Happy Monday, folks! This weekend was a busy one for me as I worked literally 85% of it, and the other 25% was spent on the subway. No one told me that when I moved to Toronto I would need to wear more sensible footwear, I honestly have never had so many blisters in my life!

The light at the end of the tunnel was being able to catch the Emmy's last night with a nice cup of tea. Can we just take a moment to applaud Neil Patrick Harris' musical number in the middle of the show? It was great! Also, when Bob Newhart got a standing ovation and it brought him to tears. Oh! And let's not forgot the amazing dance number choreographed by the nominees of best choreography! I'm a reality TV junkie, so I must acknowledge that!!

Okay, so enough of that. I've been listening to a lot of music this weekend with all of the time that I've been spending on the subway, and I wanted to talk about it today!! Specifically, a great indie band from the land down under, Castlecomer.

I originally found Castlecomer on Youtube at the beginning of the summer while searching for a specific cover of The Lumineers' "Ho Hey". Suddenly I found myself listening to the incredible harmonies of this band (comprised of both family and friends), and falling in love with their sound. Plus, check out those cool filming locations around Sydney!

If you like The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons, you'll probably love Castlecomer, as they have a very similar rock/folk sound, with a bit of an Irish twist. Check out their Youtube page where they have some of their original music, and a lot of really amazing covers. And if you really like them, go ahead and pick up their new EP that was released back in July; it's on iTunes!

Enjoy the tunes, and let me know how your weekend was!

Okay, so I've given it enough time to sink in, and I think now's a good time to discuss the new iOS update.

By no means am I an expert on this kind of stuff, but I'm a consumer, so I think it's okay that I sort of "review" this new update.

First things first, the actual update itself took forever! Now I know a lot of people were all updating at one time, but I kept getting error after error. Finally, I was able to download the thing!

It took literally 3 hours, not 40 minutes like it said. Then once I had it downloaded, it kept me from installing for another hour. Hah.

So there's that. Anyway, now onto the fun stuff! There are a lot of new things about iOS 7, but I've picked out a few of my favourite (or least favourite parts).

First, the lock screen. It's a whole new style, and I really like it. I've never put a code on my phone because I didn't like having to type it in every time. Now however, I kind of like it. That's also me being totally fabulous at my friend Rach's wedding (I was the Maid of Honour, booyah!)

Next is the home screen! New icons, which are very sharp and snazzy. Even a cool new dock with lots of multi-tasking tools. Plus it comes with a nifty flashlight tool (about time, Apple). You can access the tool by just swiping up from the dock.

One of my favourite new things on the update was Photos app. Aside from the cool new icon, they have organized the photos through "Years", "Collections", and "Moments". It's like seeing a picture board of all your adventures!

Also, I'm totally loving the new weather app.

Something I'm not too keen about though is the calendar. I liked the colour coding that was on it before, and it just looks a little plain. The daily schedules are similar. Not great, but not horrible.

Another thing I'm not so sure I like, (likely because it's new and I'm like an old person when it comes to things changing) is the new keyboard. It's very modern and sleek, but I'm blind as a bat and I have a hard time reading the fonts (and the messages). Also Jess and I have created nicknames for a variety of people in our contacts using Emoji's. Hers is Mail Pig.

Some other features I find pretty cool are the multi-page tool in Safari, and the new Music app. PLUS all of my music is stored through AirStream, so I have a ton of extra space. Woo!

How many of you guys upgraded to the iOS7? I'm curious to know your thoughts on the new update, and if you've found any cool new things!

Is anyone else watching X Factor? I caught it on a whim last week and now I've sworn to never miss it! There is so much talent, and even more non-talent.

I'm going to be honest with you, I'm watching it as I type...

And can we just talk about how flawless Kelly Rowland is? Her face is literally perfect.

If you guys aren't watching it, go do that. Like, now.

Byeeee!

As most of you know, I'm a bit of a fan of lists, and this week marks the premiere of New Girl's third season. If you have't seen the show, shame on you! Go watch it now!! The first season is available on Netflix, and the second season will be available to watch as of tomorrow! So go get on that!

Hey, even if you have seen it, head on over and watch last season's finale in preparation for the premiere tomorrow night (which is 9pm on FOX by the way).

Anyways, here are Five Reasons Why I'm Excited for New Girl, with the help of my favourite New Girl gifs:

1.  Schmidt.

One of my favourite things about New Girl are "Schmidtisms". "Schmidtisms" are lines and words that Shmidt has said over the past two seasons that have made him worthy of the "Douche Bag Jar. Like when Schmidt got Nick all dressed up for his date with Jess, and told him that when his date complimented him on his suit he needed to say, "I'm wearing Schmidt". 

