All the time in the world

Magnet #1276 - Monet's Etretat, Cliff of d`Aval

This Monet painting, part of a million different Monet sets I have, reminds me of that scene in Goonies, where Sean Astin holds up that medallion and manages to extrapolate where the treasure's buried?

I re-watched Goonies on my own recently, since we didn't get around to it at our 80s movie day a couple of weeks ago. Such a fantastic movie. I really hope they never remake that one. Or do some lame sequel for it.

And, speaking of sequels - totally went to go see Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. I won't lie - it was actually better than 3. And maybe even 2. But definitely not better than the original.

I should have definitely watched it in 3D - and still might go back to see it. You could just tell all the gags that should have been watched in 3D, rather than FlatD. They also give you this card to go along with Aroma-Scope. Which is totally gimmicky, but I totally bought into it...until the fart smell, anyway.

It was definitely cheesy and the new kids weren't as good as Juni and Carmen, but oddly, given that original Juni and Carmen themselves were about as awkward in their roles, it was pretty fitting. I was moderately entertained by Ricky Gervais as the dog, and Jessica Alba and Joel McHale as the parents of the new kids. Though it's scary that Jessica's started playing a mom (even a step-mom) so young.

I loved Jeremy Piven as Danger D'Amo - though, at times, I couldn't tell if he was having fun in the role, or if was in pain...from whatever.

What I loved best about the movie, though, is the life lesson - savor and enjoy the time you have because you won't get it back. No kidding.

Yep. Deep thoughts. From the Spy Kids franchise.

Timely, methinks, given my funtimejoy mentality of late.

Great expectations

Magnet #1269 - Treasure Island Bintan

In junior high, one of my best friends told me that my expectations were too high, and that inevitably, people would disappoint me, because it's impossible for them to live up to my standards.

This belief is likely a metastatement for every area in my life.

My sisters always mock me for always reporting back that one thing or another was just, "ok." Movies, parties, events, books, people, you name it.

Creative directors sometimes leave meetings with me feeling a little sad when I don't immediately cotton to one of their ideas, proclaiming it the best idea I'd ever seen from them.

And when friends say or do something that's incredibly disappointing to me, I take it personally. Admittedly, perhaps too personally.

In the end, my friend was right. I am inevitably disappointed by one thing or other, and have no one to blame but my great expectations.

On the other hand, it does make it all the more sweet when someone does do or create something that knocks my socks off, or impresses me to no end. You can tell when that happens - I'm usually dancing for, well, me, and generally grinning from ear to ear.

So yeah. Ya'll aim to skew that way. Please and thank you.

Oh! I picked this Treasure Island Bintan magnet today because we managed to make it through only two movies yesterday for 80s movie education day - Breakfast Club and surfer boy Spicoli's Fast Times. Did they hold up? Fairly well, actually - they're definitely a snapshot of America in a different time...but not so different that the stories, the characters and even wardrobe couldn't be found today.

And I know. Only two movies.

If ya'll know me at all, you know that as far as marathons go, even though we had a lot of fun and ate great food and hung out with fun people, I'm a little disappointed that we couldn't power through all eight movies - clearly, these friends haven't hung out with me enough to know it was totally possible.

What? It totally is!

"It's our time down here!"

Magnet #1268 - Paddington Bear's Shopping List

Spending the day in Jersey today, doing a quintessential 80s movie day for a friend of ours. Actually, a couple of friends who were only born the last 3 years of the 80s and a friend born in the new millennium, and therefore missed out on some of the best movies on the planet.

I know. 80s movies are not exactly the height of film couture (is that word even applicable here to film? whatever), but for better or worse, they're movies that defined a generation. And of course, it's our generation forcing the younger ones to pay attention today.

Not surprisingly, I owned most of the movies that we're putting up for selection, and was pleased as bunch to have an excuse to add a couple more to my movie collection. And, by no means is it an exhaustive set of choices for today, clearly there are some already seen movies that are missing (Top Gun, Raiders, Back to the Futures, etc.)...but it proves that I totes could spend days in DVD cabinet marathoning just movies from my childhood.

But on today's possible docket:

Sixteen Candles
"Duh-nuh-nuh-nuhnuh! You say it's your birthday!"

Breakfast Club
"Eat. My. Shorts."

Princess Bride
"As you wish."

Stand by Me
"Chopper! Sic balls!"

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine."

Better off Dead
"I want my two dollars!"

Goonies
"It's our time down here!"

SpaceCamp
"Whip me! Beat me! NASA's talking!"

