Sunday Supper {Breakfast for Dinner}

Breakfast for dinner always receives a resounding round of cheers when it hits the supper table.   Because let’s face it, churning out a home cooked breakfast only happens about once a week around these parts. If we’re lucky.

Last week we dined on Paula’s Hash Brown Casserole (originally shared here) and a simple salad.  It makes a whole bunch so we ate off of it for a few days straight.  (Which I always love!)  With Gruyere cheese and grated nutmeg, this hearty meat and potatoes dish far surpasses all other breakfast casseroles I've had the pleasure of dining on.






Paula's Hash Brown Casserole

3 T. butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 cups frozen shredded hash browns (though my mother's notation says "I use more")
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread
1 pound bulk sausage
2 cups (1/2 pound) grated Gruyere cheese (I use swiss to be more budget friendly)
2 cups (1/2 pound) freshly grated Romano cheese (I used some sort of bagged shredded cheese that had romano in it.)
2 1/4 cups milk
6 large eggs (recipe calls for 8 but my mom uses 6)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 T. dijon mustard

1. Spray 13x9" casserole with cooking spray.  Melt butter in large frying pan.  Add onion and saute over med-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the hash browns and break apart.  Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Place the bread cubes in the bottom of the casserole.  Spread the onion and hash browns evenly over the bread cubes.
2.  Saute the sausage in the same pan as the potatoes, breaking apart large clumps.  When the sausage is cooked through, remove it with a slotted spoon and distribute it evenly over the hash browns.  Distribute the grated cheeses evenly over the sausage.
3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard, whisking briskly to blend.  Pour over the cheese.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or at least 8 hours.
4.  Remove the casserole from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
 
Speaking of Paula, I wonder what ever happened with her search for the next Deen Team blogger!?!?!
 
Happy eatin’ y’all!
xoxo

Best Animated Short - 1964

Well, it's kind of hard to believe but with the exception of this year's batch of nominees, the last time I wrote one of these reviews was back in November. And then came the extensive interviews and the nightmarish reality of having to retake the COMLEX PE examination. But now the re-exmination is a thing of the past. While the nightmares won't be over for at least another 6-10 weeks until the scores are reported, I suppose it won't do any good to dwell on those accursed seven hours back on February 15. It's now out of my control. So all I can do now is try not to think about it (since if I do it will fill me with worry and dread even though I think I did better...but was it enough?) and go back to these reviews. At the very least I should finish this particular review, one whose introduction I wrote before taking the PE exam the first time!

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Wrecking Bar + Waffle Palace

We celebrated a belated Valentine’s date night over dinner and a show down in Little 5 Points last weekend.  It was so much fun to leave our regular stomping grounds and head down to a part of the city we really haven’t visited since well before the littles came along!

We enjoyed a lovely start to the evening at the Wrecking Bar Brew Pub, located in the lower level of this gorgeous 20th century Victorian-style home.  We sipped on half pints of a variety of their specialty beers and dined on a divine selection of craft pub food.



 
We chose the Kale Ale Fondue, local bratwurst with house krat, hand-cut Wreck Fries and pickled veggies and pimento cheese plate.  We seriously could not take one more bite by the end of the meal!



After supper, Honey’s mama treated the whole family to front row seats for the Waffle Palace at the Horizon Theater.


The set was like walking straight into the Waffle House and our seats were right there on the stage!  It was so much fun!!!  The show was cute and really entertaining…

From births to marriages, to police chases and lottery wins, anything can happen at 3 AM in the Waffle Palace. Inspired by amazing real life events at Waffle House restaurants, Larson and Lee let loose with this roller coaster of humor and imagination in which John Pickett and his staff battle to keep their Midtown diner open against heavy odds. The Waffle Palace: a place where everyone is welcome, and the only unforgivable sins are throwing waffles and under-tipping.





Honey’s mama and my parents have all raved about the theater’s (slightly off-color) Santaland Diaries holiday production – I sure hope they bring it back this year because I’m anxious to attend!  Thanks JuJu for a lovely evening!!

Now I’m positively craving Waffle House.  Sooo, guess where the baby and I are headed for breakfast?!?!  (I assure you I am not kidding…it’s a family favorite.)
xoxo

Monsters and Meatballs

That's right... Two new posters for two animated films coming out this year. Both of them are lovely.

I love the Monsters University one already. From time to time, we'll often get posters for Pixar's films which contain almost all of the main cast plus minor characters on them. Finding Nemo had an excellent one, ditto Cars and Toy Story 3. Also, ComingSoon.net confirmed that a new trailer for the film has been classified!