2. Jess just gets me.

Out of all the shows I watch, and have ever watched, (which is heaps) I've never actually had a character get me. Anything she says sounds like it's come directly from my head and out of her mouth. And to be honest, I've exhausted all of my New Girl quotes from Seasons 1&2, and I need new material.

3. Hannah Simone is a Canuck!

Okay, I love Cece, she is incredibly loyal to her best friend, Jess, is hilarious, and has won the heart of Shmidt. But even more, I love Hannah Simone, the actress who plays her. She is from Toronto, and as if that isn't enough, she is also an alumni from my university, which makes me feel like I know her personally. I mean, we practically went to school together.

4. Nick Miller.

Okay, so he's a bit of an odd ball (um, same), he has a lousy job, is bad with his money, and is normally grumpier than the grumpy cat. But, he's just so adorable. Plus, this:

5. Jess & Nick. Sigh.

'Nuff said.

So, will you guys be watching New Girl tomorrow night? Let me know!

Okay, I have to post this because Jimmy Kimmel is a mastermind.

If you go on Tumblr, YouTube, or the internet at all you will find yourself lost amongst hundreds and hundreds of viral videos. These of course are videos that, whether it be the cuteness of a kitten, hilarious little kids, or, my personal favourites, "fail" videos, have become extremely popular and have reached millions upon millions of views.

If you haven't seen the video, it's of a girl attempting to twerk. If you don't know what twerking it, Google it, I'm not an encyclopedia of knowledge, folks. Anyways, she attempts to twerk and fails, quite epically landing on a class table conveniently set up with lit candles and a bottle of alcohol.

I have to say, when I saw this video a few weeks ago on Tumblr, I totally thought it was legit. I mean, I've seen worse on the internet, so it's totally believable that this chick lit herself on fire and decided to post it on YouTube.

Flash forward to last night's Jimmy Kimmel, and well, watch the video.

Jimmy Kimmel, the man I loved and trusted with his fantastic YouTube Challenges has pulled off one of the best pranks on the internet. I couldn't not blog about this because I love how he talks about social media and the effects it has. It's fascinating how viral videos become viral, or how things all of a sudden sky rocket to popularity.

Anyways, that's all I have to say about that. What do you guys think? Did you fall for it like I did, or were you calling balderdash the whole time?

I caved. Last week while I was sick with strep throat I was perusing through Netflix trying to figure out which RomCom I should watch when a recommended movie came across my screen. Why this movie was recommended, I don’t know since I’ve never watched any documentaries about musicians on Netflix, but Katy Perry: Part of Me was there, and I was willing; so I clicked it.

What I expected to see was a 2-hour music video. Over-done concert shots and interviews with Katy’s family and friends talking about how much she deserved her success-- nothing with substance. Instead what I found myself watching was a documentary on Katy, and though she has made a brand of herself now, it didn’t come without struggles. What’s more, is that in the midst of her most successful moment, she had to deal with heartbreak as she dealt with the divorce from her husband. I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed the movie. 

On top of that, I hadn’t really listened much to Katy’s music, but that week her new single, “Roar” was released, and well, I’ll let her words speak for themselves:

I have to say, over the last two weeks, I’ve become a fan of Katy. She’s actually a pretty cool gal, and her new song is outstanding. It’s so good, I’m even willing to forgive the fact that she’s dating my future husband.

What do you guys think about Katy Perry's new single?

-K

If you've been following The List, then you'll know that it has been a goal of mine this year to watch all of the movies nominated for an Academy Award, (even the movies nominated for Best Song). I've been trying really hard to get this list knocked down, and thanks to Netflix, I am able to really get cracking on it before the year's end. Anyways, here's my updated list of films that I've watched this year. Of course, anything marked with an "X" means I have watched the movie.