Clearly, the ultimate test will be if the movies still resonate with the 12- and 24-year-olds coming to today's funfest. Mind you, I'm fairly sure that watching these movies (a few of which are the 25th anniversary editions, yikes) will make me realize that they were either supergreat or...not.

What's this have to do with this ultracute Paddington magnet I picked up at Paddington Station in London? Nothing much, other than I was keeping a running list in my head as to what we kept adding to the shopping lists - both for food and for movies.

Ok, I confess. Cookies, cookies are the only food on my list for today.

What?

Shout-out to the 80s

Magnet #1248 - Duran Duran, circa mid-80s

Think this magnet is the last of my Duran Duran buttons from the 80s. Using it for today because they totally got a huge shout-out on Wizards of Waverly Place.

Alex, played by the always adorable Selena Gomez, did one of her spells to be able to remotely watch what was happening elsewhere,

"Please, please tell me now.
Is there something I should know.
Duranium Duranius!"

C'mon, that's an awesome, awesome spell!

And timely, too, since last night, some friends and I went downtown (yes, I know, below 14th street, I was!) to go see an 80s cover band, and (some of us) reliving about a million memories from the coolest decade ever.

What? The 80s definitely had more personality than the 90s or the 00s. Dress-up outfit selections alone prove that.

And no, we were lame and didn't dress up.

Well, not really. I'm of the mind that the brightly colored paisley shirt paired with a pink scrunchie totally channeled me from high school.

Now. If only I'd worn my jellies.

We love the 80s...hair?

Magnet #1227 - Duran Duran (again)

What? I said I had a million Duran Duran buttons that I turned into magnets! Plus, this one with the boys looking all slick in their skinny ties, shoulder pads and perfectly coiffed hair totally fits for my mood tonight.

A friend is doing an 80s night in a couple of weeks, so I've been trying to get into the mood, having bought my outfit (yes, rather than Frankensteining an ensemble) this weekend. Now, I'm validating my selection by reviewing my yearbooks from the 80s.

Yes. The 80s, my formative years.

And in leafing through those yearbooks - one from 1986 and one from 1989 - it struck me that damn, we had some big-ass hair back then. I can't tell if it was just that it was the 80s, or that we were in rural North Carolina - I suspect the answer is, both.

I mean, it was big, it was wide, it was tall, it was long, and curly. We would hold our hair out to the side, like wings, and we'd spray the crap out of it and hold the curling iron to it, to steam it in place - trying to get our hair to span outward from our heads just as far as we could. In all directions, it would seem.

We'd take a clump of bangs on top and curl it backward, and take the front set of bangs and curl them under, so that the two clumps would perfectly sit atop each other. And it's almost every single school picture - some guys, too. Crazy!

We had one classmate who had a wave of hair sticking straight up. She used cans of hairspray against a wall to make sure it stood straight up. And it took ages to achieve that look, man.

And cans of hairspray. Some friends chipped in one year, and bought one of our BFFs a whole case of Rave hairspray for her birthday.

You know, thinking about it, I'd bet the 80s were single-handedly responsible for the ozone troubles, given how much hairspray we all used.

Wake me up!

Magnet #1138 - Wham!

Oh, yes. The bottom of my tin of 80s pins magnets has no bounds.

Of course, I was a total Wham! girl. To the point where I was actually surprised when George Michael came out. No. Really.

I loved those guys - and they only put out three albums. I know, even if I own all three cassettes, I totally was surprised it was only three, too. Not surprising, I'm fairly sure I could sing along lyric for lyric, track for track lo, these almost 30 years later.

Using this magnet for today, for a couple of reasons. First, because a huge storm knocked the alarm clocks off, so we really could have used this song this morning.

And second, this whole working freelance gigs remote from home has presented an odd daily challenge for me - finding the best place to get some actual work done. I've used the sofa in front of the tv, the wrought iron patio furniture outside, my bed, the old rolltop desk, my parents' bed, the top of the stairs, and the dining room.

Today, I'm working at the kitchen table with Regis & Kelly in the background, and they're totally using Wake Me Up (Before you Go-Go) as the theme song for one of their segments. It's weird how that song automatically takes me back to the 80s, and yet still does its job as a great pick-me-up song.

Jitterbug.

16 and Bop

Magnet #1125 - Duran Duran

What? You thought I was kidding about an @duranduran week?

Not a chance.

First, I'm still anxiously awaiting my autographed deluxe CD/DVD from Newbury. And second, I have way too many DD pins magnets to not do the DD marathon.

I'm actually hoping that since my sister stumbled upon all those old Duran pins, that running around somewhere in this house is a giant stack of old 16 and Bop magazines.