The question is, when will we get that said trailer? I think we'll get it sometime next month, not before Disney's own Oz the Great and Powerful, but maybe before DreamWorks' The Croods. Here's hoping it's a decent trailer that gets audiences fired up for the film, and maybe even win over the skeptics who keep telling themselves that Pixar is no longer good.

The Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 poster is also unexpectedly nice, but at the same time, we knew it was going to look good because the concept art was pretty and the few images we got and this poster do boast some very nice work.

The tagline reminds me of the film's working title: Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers. I don't know why they changed the title, because the tagline implies that the film will be about these "leftovers" getting their revenge. Anyways, the food creatures look great and the color work is nice, so I have no doubt that this will be a colorful bonanza like its predecessor.

What do you think of these two posters?

Funny Faces

The PCP “performed” in his first school concert since pre-K a couple of weeks back.  The entire first grade came together to sing all sorts of songs about recycling.  Of all things.  It was surprisingly cute and well done, but it wasn’t the scripted parts of the show that had Honey and I snickering.  Rather, it was all of the funny faces we observed on the PCP.  He certainly ran the gamut of emotions in the forty-five minute or so production before really going out with a bang.

bored

caught in the act

exhausted

guilty

vampire-ish

irate

put out

dumbfounded

beat

gone

“OMG. Honey…HONEY, WHERE IS HE?”

“There goes his teacher, up on the bleachers.”

“Seriously!?!?  Did he pass out?  Throw up?  I think he passed out.”

It was the next to last song of the show and I couldn’t get through the thick of the crowd to see what happened.  This is was one of those moments when I wished more than anything that I had Sister or bestie M with me.  They would have called off the show without a second thought to get across the room to their babies.  Instead, I fretted, freaked out and had a mini panic attack until I saw his teacher give me the “he’s okay” from across the room.  She saw him get flushed and then start to slip between the crowd and ran up there to get him.  A little fresh air and a sip of water later and his was back in business.

 

He’s definitely got some drama in him.  I for one was thoroughly entertained.  That is until I was thoroughly freaking out.  One things is for sure… there is NEVER a dull moment around these parts. 

xoxo

More Disney in the Etsy Store

I am super excited to now be offering a few more Disney items in my etsy store!  In addition to the Disney World Signature Picture books, I now have the following…
 
Disney Dream Cruise Signature Picture Books
These are very similar to my Disney World books (see more here - 2011 and 2012) but with custom pages for the Disney Dream Cruise.  The books have a personalized and laminated cover with your child’s first name and the year, as well as an intro page with your surname.  The book is sized at 5”x7” and holds five pictures in each of its sections: Sail Away Celebration, Nassau, Castaway Cay, Pirate Night, Around the Ship and Magical Memories.  The back of the book has pages for fifteen character autographs and photographs!

  
 



Disney Bag Tags
These make great luggage tags and stroller tags for in the park.  After trying mine out a couple of years, I’m no longer producing with ribbon, but with strong plastic loops and heavier weight lamination.  Add your contact info to the backs in the Disney font!




A Magical Message from Mickey Mouse Note Cards
Each morning of our Disney vacation we leave a little treat and a note from Mickey for the littles.  It is truly a highlight of the trip for them to see what Mickey has to say each morning!





Disneyland Memory Signature Books
I haven't photographed these yet, but they are similar to the Disney World books with sections for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure!



Writing this post makes me wish we were there now… have a magical Monday!
xoxo

VISIT MY ETSY STORE!

See all things DiSnEy here!

The Winners

Well, it's official. Pixar's beautiful, moving fairy tale took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. That's right... Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews' Brave. Pixar has won again at the Academy Awards. It was a tight race with some great competition, but it won just like it did at the Golden Globes last month.

To be honest, I'm not satisfied with this and a good many people aren't. Now hear me out, I loved Brave. Like I've said on here many times before, I don't think it's the extremely flawed film that others made it out to be. I felt it was a well-made, well-told spin on the typical fairy tale conventions with two very likable leads, some good humor and lots of heart. I'm not part of the "Brave is garbage"/"Pixar is no longer good" bandwagon. Not at all. I loved the film.