2013 Academy Award Nominees

[ ] 5 Broken Cameras (Best Documentary)

[ ] A Royal Affair (Best Foreign Language Film- Denmark)

[X] Adam and Dog (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Amour (Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film- Austria, Best Original Screenplay)

[X] Anna Karenina (Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Music [Original Score], Best Production Design)

[ ] Argo (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

[X] Asad (Best Short Film [Live Action])

[X] Avengers, The (Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Beasts of the Southern Wild (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[X] Brave (Best Animated Feature)

[X] Buzkashi Boys (Best Short Film [Live Action])

[ ] Chasing Ice (Best Music [Original Song])*song only

[X] Curfew (Best Short Film [Live Action])

[X] Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduq) (Best Short Film [Live Action])

[ ] Django Unchained (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Flight (Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Frankenweenie (Best Animated Feature)

[X] Fresh Guacamole (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Gatekeepers, The (Best Documentary)

[X] Head Over Heels (Best Short Film [Animated])

[X] Henry (Best Short Film [Live Action])

[ ] Hitchcock (best Makeup and Hairstyling)

[X] Hobbit, The: An Unexpected Journey (Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design)

[ ] How to Survive a Plague (Best Documentary)

[ ] Impossible, The (Best Actress)

[ ] Inocente (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Invisible War, The (Best Documentary)

[ ] Kings Point (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Kon-Tiki (Best Foreign Language Film- Norway)

[X] Les Miserables (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Music [Original Song], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing)

[X] Life of Pi (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Music [Original Song], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Lincoln (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[X] Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare' (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Master, The (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress)

[X] Mirror, Mirror (Best Costume Design)

[ ] Mondays at Racie (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Moonrise Kingdom (Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] No (Best Foreign Language Film- Chile)

[ ] Open Heart (Best Documentary Short)

[X] Paperman (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] ParaNorman (Best Animated Feature)

[X] Pirates, The! Band of Misfits (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Prometheus (Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Redemption (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Searching for Sugar Man (Best Documentary)

[ ] Sessions, The (Best Supporting Actress)

[X] Silver Linings Playbook (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Skyfall (Best Cinematography, Best Music [Original Score], Best Music [Original Song], Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

[X] Snow White and the Huntsman (Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects)

[X] Ted (Best Music [Original Song])*song only

[ ] War Witch (Best Foreign Language Film- Canada)

[X] Wreck-It Ralph (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Zero Dark Thirty (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay)

John Mayer is my soulmate.

Okay, so I know he’s got that whole relationship “thing” with Katy Perry, but let’s be honest, fate is fate, and I’m convinced John Mayer is my soulmate. 

He's really feelin' it!

This past Wednesday I had the extreme pleasure of going to John’s concert here in Toronto while he is on his Born and Raised tour. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with John, this is his first tour in over three years so there was a lot of anticipation for this night, and he definitely didn’t disappoint.

The concert had everything it needed, songs from John’s newest album (Born and Raised, y’all) and even songs from his album coming out this week (Paradise Valley). He really felt the music when he played, and I loved how he spent the majority of his concert just jamming with his band. He also did an acoustic set where he played some of his older songs (like Your Body is A Wonderland) and finished out the show by playing Gravity (swoon).

An Instagram selfie of me and my cousin at the concert.

I had a lot of fun hanging out with my cousin. We sat in row 301, and even though we had a ten-foot-tall giant standing in front of us, we managed to work out a system so that both of us could view the beauty that is John Mayer. Also, I never thought I could have heard a rendition of Something Like Olivia quite as awful as i did that night when a group of girls (who had bonded over their love of Bacardi and wine, and had only just met that night), had an impromptu karaoke experience and belted it quite sloppily, and very, very loud. I thought it was funny, but the people in front of us were not so impressed, since the girls kept swinging their arms over their heads. Poor people.

Probably the thing I loved most about the concert was that he took a moment to talk to the crowd and thank them for their loyalty. “You guys have waited a long time, and I’m so thankful that you came," "...for sticking by me when people ask, ‘you like John Mayer?’ I’ve done a lot of not-so-good things in the past and it means a lot that you’ve stuck by me”. He really loves his fans, and he loves his music, and I think it’s really humbling to see that regardless of the tabloids, people still love his music and love him.

I’m excited for his new album, (coming out this Tuesday! yay!) and if you haven’t heard it yet, go sample it on iTunes.

-K

Image credit goes to Rolling Stone

I’ve been living under a rock. How has three seasons of Workaholics aired without me knowing? I mean, between IMDBing the crap out of Adam DeVine after his hilarious Pitch Perfect perfomance, and Anders Holm after seeing him play the adorable pastor Casey in The Mindy Project, it somehow it escaped me. Fear not, friends, I have seen the light!

I have spent the last week marathoning the first season of Workaholics and I’ve loved every moment of it. The show stars Adam DeVine as Adam DeMamp, Blake Anderson as Blake Henderson, and Anders Holm and Anders Holmvik. First things first, I love that they all keep their real names, (a la Will Smith, Fresh Prince Style) but I also love that these three not only star in the show, but also write for it. Having worked at a telemarketing-type job, I feel like I can relate to the complete lack of professionalism that occurs on the daily for these guys, but even if you can't, they're still pretty hilarious.

