Don't Stop Believin'!

I am very excited for Glee a comedy/musical starting this fall on FOX. They previewed the pilot last May and Ben and I tuned in. At the very end of the episode the Glee Club is practicing their latest number. They sing Journey's, "Don't Stop Believin'." I though it was great and was humming the tune the following day. Later they released the Glee Club's version of the song on iTunes and I decided to purchase it! I introduced the song to the kids I nanny for and they've loved it... I've also discovered Lydia and the rest of the McDougall clan love singing it as well.

Last week I was in Bed, Bath, and Beyond (or as Ben calls it, Bad Breath and Beyond) with Andrew and the original song came on in the store. Andrew started rocking out, I spotted a 15-ish year old boy playing air guitar and lip syncing the song, followed by a sighting of a BBB employee singing along as she re-shelved towels. I felt like I was in a musical!

I'm hoping the reason why so many people of ALL ages know this song is they've caught the Glee bug. Watch the video and get excited for the shows return on September 9th!

Frozen to Scorched in 5 Minutes Flat

Dear Frozen Pizza,

What happened?  I placed you in the 450 degree oven and walked away for 5 minutes.  When I came back to check on you I was saddened to see that you were burnt beyond repair.  No matter of "scraping off the burnt pieces" would help revive you into the delicious frozen pizza I was hoping to consume.  Was the oven too hot?  Your box said "450 degrees."  Should I have placed you on my pizza stone rather than directly on the rack?  I promise to keep a closer eye on you next time!

Sincerely,

Hungry Tummy

P.S.  Sorry for the unsightly photo.

Doobee-Doobee-Doo

While watching The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien the other night I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorite characters from The Office do a little 'bit' on scat singing. I am a big jazz fan but unless you are Ella Fitzgerald or more recently Tierney Sutton (two of my favorite "scatters") scatting just looks funny! Enjoy! It's silly!

Christmas Already?

Attention Early

Christmas Shoppers!

I am running two specials on my photo cards.
(The specials will run through December.)

First Special:

Buy 2 Gift Card Sets, Get one FREE + FREE Shipping!
Each Gift Card Set is $12.00 and includes:

• 5 white blank note cards with envelopes
• Each displaying an original photograph
• Individually wrapped in a cellophane sleeve
• "Gift Wrapped" with a holiday ribbon

I have selected photographs for each set but custom orders are welcome.
I can also mount the photographs on a card stock color of your choice!

Second Special:

Looking for an original card to send to your family and friends for the holidays? Choose your favorite photo and favorite card stock color.

Buy 25+ cards and receive 25% off your total order, plus FREE shipping! Individual Cards are priced at $2.00 a piece.

These specials are NOT on my Etsy sight, so email me directly at mandywatsonphotography@gmail.com with questions or order requests!

All the photo's shown in this post are available for ordering.

Every photo on my Etsy sight is also available for purchase.

July Jam

It's that time of year to pick berries and make some delicious jam! I cheated this round, I bought a flat of raspberries at one of the local farmers markets. I do plan to make some black berry jam this weekend and I will be picking those berries in my parents back yard. (Or close to it!) The first time I made cooked jam it was a total disaster, I didn't know what I was getting into. I was at my mom's house and I was boiling the berries, adding pectin, reading directions, and trying to get the boiling water going all at the same time. My pot-o-boiling berries started to boil over and it was like raging lava flowing all over my mom's range. I am happy to report since that traumatic experience I have mastered the art of jam making and haven't had any berry lava since. Yes that's 7 cups of SUGAR!!!!!

We Won't Forget About You or Now That You've Left

Today is a sad day. 1980s (and early 90s) icon John Hughes has passed away at the age of 59. Last month the web was replete with sentiments of how Michael Jackson defined the 1980s. MJ didn't do much for me but the cannon of Mr. Hughes was very important to my social and cultural development. Sure, I was not a teenager when he made his best work so I can't say that his films were a reflection of my experience. I can say, however, that I approached junior high and high school with the expectation that my experience was supposed to be like it was in Sherman, Ill. What I liked the most about Hughes was that he was one of the grown ups who "got it." He seemed to have a knack for what it was like to be a teenager who didn't fit in. It didn't matter what side of the proverbial track you lived on he wrote about teens with a sincerity that was appreciated. Although his films are very funny he also approached adolescence with a sense of seriousness that made you feel like perhaps you were not that much of an outsider. I'm sure over the next couple of days we are going to be reading heightened accounts of how important Hughes was and then we will get the inevitable backlash about how he shouldn't be praised. So for now while my thoughts are still fresh I thought I would bid a fond farewell:)

Btw for what it's worth I watched Pretty in Pink again two weeks ago and it still holds up. Who's up for a marathon?