Oh, yes. I was totally thatteenybopper, saving up my lunch money to buy the latest issues of all the teenybopper rags. After all, this was before the advent of the Internet - how else was I to find out that my Jaunty John Taylor (at 13, I remember totally having to look up what Jaunty meant) was 26, born Nigel John Taylor on June 20, 1960, outside Birmingham, whose favorite food was Big Macs from McDonald's?

Yep, I totally kept those magazines in business in the mid-80s. Every so often, I get the urge to buy a couple of issues to see what's going on. Of course, I know only about a handful of kids in the mags now, and mostly from the Disney Channel. Buuuuut that's another magnet.

eta:
Also. Tonight is the Amex/Duran Duran Unstaged performance, directed by David freakin' Lynch. CanNOT freakin' wait.

Happy drop week, @duranduran!

Magnet #1124 - Duran Duran

Welcome to Duran Duran week on joy magnetism. Yes. A whole marathon, with likely nothing but pretty pins magnets for each day. What?

My sister stumbled across a whole tin of old pins of mine growing up, so I've quickly turned most of them into magnets. Some of them I remember, but I didn't have one of those cool jean jackets with pins all over them in school, so I haven't a clue what I did with these pins.

Anyway, I figured I'd just use the majority of my Duran pins in honor of their newest work, All You Need Is Now which drops today in CD and special CD/DVD editions.

Totally bought the autographed special deluxe edition from Newbury Comics. What? Ya'll know how much I love my Duran Duran. I can't wait til it gets here - I'm like stalking that PO box.

In the meantime, I'll just keep listening to the iTunes album version I bought earlier this year.

So if you see me bebopping down the road, it's really because I'm so very happy I have new DD tunes to dork out over in the car...

Totally radical blocks

Magnet #1108a b, c & d - 80s blocks

I bought these from the dollar bin at Office Depot the other day. Yep. In 2011.

If this were the 80s, I'd be wearing these prints on button-down shirts with skinny ties, or on my shoes.

Or on T-shirts with a jacket over it, and a side ponytail.

Sigh. There's a reason these prints went away.

Like. Totally.

Bawk, bawk, broke

Magnet #1097 - Yellow parrot

Borders makes me sad.

I went to visit one the other day and I felt like a total vulture wandering the aisles. Everything's on sale - although, true to form for Borders, "sale" just means comparable to regular prices at other stores (especially true for their media section).

Truth be told, right now, everything's only at 20% during this going-broke sale, and there are sure to be steeper discounts in a week or so.

Of course, that didn't stop me from spending way too much on stuff that I don't really need, or need right now. Totally stocked up on pretty notebooks and pretty pens and gift wrap. In fact, I really only bought two books, and they weren't even romance books.

I bought this magnet from Borders, too. I couldn't resist - especially because not a day or two before, I sorted through my hidden-away collection of genuine vintage 80s earrings and brooches. They're below, because I'm now trying to figure out if I should sell them - as a lot, or individually, or if I should save 'em for yet another decade.

I haven't a clue what I was thinking when I got those parrots in the bottom left corner. I won't lie, I don't remember wearing them.

Nope. Not at all.

What were the 80s like, Joy?

Magnet #1040 - Ms. Pac-Man

Bought this Ms. Pac-Man magnet at the Union Square Holiday Market, from a guy selling vintage-esque designed shirts, and now I can't remember what booth it was. Sorry!

Growing up, we never had video games in the house. In fact, it wasn't until my baby sister started whining about getting a Game Boy did my parents actually relent. But that meant that I spent all of the 80s sans video games. No Commodore 64. No Atari. No nothing. How uncool!

I think that's why my sisters (and BIL) love their current Wii games so much. They've now played all the myriad games they got this Christmas - from the crossbow game (with Link from Zelda!) to the Classic Mario 25th Anniversary to Amazing Race and Jeopardy!

By far, though, the funniest one to watch them play is Just Dance 2. Oddly, my BIL is the best dancer of the three, but it's superfunny how they close their blinds before starting the game. It totally makes me wonder what funny video game activities are happening behind other people's closed blinds.

So, yeah, even if I was deprived of all video games growing up, I went ahead and bought this Ms. Pac-Man, because lately it totally feels like the 80s are definitely back. Part of it is because the kids of today have no memory of why our fashions went away and they're bringing them back, looking just about as ridiculous as we did back in the day.

Or maybe it's just because Duran Duran released a new album called All You Need Is Now (that I would have blogged about, had I found the appropriate magnet), or because I spent a good portion of the holidays with my sisters working on a family pictures DVD for my parents (a good part of that were some really crazy-haired/-outfitted pix from the 80s), or it's likely because we've been doing a 21 Jump Street marathon (which is a total indictment of our 80s wardrobe), or simply because it's a proven fact that I love the 80s, just in general.