That being said, I felt it had some problems, but overall I think it's a very good film. Now you probably know what film I was rooting for. That's right... Wreck-It Ralph. Wreck-It Ralph was, to me, 2012's greatest animated film. It had so much good in it and very little bad. It had a confident screenplay, a very creative story that isn't in your typical animated film, excellent characters all around, a killer score and soundtrack (sans "Shut Up and Drive"), loads of references that never felt like they were thrown in to pander to gamers and of course, stellar animation and design. It was the kind of film that I want from Disney.

Walt Disney Animation Studios knocked it out of the park if you ask me. Wreck-It Ralph was risky and conventional enough for audiences, it toed the fine line between trying something new and satisfying moviegoers. Creative idea, familiar but well-done story and some twists and turns along the way. To me, it should've won, plain and simple...

Why Brave won, we may never know. Theories will probably be thrown around over the next few days. Some will say that it won because the Academy automatically awards Pixar (except if their film involves anthropomorphic vehicles) every year or because Brave was an animated film with a female lead and is a "feminist" film. I won't go into that, but some may see it that way. Why would the Academy NOT give the award to Ralph? Let a thousand theories spring forth.

My theory is that the Academy saw Ralph as a loud, noisy "video game" movie. Video games, like animation, aren't seen as an art form by many. So maybe that could be why the film didn't win. Brave on the other hand was about human beings, magic and adventure. Perhaps the mother-daughter story of the film appealed more to the Academy voters. Just look at Ralph and then look at Brave. I can see the Academy not feeling that Ralph was "Best" material. If you ask me, it would be the equivalent of them giving the Best Picture award to an action-heavy (but well-written and heartfelt) film.

ParaNorman and Frankenweenie didn't have much of a chance getting the award, because the Academy does think of box office when it comes to awards. ParaNorman and Frankenweenie didn't double their production budgets. The Academy most likely saw them as out-of-the-way flops, which is wrong because... What if those two were far superior to everything else? The Pirates! Band of Misfits? Out of all the nominees, that had the least chance at winning. Again, popularity and box office does play a part in what wins and what doesn't. Sad fact.

I will say though, it was nice to see Brenda Chapman being on stage and accepting the award with Mark Andrews. She wasn't present at the Golden Globes, and if I can remember correctly, she wasn't even invited. But to see Chapman on stage was good, so now she'll get the recognition she deserves for the film.

I am overall upset. I felt that Walt Disney Animation Studios was going to get the Oscar, one they deserved. They never got an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature before, since the category was created when the studio was being run into the ground. During its rebirth (2007-2009), it had tough competition. Bolt didn't stand a chance against WALL-E, ditto The Princess and the Frog against Up. Tangled wasn't nominated for 2010, ditto Winnie the Pooh for 2011. Here I thought this film would get it and finally prove to everyone that they are back. But to paraphrase Doc Hudson, it's just a golden statue. That being said, I wanted the win to boost Disney Animation's reputation...

Best Animated Short Film? By contrast, I was very happy with the results. Who won? Paperman... That's right, John Kahrs' beautiful and innovative meshing of hand-drawn art and crisp computer animation. While some of the competitors were impressive (particularly Adam and Dog), I was really happy to see Disney take home the award they deserved.

So... Were you satisfied with the Oscars? Are you happy with the winners? Or not? Which film deserved the award in your opinion and why? The same goes for the Best Animated Short Film category. Sound off below!

And the Mystery Film Is...

Big Hero 6...

Yes, the adaptation of the Marvel Comics story that will be directed by Don Hall... Walt Disney Animation Studios' first feature film co-production with another studio... You already know that I'm super excited for this. Are you?

It was revealed yesterday that the film was penciled in for a November 21st release in Spain, of all places. However, since Disney announced that an animated film was coming out on November 7th next year, Big Hero 6 will open that weekend here in the states. Still no word on how it will be done (whether it'll be hand-drawn or computer) or anything else, but I'm hoping that we'll hear more about it soon.

Disney better play their cards right with this one. With comic book movie mania in full swing, they can score a real hit off of this. Also, as I have said many times before, this is a great way for the studio to go beyond fairy tales and adaptations of classic stories again. Disney showed that they were willing to do this with something like Wreck-It Ralph, so hopefully they continue to break from the norm with this film and more films like it.

So much potential, so many possibilities... I expect another grand slam from the studio.

2012 Oscars Live Blog

Well, it's that time of year again...Oscar night. I've been watching it almost every year since Titanic swept in 1997, missing only in 2004 when I had to work and 2010 when I had to study for a Neuro exam. And since 2007 I've been keeping a live blog on Facebook. Now that I think of it, that was the year I first watched all of the Best Animated Short nominees before the actual ceremony. Anyways, I'm not going to have much of an audience for Facebook after I wiped out my entire friends list in a fit of rage last month, and I also have a blog that's somewhat related the Oscars, so why not do it here? All entries will be after the jump, and all times will be Central.