Some other things I love about Workaholics:

“Poop Dollar”

Yeah, these guys are in there late twenties and they’re still playing petty pranks like wrapping poop in a dollar for unsuspecting patrons. I’m in my mid-twenties and still find this hilarious. Disgusting, but hilarious.

I want to have an office camp-out with my best friends.

Anders has a hard “Ahn”

Half Christmas!

Wizard-rapping

The one and only Rebel Wilson

And finally, I truly believe that I am Jillian

Workaholics was recently renewed for a fourth and fifth season, so this show’s going to be around for a while. If you haven’t checked it out, what are you waiting for? You can catch Workaholics on Comedy Central.

As you know I'm a bit of a movie enthusiast, so tonight I took the opportunity to go see the new movie, We're The Millers with Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Anniston, Emma Roberts and Will Poulter. I don't have to tell you it was awesome, but I will anyways. Here's my 5 reasons as to why you should go see We're The Millers this weekend:

1. The plot is about a middle-aged drug dealer David (Sudeikis), who was mugged of his stash; to make amends with his supplier (Helms), he has to come up with a genius plan to smuggle a "smidge" of pot back over the border without being caught. Cue Rose (Anniston), Casey (Roberts), and Kenny (Poulter) as his average American family: the Millers. Obviously comedic antics ensue, and without revealing too much, the Miller's find themselves in a number of sticky situations that end up bringing them closer together, making them feel like a real family (aww).

2. The movie was written by the same people that wrote "Wedding Crashers", and was directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, who wrote and directed a little movie you might know called "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story". If that doesn't prove to you the movies funny, I don't know what will! (Except maybe the next three reasons...)

3. Apart from having a fantastic cast, the film also co-stars comedic legends Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, and Kathryn Hahn.

4. Umm, Jennifer Anniston's rocking 44-year-old body. Holy smokes.

5. This:

Five stars. You won't stop laughing during the entire movie!

Two blog posts in one day? Crazy! I normally wouldn't blog so often, but the main purpose of this blog was for me to record my life during 2013, so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I'm Canadian, in case you haven't gotten that, and tonight I went and saw a Canadian group called The Tenors. If you've never heard them, go on YouTube right now and listen to them. Then once you've fallen in love with their voices, go buy their album.

Anyways, it was such an incredible concert, and I wanted to catalogue it I guess so I could look back and remember how much I enjoyed it. They sang classics like Make You Feel My Love, and Hallelujah, as well as some of their own original music. They also brought the house down with a tear-jerking performance of Bring Me Home from Les Miserable (I know, right?) and Nessun Dorma. I honestly had goosebumps the whole evening.

That about says it. Definitely go check out The Tenors, they are so amazing.

The Oscars

It happened. Anne Hathaway said it best in her speech referring to her winning the coveted award for best actress in a supporting role. I of course am referring to the ceremony in general. What I seem to forget each year, (mostly because this is the first year I have ever sat down to watch the full award ceremony) is how long it goes. The funny thing is, I didn't find myself checking the clock every ten minutes to see when it would end. This is the first time in Oscar history that I've actually been interested in seeing who won, and had an opinion about everyone who did (I loved Les Mis and all, but the Hobbit should have won best hair and makeup).

In addition to the fact that I enjoyed the Oscars purely because I actually have a goal of watching all the movies nominated, (and am almost half-way through) I was pleasantly surprised by the host this year, Seth MacFarlane. While I've never been a fan of Family Guy, or any other of Seth's shows, I did watch Ted as part of my Oscar goal, and so I had an expectation as to what I'd see Seth do as host. My expectations were met with a rather charming, and talented man. His jokes weren't too off kilter, and I was flabbergasted by his professionally trained singing. I must say, I've developed a bit of a crush.

Apart from Seth's singing, all of the other musical performance were outstanding! The Oscar's this year had a theme: musicals. Both James Bond performances provided goosebumps, (Adele won best song, so I'd expect nothing less) but my favourite musical performance had to be the wonderful mashup of Chicago, Dream Girls, and Les Miserables. Catherine Zeta Jones personified Velma Kelly perfectly, just as if she had starred in the movie this year. Jennifer Hudson made every eye water with her performance of "And I am telling you I'm not going", but when the cast of Les Miserables came out, I couldn't contain myself. As I said in my review earlier this year, Les Mis was fantastically put together with a very talented cast of performers, and I was in awe with how fantastic each actor sang their part in the ensemble.

