In love: French Bull

It's Spring time in the States, so we're already blessed with beautiful ideas for the summer. And one of them is French Bull. With super colorful designs, it's tabletops are perfect for setting an amazing outdoor table, for a barbecue, a party, for the beach house or even every day. They're all made of melamine which means practicality and durability!

On their website you will find dishes, plates, glasses, knives, bowls, kids utensils, oven mitts, placemats, containers, floor mats etc. It'll be hard to pick one!

Get your home ready - and colorful - for the summer! (if you're not in the States and the company doesn't ship internationally, some items are available at Amazon)

Details...

Cafebrería El Péndulo (amazing book store + coffee shop in Mexico City)

And the Oscar goes to... (Part 2)

As I said here, hubby and I are in this race to watch the Oscar's movies, and this past weekend we saw The Artist.

I confess I wasn't too excited. After all, silent, black and white movie isn't my favorite style, but The Artist is completely different.
The filmmakers had the courage to do something that entertains you - a lot! - without all the visual and sound effects of a "normal" movie.
I suggest you to watch it! It will be a totally different cinema experience.

And the Oscar goes to...

Last week, me, hubby and my in-laws, made ​​a bet for the Oscar: the couple who guesses more nominations will win a dinner paid by "the loser couple". That's because we love watching the Oscars and this year, as my in-laws are here with us, this was a great idea to make the ceremony even more interesting (menu to be defined!).
So we're are trying to watch as many movies as possible (at least those nominated for best picture, actor and actress), and this past weekend we saw:

I'm not a film critic, but as a film lover, I can say that the three of them are worth being watched. One movie is very different from the other, but all of them with captivating stories and great cast.
If all the other nominated movies are as good as these, this year's ceremony will be exciting!

This cinema adventure to be continued next weekend...

Suggested watching: Senna Documentary

Last weekend I saw the documentary Senna.
It was a very small release in 2010 (only in a few cities in Brazil, and also in other countries such as Japan), so I added it to my "to see list", and finally got the chance.
If you've never heard about Senna, he was a three-time Formula One World Champion who died in a car accident during the Italian Grand Prix, in 1994, at age 34.

The documentary talks about the amazing - and fast - career of this huge idol in Brazil (and all over the world), with shots of some of his accomplishments, and statements from important people in the world of sports and family.

It's two hours of joy, excitement, sadness and nostalgia that are worth.

Movie Suggestion: Crazy, Stupid, Love

This weekend I saw Crazy, Stupid, Love and loved it! In addition to being a fan of any movie that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are in the cast - which also has Kevin Bacon, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei and Steve Carell, the movie is a great rom-com, perfect to watch with your partner, friends or even alone (my case!).

So go to the nearest video store (or buy it online), open that bottle of wine that is in your cellar, and reserve 2 hours to laugh and have fun!

Movie suggestions: Pearl Jam Twenty and Rabbit Hole

This past weekend, I watched two very different movies which I recommend: Pearl Jam Twenty and Rabbit Hole.

Pearl Jam Twenty is a journey into the past (the nineties - so not that long ago), recalling my old days as a fan of Pearl Jam. The documentary celebrates 20 years of the band, showing everything from its beginning until today. It has a lot of music, concerts and curiosities. It's pretty fun to watch.

Rabbit Hole, on the other hand, deals with a hard subject (a couple who is trying to rebuild their lives after losing their only son, age 4, in a car accident), but I thought it was beautifully portrayed, without too much drama and heavy scenes. Of course you will cry and get emotional, but it's not a tearjerker. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart are great! But honestly, I think I only watched the movie, because I still do not have kids, but for parents, it might be painful to watch...

For a cultural weekend!

Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills

Over the weekend, I went with my hubby and a friend to the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.
I had heard about this place for some time, but never had the opportunity. So, to do something different with my guest, there we went!

         

The Greystone Mansion was owned by the Doheny family (a very important family from the oil business that also names a major Drive here in Los Angeles), but was acquired by the city of Beverly Hills and became a public park (entrance and parking are free).
Unlike most American attractions, you can´t bring food, drinks or pets (maybe that's why when we were there, it was pretty empty...). But still worth a visit to see the incredible view of the city and stroll through the gardens.

   

The mansion is used for filming and events until today. That same day there was a wedding going on (very good idea because the ambiance is beautiful!). The ceremony was held outdoors in the garden and the reception around the main house. Since the house was closed for the event and we found no one from the park to talk to, I can´t tell if the mansion itself is open to visitors or if it is just the gardens (when I get back there I'll find out and let you know!).

As a curiosity, here are some movies that used the mansion as a backdrop: The Social Network; There Will Be Blood, The Prestige, Garfield, Austin Powers: Goldmember, Spiderman, X-Men, Indecent Proposal, The Body Guard and Ghostbusters among many others.

Quiet and nice stroll in Beverly Hills!

Suggested reading: Rob Lowe Biography

I just read a cool article in Vanity Fair - June issue - on Rob Lowe. Actually, it was a piece from his newly released autobiography called Stories I only tell my frieds: An Autobiography, where he tells a little bit about the first important role he got (in the movie The Outsiders), along with other actors who would also become super-present on the big-screen as Tom Cruise, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon among others.
For those who, like me, love biographies (other suggestions here), this may be a good option. With a 20+ years career, the actor has gone through a lot and has a lot to tell us...

Amazon has all the versions available including digital for Kindle.

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen surprised me again with a creative idea in his new movie Midnight in Paris. In addition to the great and funny story, Paris is portrayed beautifully. Its 130 minutes fly by and you keep smiling from the beggining until the end!

Departures

Departures is a beautiful Japanese movie about the amazing delicacy and respect Japaneses deals with death. Very touching, the movie is available for rent. I recommend it!