My review of the 2012 Best Animated Short nominees

Previous entries: 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007

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Academy Awards 2013 Ballot {Free Printable}

Per usual, it’s with bated breath that I anxiously await the gorgeous gowns, dapper men and coveted Oscars that will be doled out on Sunday eve.  And while I’ll likely be watching in my jammies from the comfort of my bed, I will be keeping track of my picks and the big winners with another printable ballot.  (I have pictured last year’s because I just don’t have it in me to stage and take a photo this dreary afternoon.  I mean, as the four friends that popped in this morning can attest to, I still have on my PJs for cryin out loud.)



Here’s how:

- Click on link below to download file
- Print on two sides of regular 8.5” x 11” white cardstock
Then, if you wish to dress it up a bit:
- Trim the left and right edges, leaving only a very slim margin
- Use a paper punch to round the edges
- Punch holes (I had to punch two holes side by side) at the top of the paper to hold your pencil

Academy Awards 2013 printable ballot by

With that, I’m signing off of the old blog until Monday!
xoxo

Don't Censor Me!

Back in 2011, Warner Bros. released what I would call a definitive set for the legendary Tom and Jerry series. Called the "Golden Collection", the first volume presented the first 37 theatrical shorts, beautifully restored and all uncensored in their original format. All the questionable humor and gags were present. To top it off, there was a warning that you couldn't skip that wonderfully explained why the cartoons have that potentially offensive material and why it's absolutely wrong to censor them.

This was a great set for us animation aficionados. It wasn't aimed at young audiences or the whole family, it was aimed at us. The adult collector, as the back of the case says. You can only imagine how pumped I was for the next couple of volumes, because they were going to include everything uncensored. Then they were going to include all of the post-1958 shorts as well! The complete Tom and Jerry series on Blu-ray!

Volume Two has been on and off for years. A few times, Warner Bros. announced release dates for it, but it never happened. Now it's on track for a June 11th release, but the shorts line-up that was released a while back was curiously missing two short subjects: Mouse Cleaning and Casanova Cat. Both films contain blackface gags, Mouse Cleaning's gag is especially notorious. However, the blackface gags on these two short subjects are no more offensive than similar gags that we saw in the shorts that are on the first volume. For a while, it seemed like this list was not official and was just a mistake... After all, the original nitrate elements of Mouse Cleaning had been found and lots of work had been done to restore it, but... Warner Bros. recently put this on their Classic WB Animation Facebook page as a reply to fans who were questioning whether the next volume would in fact be sanitized or not.

Condescending and just plain wrong...

This contradicts the whole idea of the Golden Collection. Why go through all the trouble of restoring all the offensive content and making an impassable warning for the beginning of the disc for the first volume, only to omit two entire shorts from the second volume because of the content? It's not just edited versions of those cartoons we are getting, we're not getting them at all. If that's so, will the other shorts on the set be the television edits where Mammy Two-Shoes' voice is re-dubbed? This is a total atrocity and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment ought to be ashamed.

Inappropriate for the intended audience? Warner Bros., who are you to deem this content inappropriate for us? The very audience that understands that these cartoons were made during a different time... Again, you went through all the trouble of restoring these "offensive" shorts and putting a big warning at the beginning of disc... Now you sanitize Volume Two, remove two shorts entirely and say that they might be "inappropriate" for us?! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, you have made a massive mistake and you have also insulted us animation aficionados who admire this series and are mature enough to understand what was going on during the 1940s and why this racial humor was in some the cartoons.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but after all the effort that was put into the first volume, you wouldn't think that Warner Bros. would just all of sudden go against their plans and also talk down the collectors who buy these sets...

I just hope Warner Bros. didn't get cold feet over the first volume and are now making Volume Two suitable for the PC crowd. Again, the first volume was strictly intended for adult collectors. The packaging itself says so, there's a warning at the beginning of the disc... Why follow that up with a sanitized set? It makes no sense on any level.

Now if this was a kid-oriented set with the edited versions, that would be one thing, but again; this is a follow-up to an adult-oriented set. It's not only a slap in the face to the audience it's intended for, but it's just censorship ruling the day once again.