A few other highlights of the night:

- Reese Witherspoon's dress was DIVINE.
- Playing the "JAWS" theme if a speech was going to long. Hilarious.
- Paperman won best animated digital short, yay!
- Adele's emotional win for Best Original Song.
- Daniel Day-Lewis' acceptance speech was so lovely, a well deserved win.
- Jennifer Lawrence falls up the stairs (something I would most certainly have done) and then recovering well by saying, "you're all just standing up because I fell and that's embarassing"
- Argo winning best movie. Ben Afleck was so grateful, and inspiring in his speech. And nothing says "haha" for getting a Best Director snub than winning best movie. Perfect.

There is so much more I could gush about, I mean, the Oscars were like, 5 years long. But these were just the highlights that stood out to me.

The 85th Academy Awards is this Sunday, so I thought it appropriate to post an updated progress status on my nominee list. I've powered through the animated shorts (they are all YouTube), and I'm awaiting tomorrow so I can buy the rest on iTunes. I think I'm making great progress, even though I know I won't be able to watch them all before the award show (that wasn't the point anyways). I'm really enjoying watching movies that are out of comfort zone as well. I'm just not sure which movie to watch next. Anyways, here's the list:

2013 Academy Award Nominees

[ ] 5 Broken Cameras (Best Documentary)

[ ] A Royal Affair (Best Foreign Language Film- Denmark)

[X] Adam and Dog (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Amour (Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film- Austria, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Anna Karenina (Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Music [Original Score], Best Production Design)

[ ] Argo (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

[ ] Asad (Best Short Film [Documentary])

[X] Avengers, The (Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Beasts of the Southern Wild (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[X] Brave (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Buzkashi Boys (Best Short Film [Documentary])

[ ] Chasing Ice (Best Music [Original Song])*song only

[ ] Curfew (Best Short Film [Documentary])

[ ] Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduq) (Best Short Film [Documentary])

[ ] Django Unchained (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Flight (Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Frankenweenie (Best Animated Feature)

[X] Fresh Guacamole (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Gatekeepers, The (Best Documentary)

[X] Head Over Heels (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Henry (Best Short Film [Documentary])

[ ] Hitchcock (best Makeup and Hairstyling)

[X] Hobbit, The: An Unexpected Journey (Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design)

[ ] How to Survive a Plague (Best Documentary)

[ ] Impossible, The (Best Actress)

[ ] Inocente (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Invisible War, The (Best Documentary)

[ ] Kings Point (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Kon-Tiki (Best Foreign Language Film- Norway)

[X] Les Miserables (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Music [Original Song], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing)

[ ] Life of Pi (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Music [Original Song], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Lincoln (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[X] Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare' (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Master, The (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress)

[X] Mirror, Mirror (Best Costume Design)

[ ] Mondays at Racie (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Moonrise Kingdom (Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] No (Best Foreign Language Film- Chile)

[ ] Open Heart (Best Documentary Short)

[X] Paperman (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] ParaNorman (Best Animated Feature)

[X] Pirates, The! Band of Misfits (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Prometheus (Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Redemption (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Searching for Sugar Man (Best Documentary)

[ ] Sessions, The (Best Supporting Actress)

[X] Silver Linings Playbook (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Skyfall (Best Cinematography, Best Music [Original Score], Best Music [Original Song], Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

[X] Snow White and the Huntsman (Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects)

[X] Ted (Best Music [Original Song])*song only

[ ] War Witch (Best Foreign Language Film- Canada)

[ ] Wreck-It Ralph (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Zero Dark Thirty (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay)

If you've been following my goals for 2013, you'll know that one of my goals is to take more risks. When I thought of this goal, I had some things in mind like skydiving, or taking up scuba diving.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what I had in mind was just to do things that would take me out of my comfort zone.

Another one of my goals is to read more books (25 to be precise). While attempting to find some books to add to this pile of 25, I found myself engulfed in the world of "Booktube". This is an online community of people that read and review books. The more I watched the videos, the more I wanted to be a part of this community. 

I just find myself at a crossroads. I don't want to commit myself to something that I won't be able to keep up (remember that whole procrastinating thing). I mean, I could care less if no one watches the videos, I'm 90% sure no one reads this blog, but if you are reading this, I need your help. Should I start a BookTube channel? I'm motivated by affirmation, and if I'm not encouraged to do something, I likely won't do it.

