Red Carpet - Seven Days In Utopia

The premiere of Seven Days in Utopia was fantastic!  Check out my Red Carpet Coverage for Southern Living.    I had the honor of interviewing actors Academy Award Winner Robert Duvall and Lucas Black as well as PGA golfers K.J. Choi, Stewart Cink, Rich Beem and Rickie Fowler.

Girls' Night In

Recently, one of my girl friends decided that for her birthday she definitely wanted to celebrate, but she didn't want anything too elaborate- to be quite honest, she really preferred not to go out at all. My first thought was, how are we going to celebrate without going out or throwing a dinner party? But then I thought about how we used to celebrate our birthdays before we got to the point in our lives when dinner parties were common and going out for drinks wasn't an option, due to legal restrictions, of course. Then the idea sparked. We can have a girls' night in! We're never too old for a girls' night and I don't think we'll ever forget the essentials for throwing a successful girls' night in...or even a slumber party! If I think back to the last time I attended a planned night in, completely dedicated to relaxation and indulgence, with only girlfriends, the first things I remember are movies, chocolate, and comfy nightwear. So here are some suggestions for how you can throw a proper girls night or slumber party for you and your friends!

Shoe Check: Instead of a coat check have your guests check their shoes at the door for a more comfy pair of slippers or flips flops. When purchasing the footwear keep in mind your friends’ sizes, but don’t stress if the size isn’t perfect. Slippers aren’t restricting so you can even find slippers that come in sizes small, medium, or large. If you are really unsure about the sizing always get a larger size to be safe.

Chocolate!: Chocolate is a must at any night with girlfriends. Whether the night consists of you and just one friend, or in this instance, a whole party of girlfriends. Spoon Fudge is a delicious chocolate treat that I came across and let me tell you, it is almost dangerous! All it is, is a jar of smooth, decadent fudge that can be paired with fruit or baked in with snacks, but the best part of all is the spoon that comes along with it! Why is that the best part? Because it's inviting you to eat the fudge right from the jar, guilt free! You can have one 5oz. jar for just $5.95 or if you plan on having a party, you'll probably need two jars for only $10.95...oh, and the yummy fudge comes in 15 different flavors!

Drinks: The drink options have changed a bit. Our list has expanded beyond colas, juices, and hot chocolate. It might be nice to still include those beverages, but what I love for a girls’ night, and think would be perfect for a birthday occasion, is individual size champagne bottles. Champagne is always festive and these mini bottles are just so easy, and cute!

Sleeping arrangements: Invite your friends to spend the night. After a couple of champagne minis it might be a must! But if the girls do not feel like reverting back to their high school and college days (or should I say, nights) of sleeping on couches, then it is just as cute to suggest to have their husbands pick them up at the end of the evening. Sort of reminiscent of when our fathers were responsible for that task.

Movie list: Let's just have on record, all of these may not be my favorite movies but they are great movies to watch with your girlfriends!

-Pretty Woman

-Bridget Jones' Diary

-When Harry Met Sally

-My Best Friend's Wedding

-The Holiday

-Sleepless in Seattle

-Terms of Endearment

-Breakfast at Tiffany's

-or you could do a marathon of a season of one of your favorite shows! I spent a whole night watching season one of Glee with a girlfriend!

Goody bags: I can't sleep with out an eye mask over my eyes! I travel with them and have a few in my bed side table! I was so pleased with the unique shape of a silk one I recieved as a gift one time. The shape was perfect because it didn't leave little lines on my cheeks! I haven't been able to find any more to purchase so I had some made instead! I used vintage silk scarves that I found at the flea market in Paris and new silk on the back. The fun color combinations and unique shape have been so popular that I started selling them! If you want one for yourself, you can email me at rsvp@rsvpcalendar.com or stop into the Linen Boutique at 5500 West Lovers Lane in Dallas. ($65)

Now that you had a little sneak peak into my planned girls' night in, maybe it's time for you to throw one for you and your girlsfriends! It will be so fun and you deserve it!

Movie time for Mommy!

I love going to the movies but I have to be honest, since we had our son, we rarely make it out to the theatre!  There are so many films in the theatre that I would love to see but by the time we pay a baby sitter, the movie ends up costing a lot of money!
This is why I was so excited to learn about the Crybaby Matinee!  The Angelica theatre offers moms and dads a chance to bring their tots to the theatre with them!  They leave the lights up and keep the sounds fairly low so that the children are comfortable and the parents can keep on eye on the little one!
Crybaby Matinees are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1.30.    Adult tickets are $8 and kids under 12 are $7.  Children under 5 are free!  Call (214) 826-3300 for details.

What do you do when you need to run to the loo during a film

I am so excited about the new app I found to help me catch the important parts of the movies I go to see. Isn't it just the worst when you are at the movies and you find yourself needing to run out to the loo? RunPee tells you the best times during each film for you to run out. You input the movie you are at and press the timer button after the previews finish and the film begins. Your phone with vibrate a few minutes before each of your ideal breaks! How simple! Enjoy!

Justin and I love going to the movies but now that we have a little one at home, it has gotten much harder. Not only does it take a lot more co-ordinating to find a baby sitter and make sure that everything is set up for their evening but it also a lot of more expensive! We end up staying home and renting movies more often than we get out to see new releases. As I was trying to figure out what to watch next I did a little bit of research and discovered that AFI has a list of the Top 100 Films that everyone should see! Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Godfather, Gone With The Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Wizard of Oz, The Graduate, On The Waterfront, Schindler's List and Singin' in the Rain are the Top Ten in order. You can download a wonderful checklist from AFI's Website of all 100 films. They also have lists of the Top 100 Movie Quotes, Hero's & Villains, Laughs, Stars, Movie Musicals and Film Scores among others. The Top 100 Movie Quotes are fun to read. Casablanca has seven of the top 100 and Humphrey Bogart has 10!1939 is the most represented year with 19 movie quotes.