Warner Bros., if you were smart, you wouldn't go through with a censored set that's a follow-up to an uncensored adult's set. It's a rip-off and an insult to us, the buyers. It only pushes the belief that these cartoons are nothing more than children's films, when that's definitely not true. It feeds into a greater evil. Censorship is so selective. Certain things can't be shown, but it's totally alright if something else that's equally offensive is shown. Need I bring up Disney's reluctance to release Song of the South, yet they happily release Peter Pan complete with the controversial depictions of Native Americans?

Unfortunately, we live in a world where cartoons and animated works are immediately labelled "kid's stuff". Disney and Pixar are already victims of this, and everyone else. Classic Warner Bros., Fleischer and MGM shorts? All perceived as kid's stuff. It's easier to release older live action films with potentially offensive material, or films that are unabashedly offensive (Birth of a Nation, anyone?), but since animation is viewed as a babysitter, it's not okay. Far too often, home media releases of animation caters to parents who are looking for something to keep their children busy for an hour or two. The belief is what's at the core of this problem. Warner Bros. probably wants to sell units, rather than putting a lot of money into a set that only collectors are going to buy. But hey, Disney did it with the Walt Disney Treasures sets and they continued to make many.

There's still the fact that the first collection and the recent Looney Tunes sets have the offensive material on them. It just further proves that it makes no logical sense to omit two full shorts from a set all because of a single gag in each. It's like releasing a controversial film on home media uncut, and releasing its equally controversial sequel in censored form. Makes... No... Sense...

Now there's also a possibility that the two shorts will show up on a third volume, but if they show up uncensored, then it wouldn't make sense to leave them off of this upcoming set. It leads me to believe that whenever they will show up, they'll be sanitized. It also leads me to believe that all the shorts on this collection will be sanitized as well.

Luckily, animation fanatics are raising hell about this. Go to the set's Amazon page and see all the one-star reviews convincing consumers not to buy it. Fans have also raised hell on other forums and they have responded to the terribly condescending reply from WB Classic Animation on their Facebook page. Let your voice be heard!

Once again, censorship and ignorance towards the animated medium is going to rule the day here. The existence of an adults-only "Golden Collection" of one of the greatest cartoon series in cinema history was fun while it lasted...

Note: This article originally went up on February 13, 2013. It was taken down since the press release with the list of shorts seemed like a mistake... Now it's official, those two shorts will be omitted from the set...

February Animation News Roundup

Some quick bits of animation new from this past week and then some... Stuff I didn't go over and such...

Relativity Media's first animated release, Turkeys, is apparently very far into production. Far enough that the release date moved up a year. Originally slated for a November 14, 2014 release, the Reel FX production will hit theaters on November 1, 2013. In its original spot, it was scrunched between Disney's untitled animated film and DreamWorks' Happy Smekday!; here it has room to breathe. That being said, I was never looking forward to this long-in-development picture. A story about two turkeys going back in time to stop the Thanksgiving tradition of eating turkey does not appeal to me at all... Though it may just play with that idea and make for a fun comedy. After all, director Jimmy Hayward co-directed Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, so it has potential.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2's trailer is coming on the 27th. It's about time we see a little something pertaining to that film. It seemed like it didn't even exist until some very pretty concept art showed up not too long ago. Will it be a good follow-up to the original? Or a mediocre cash-grab sequel?

Rio 2, though we knew it was coming, is officially on track for an April 11 release in 2014. Some other countries get it first a few weeks earlier. The cast has been announced and new plot details have emerged. In the sequel, Blu and Jewel have settled down with three kids. But when it's time for them to fly, they take them on a trip to the Amazon. However, Blu must fit in with the new neighbors, as he fears that he'll lose his wife and children to the "call of the wild". It certainly sounds like it'll be harmless fun, just like the first one. I expect nothing more, plus we'll probably get a trailer before Epic this spring.

Illumination is going forward with their planned re-imagining of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A release date has not been set, but I think it'll probably show up for the holidays of 2015 or 2016. How it will compare the 2000 Ron Howard film is up in the air, but the Chuck Jones classic will never be touched. Expect it to be sugary-sweet, packed with hit-or-miss humor and loaded with lots of padding. Illumination also announced an untitled, original project for July 3, 2015. What a shocker... Between Despicable Me and Dr. Seuss, it'll be nice to see what the original concept is. Maybe it's that untitled cryptozoology project they mentioned a while back... Or maybe something new.