As a literature junkie, I am well-versed in Victor Hugo's novel,  Les Miserables and have also had a good listen to the 20th edition of the Broadway musical. As a result, I had high expectations for this movie (both because I already enjoy the story, and because it was nominated for Best Picture). I have to say, it didn't disappoint.

Not only were all of the actors in the ensemble cast very talented singers, but they sang each scene LIVE. Which I thought was incredible! Singing live brought so much more emotion, and stayed true to it's broadway-style genesis. Anne Hathaway singing "On My Own" with so much vulnerability and emotion really reeled me in. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time! Not to mention how big of a blubbering bafoon I was when (spoiler alert) she died.

And that little girl who played young Cosette? Holy smokes she was good! Her and the little boy who played Gavroche were cast so well! I loved them.

I wasn't a huge fan of Russell Crowe's or Eddie Redmayne's singing, but they certainly did bring a great mix into the ensemble cast, who were AMAZING. When they sang "Do you hear the people sing" it was so marvellously done, I had chills!

Other notes:

- Thenardier and Madame Thenardier were simply evil, and I loved it! Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are such great villains!
- The harmony between Cosette, Eponine and Marius during "In My Life/ A Heart Full of Love" was remarkable!
- "You're here, that's all I need to know. And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close. And rain will make the flowers grow." Simply beautiful.
- Eddie Redmayne singing "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" = COMPLETE water-works.
- "To love another person is to see the face of God". Wow.

It's a long movie, but well worth it. If you're not into musicals, this probably isn't going to be your cup of tea, but if you enjoy a could tear-jerking sing-fest, definitely go see this movie!

The Academy Awards are the creme de la creme in cinema. Being a fan of all things cinema, one of my goals of 2013 was to watch all the movies nominated for Best Picture. But since I'm somewhat of an optimist, and enjoy a good challenge, I've decided to try and watch every film nominated for and Oscar this year.

Of course, the Oscars are next month, and there is no way I can watch every film by the Oscars, I am still attempting to check off this list. Below I have a list of films (in alphabetical order) and I will be graciously checking off each film as I watch them. Maybe I'll even post a few reviews up here! I'm surprised at how many I've already seen, given that I hadn't created the list until the nominees were announces. But here goes:

[ ] 5 Broken Cameras (Best Documentary)

[ ] A Royal Affair (Best Foreign Language Film- Denmark)

[ ] Adam and Dog (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Amour (Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film- Austria, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Anna Karenina (Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Music [Original Score], Best Production Design)

[ ] Argo (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

[X] Avengers, The (Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Beasts of the Southern Wild (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Brave (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Chasing Ice (Best Music [Original Song])*song only

[ ] Django Unchained (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Flight (Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] Frankenweenie (Best Animated Feature)

[X] Fresh Guacamole (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Gatekeepers, The (Best Documentary)

[ ] Head Over Heels (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Hitchcock (best Makeup and Hairstyling)

[X] Hobbit, The: An Unexpected Journey (Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design)

[ ] How to Survive a Plague (Best Documentary)

[ ] Impossible, The (Best Actress)

[ ] Inocente (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Invisible War, The (Best Documentary)

[ ] Kings Point (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Kon-Tiki (Best Foreign Language Film- Norway)

[ ] Les Miserables (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Music [Original Song], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing)

[ ] Life of Pi (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Music [Original Song], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Lincoln (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Music [Original Score], Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[X] Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare' (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] Master, The (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress)

[X] Mirror, Mirror (Best Costume Design)

[ ] Mondays at Racie (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Moonrise Kingdom (Best Original Screenplay)

[ ] No (Best Foreign Language Film- Chile)

[ ] Open Heart (Best Documentary Short)

[X] Paperman (Best Short Film [Animated])

[ ] ParaNorman (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Pirates, The! Band of Misfits (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Prometheus (Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Redemption (Best Documentary Short)

[ ] Searching for Sugar Man (Best Documentary)

[ ] Sessions, The (Best Supporting Actress)

[X] Silver Linings Playbook (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay)

[ ] Skyfall (Best Cinematography, Best Music [Original Score], Best Music [Original Song], Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

[X] Snow White and the Huntsman (Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects)

[ ] Ted (Best Music [Original Song])*song only

[ ] War Witch (Best Foreign Language Film- Canada)

[ ] Wreck-It Ralph (Best Animated Feature)

[ ] Zero Dark Thirty (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay)

Today I'll be watching Les Miserables, and I'm very excited to see how the film adaptation turns out!