Eh, whatever. I admit it. I loved the 80s, with our Cold Wars and Reaganomics, and our Just Say No campaigns and our old-school babyfaced Johnny Depp. But mostly I loved it because of my Duran Duran.

eta: Bugger. This magnet will have today's date, because I spent yesterday catching up on joy magnetism and forgot to open up a new post for yesterday's date. Yes. That's the extent of my OCD, I can hold off on doing my blog for more than a week, but it drives me crazy if the dates are off.

What?

A Smurfy New York

Magnet #816 - Smurfs

For the last few weeks, folks at work and I have been running into The Smurfs movie shoot around town. Seriously.

What's funny is how big this cast list is. Neil Patrick Harris, Anton Yelchin, Katy Perry as Smurfette, Paul Rubens, Alan Cumming (playing Gutsy Smurf? Huh?) and even Jeff Foxworthy. And Tim Gunn. And Wolfgang Puck.

Uhhh, huh?

Ya'll, I don't care. I watched both Alvin and the Squeakquel. I enjoyed them both. Shut it. I won't even lie and say I watched them for Jason Lee and Zachary Levi. I watched them because I loved watching Alvin and the Chipmunks (with my sisters, of course).

So, if they're doing the same think to the Smurfs, yeah, I'll watch it. It might be on DVD, but yeah, I'll watch it.

Although, really, how much live action can there possibly be in this movie? The Chipmunks made sense, because hi, they lived with Dave. In a house.

But the Smurfs lived in the woods. In mushrooms. What the heck are they doing in New York? Are those woods really in Central Park? Is Gargamel's Castle really Belvedere Castle?

Yep. Color me blue with curiosity.

La La, la-la-la-la, La la-la-la-lahhhhh

Magnet #682a & 682b - Smurfette

You have got to love Target for their 99-cent aisles up front. So. Many. Magnets. I totally bought a Smurfy set of magnets. What?

And, you've got to love Sony Pictures for trying to bring back the Smurfs. Noooo, I'm not talking about Avatar. They're seriously trying to bring back the Smurfs in a live-action flick.

Live. Action. Can you imagine? Supposedly, and I guess quite rightly, the director attached is the same guy who did the Scooby movie several years ago with Buffy as Daphne and Mr. Buffy as Fred.

Then again, I just saw the movie's been moved to 2011, so who knows if it'll really ever get produced, but c'mon. Who doesn't love a Smurf?

I mean, they even had a Smurf Island down at Carowinds theme park (on the border of NC/SC). It was an acre-ish big island at the park, aimed at the young-uns with those plastic ball pools that parents are so afraid of nowadays, and fun little jungle gyms. And, the best part was that Papa Smurf and a few of the other Smurfs got to roam around to hang out with the kids.

As usual, in my childhood, I was a little older than the average Smurf-lover, I went, because my two baby sisters had to go. And, I'm sure at the time, it wasn't all that cool to be hanging out there.

But the most scandalized a pre-teen girl can be? Clear as day, while all the other kids were standing with her getting pictures and autographs, I watched as an 8-year-old boy grabbed Smurfette's behind, and hit on her, with a hey, baby.

On Smurfette!

Who doesn't love a Smurf, indeed!

Tales of the Gold Monkey

Magnet #634a & 634b - Magnerine gorilla

This is not a gold monkey. It's not even a monkey, monkey.

He's a Magnerine gorilla that I picked up (for work, no lie) from the Museum of Natural History. You know, it's a good thing that I haven't discovered a clearance store at that museum too, otherwise, I'd probably have the entire animal kingdom sitting in my cube at work.

So, here's why I picked this funny little guy for today's magnet:

1) Stephen Collins is on Twitter. Squeeee!
2) They're releasing Tales of the Gold Monkey out on DVD next year, with commentaries from Stephen Collins.

Now. Let me tell you why in my little world this is totally the bee's knees.

Ya'll know how much I love my television crushes.

Stephen Collins was my very, very first primetime television crush. I was nine years old watching this show with my mom. Even going so far as recording it on a tape recorder, so that I could play it over and over again in my room. (Presumably because I couldn't get my parents to tape it on the Betamax? I dunno.)

Tales aired in 1982 on ABC, a total adventure series about a hot ex-Flying Tigers pilot named Jake Cutter. It was set in the South Pacific, with a theme song I can still freakin' hum. It was classic Bellasario before there was such a thing. And it apparently conceived before Raiders of the Lost Ark, but not greenlit until after Harrison's success. That was also the year CBS produced a competing series called Bring 'em Back Alive, starring a very hot Bruce Boxleitner, another longtime crush of mine.