DreamWorks seems to see a lot of potential in their upcoming summer release Turbo, that questionable story about a snail becoming a racing champion after a freak accident. A series based on the film called Turbo F.A.S.T. (which stands for Fast Action Stunt Team) will debut as a Netflix exclusive series this autumn. It'll be a new addition to Netflix's recent original programming plan. It'll also be the first family-friendly original show for them. This is no different from DreamWorks' TV spin-offs of Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon (the latter of which has gotten a lot of praise), so it seems reasonable that they'd create a TV series based on this film, but perhaps a bit premature.

The best news concerns Walt Disney Animation Studios' Frozen. Christophe Beck, the man who composed Disney's beautiful Paperman, will be providing the score for the upcoming fairy tale adaptation. Color me excited once more, and hopefully we'll get some real posters and promo artwork that'll wash those horrid fake ones away.

~

Out of all these of announcements, which one excites you the most? What are your thoughts on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Turkeys? Do you think DreamWorks is counting their chickens before they hatch with their planned Turbo Netflix series? Or do you think it'll pay off? Are you anticipating Illumination's Grinch? Or not?

Sound off below!

Tucker Gowan Memorial Scholarship

I’m taking a wee break today from decorating, crafting and child rearing to share the story of a great undertaking by a great friend for a great cause.  Our dear, dear friend Todd is celebrating his 10th cancer free year this year.  He is truly one of the most remarkable men that Honey and I have ever had the great fortune of knowing; the kind of person that gives selflessly and effortlessly and inspires good in all that he touches.

Over the last year, Todd, myself and countless others followed Tucker Gowan, a family friend to Todd, as he bravely battled cancer.  Tucker beat the disease but tragically lost his life to other complications.



In recognition of this hallmark year for Todd, he is not only running a half marathon in Tucker’s honor, but he is raising money for an annual scholarship in Tucker's name.  The goal is to recognize one Pomperaug High School student each year, for the next twenty years, who embodies the spirit and overall zest for life that Tucker exemplified each and every day.

You can read much more about Tucker’s legacy and Todd’s story, and give to the cause here. 

I offer a heartfelt thank you to all that take the time to read, share and repost on your own blogs and Facebook pages.
xoxo

Bob Godfrey (1921-2013)

So I've been sick and have been spending most of the past two days just trying to sleep it off. And when I woke up today I found out that some time during my slumber the animation world had lost one of their greatest contributors, and one we've seen several times in the past on this blog. Sadly, the Australian-born British animator Bob Godfrey had passed away at the age of 91. He is greatly remembered in England for his work in children's entertainment, such as the television series Roobarb, Henry's Cat, and Do-It Yourself Film Animation Show, which inspired a whole generation of animators, including 3-time Oscar winner Nick Park. Yet Godfrey's success with the Academy came with completely different types of films, ones that satirizes the British way of life, often with explicit sexual innuendo. His greatest triumph came with his 1975 masterpiece Great, the irreverent musical tribute to the life and career of Victorian-era British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Great captured the Best Animated Short Oscar in 1975, and was my second favorite nominated film between the years 1972-1981. He received three other nominations, including Kama Sutra Rides Again (1973), Dream Doll (1979, with Zlatko Grgic), and Small Talk (1993). Although those  nominations ended up losing, they helped him leave behind a style and legacy that will remain memorable to fans of animation for a long, long time.

Text of the article after the break.

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Love of Family & Home Feature

I’m tickled to have my master bedroom featured over at Love of Family and Home’s Happily Ever Before & After series today!

 

Many thanks to Tonya for her kind words!!  *blushing*

xoxo

The Drapes that Dreams are Made Of

Y’all know that I made it a New Year’s resolution to pull out of the pretty things I’ve got stashed away and either use them or lose them.  The first on the list was the eleven yards of stunning coastal fabric by Design Legacy that I purchased at Lewis and Sheron for my one-day-playroom-turned-home-office.  Well, "one day" is one too many days away to let this sit sadly in my closet, so I went crazy last Saturday morning and sewed it right into new drapes for the living room.  These, my friends, are the drapes that (my) dreams are made of…


         
Of course, one thing always leads to another, so I pulled the oyster shell mirror (from Wisteria) out from under the guest room bed (it was in the master this time last year) and all sorts of other goodies out of hiding.  Like this collection of Oysteria plates…



This lamp from Pottery Barn and shade from Target…


And these coastal finds from Home Goods in Savannah last summer…


Change is afoot!  Y’all stay tuned!! (Oh, and as an added bonus, between this and the master bedroom changes the closet is really clearing out.)
xoxo