Customer: I am a longtime customer. I only buy my jeans here. I’ve never had this problem before. I wore and washed my new jeans, and now the zipper won’t zip. I want to return them.
Me: Let me check the zipper first and see if I can do anything.
*A few seconds later*
Me: It looks like there’s something jammed inside the zipper.
Customer: I don’t see anything!
Me: It looks like gum.
Customer: I don’t chew gum!
*Strange object is pulled out after minimal effort*
Me: It looks like a piece of a green balloon.
Customer: I don’t own balloons!
Me: Oh! That’s strange. Well, the zipper works fine now.
I consider myself a person with a good sense of humor. I try my best to decipher the appropriate times to let go and laugh. This is not one of those times. Recently, I noticed some jokes on social media centered around the California drought. I not only find this in bad taste but extremely offensive. I am a California girl born and raised so I am naturally protective, but I have other reasons. The drought is much more than a shortage of water. Thanks to the lack of rain and scorching temperatures, the Golden State is kindling ready to ignite. Hearing about or driving by a fire is a daily occurrence. A few weeks ago, the shopping center where I work was more crowded than usual because people were waiting for the smoke from a nearby fire to clear from the air. Of course some fires are started by people, but the dry conditions invite the flames to spread with open arms. Farmers are scrambling to protect their livelihood. Families have lost their homes. People have lost their lives. Is that funny?? NO!! Yes, there are selfish people who have not taken the drought seriously, but that is not an excuse. It doesn’t matter what your personal feelings are regarding this state. Next time you want to poke fun at the California drought, remember the people whose lives are being negatively affected. Let this be a lesson to us all: educate yourself before opening your mouth.
I had an opening shift at work this morning. I’m not even close to being a morning person so it was already bound to be a bundle of laughs. On top of that, my mind was in an absolute jumble. I misunderstood words I read and instructions I received, and I couldn’t form anything remotely related to the English language. I was incredibly frustrated and near tears by the time I clocked out. My mom explained that since I’m susceptible to low blood sugar, it was most likely due to the lack of nutrition in my system. In other words, I didn’t eat breakfast, and I should have. I know I should eat from now on, but I most likely wont. Why? Because I’m weird and don’t like eating before work.
In other news, I’ve felt really encouraged and motivated recently due to the rise in number of followers on my blogs and Youtube channel. Thank you so much for your support!! If you haven’t checked out any of my other links, everything is provided down below. Aside from this blog, I have an art blog and Youtube channel, and I’m all over social media. Follow me everywhere to receive the latest updates on what I’m working on. :)
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See that broken ornament? That is how my heart feels right now. I recently experienced my first robbery, and it took place in an area that I, as an employee, was responsible for. The culprit was potentially dangerous so it really is for the best that I wasn’t closer. BUT, I can’t help feeling guilty. I have been through the gamut of emotions. Shock at what took place. Guilt that it happened in my department. Anger that I was taken advantage of. Fear of what could have happened. Relief that I am alive and safe. Determination to never let it happen again (hence the title, a nod to “Home Alone 2”). After one too many nightmares, I am feeling a little better this morning. Dried pineapple and Christmas movies are helping along the process.
Lauren Michele ❤️ 