Anyway, my show aired for only one season, which I totally just found out today. It's all about how Jake Cutter flies around the in awesome bomber jacket, doing somewhat sketchy cargo runs out of what I've thought was Bora Bora for the last couple of decades, but is actually the fictional Bora Gora. He was always getting into spy troubles, because of Sarah, his one true love, and also the government spy stationed on the island to keep an eye on the local Nazi and Japanese spies.

Jake's BFF is the lovable and affable Corky - who was also on Black Sheep Squadron, which I don't remember, but totally watched reruns of, because of the hot boys in uniform. Robert Conrad I'm lookin' at you.

Annnyway, Jake's other BFF is Jack, the Jack Russell terrier with an eye patch. For serious.

And OMG, Roddy! McDowall! was in it as the bartender slash government official! So sad, but to be honest? My Friend Flicka, nothing. Bon Chance Louie is the role I'll always remember Roddy McDowell for.

I'm telling you, I loved that Jake Cutter - he was the original cuteboy for me. Like, he predates Duran Duran, ya'll.

Loved that Stephen Collins. Loved the theme song. Loved the show. This news has single-handedly made my freakin' day. I cannot wait for the DVDs to come out next year. And if they don't? I am so finally ordering that multiregion DVD set and ordering the ones from the UK, dagnabit.

And, yes. Stephen Collins was totally the dad on 7th Heaven. Which I totally watched.

Make of that what you will.

You can comb and brush her hair

Magnet #621 - My Little Pony, Sweetie Belle

Oh, yeah. You know it, baby. Hello, My Little Pony.

These were a few years behind me, but as I mentioned before, this is what having little sisters will do for ya. You remember their stuff, along with your own. And, I do remember a couple of them running around the house, along with a couple of little girls trying to tame the untame-able manes - no matter what brush they used.

The Early Show is doing a week-long Time Machine segment this week. And, despite the fact that their time machine isn't a blue wooden Police box with a hot Doctor inside, it's proven to be a fun little walk down memory lane.

A couple of days ago was 1979, when Happy Meals were introduced and they had the cast of Dallas. Yesterday was 1990, when VIP Vanilla Ice had a DJ who revolved it, and some funny hair. And he was up there, sans funny hair, but singing Ice Ice Baby...with ole Maggie Rodriguez breakin' it down on stage with him like that time machine really did work for her. Heh. Today was 1983, when juice boxes first came on the scene, and half of the cast of Knots Landing talking with Harry Smith.

Anyway, I totally made this magnet, literally torn out of my Happy Meal box from last weekend.

What? You don't need a kid to have a Happy Meal.

Though, I can't figure out why McDonald's is doing a My Little Pony tie-in right now. I could have sworn a live action MLP movie was in the offing. Then I saw this live-action trailer, and laughed my ass off.

This bear cares!

Magnet #593 - Tenderheart Care Bear

One thing about growing up with sisters five and eight years younger than you, is that you end up living with not just your beloved childhood characters, but their beloved childhood characters as well.

It's arguably one of the best things, as well.

It's probably why I have a "slightly older for that demo who should have stopped loving them by now" affection for Strawberry Shortcake, the Smurfs, the Snorks, the Muppet Babies, Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers, the Shirt Tales and of course, the Care Bears.

Who doesn't love a good old-fashioned Care Bear Stare? And from Tenderheart Bear! He likes to give hugs, and make people realize that they actually care about things. That helps love grow. And spread across the land. And makes everything A-ok.

Well, that's what this Care Bears Official Handbook sitting in my lap says. What? You think I'm kidding? You're reading this magnetpost, aintcha?

I figured joy magnetism could do with a little visit from the caring-est bear in Care-a-lot. My middle sister must have thought so, too, since she's the one who sent this Tenderheart magnet my way. Hee. Thanks. Who would have thought a tiny magnet could make me feel better.

Mind you, that long list of 80s cartoons I listed up there? Just the tip of the iceberg, man.

Don't ask how many times I had to avoid little girls running around sporting bandannas and nun chucks made out of cardboard paper towel rings and socks screaming Turtle Power!!!!

Or how many times I had to hear Jem! Truly outrageous! Truly, truly outrageous!

Not to mention I! Have! The Power!!!!!!!

Hmmm. That baby sister who loved He-Man? Getting married in November. Now I'm starting to wonder if that's why we have brown sleeveless bridesmaid dresses.