special delivery

Posted by miss alix – 21 Dec ’11


A few weeks ago, this lovely Bunny organized a gift exchange for any bloggers/twitterers who were so inclined to participate. I jumped at the chance to join in and give something to one of the internet folk who I chat with on a regular basis. I was excited to give a gift to someone I admired or perhaps find someone new out there on the web to appreciate. Everything was chosen at random, but I have to say, I got really lucky. While I was extra enthused about the giving aspect, I didn’t think too much about the receiving half. Until last a few nights ago.

On Monday night, in the midst of busying myself with last minute pre-holiday things, the doorbell rang. When I opened it, much to my surprise, there stood Becca with a gift in hand. Strangely, I immediately knew who she was and was filled with happiness and excitement. Just by chance, my gift giver is my sort of neighbor.

On top of meeting someone with a blog I admire, I got a really adorable gift. How cute are these owl pot holders? LOVE THEM.

Then yesterday, I saw this post from Liz about the gift I sent her as my part of the exchange. So much happiness.

As a girl, who’s always been a little shy and introverted in real life, it brings me so much gladness to have found people on the the internet to relate to. I am thankful that I am able to connect with people out there who inspire me and have been able to turn that into genuine friendships. I know it sounds pretty sappy but I feel like many of the writers of blogs that I read and readers of this blog are my dear friends, even if we’ve never met.

So thanks for being here, you all really mean the world to me.

palm springs

Posted by miss alix – 19 Dec ’11












With the last few posts having their fair share of words, I thought it might be nice to balance things with some photos. We spent the weekend with my dad in Palm Springs on a mini vacation for all of us. We walked around, took lots of photos and ate some surprisingly good food. It was good to have a change of pace and get away from home even if just for a day or two. It was quiet and relaxing and I hope we’ll get to go back in the future for a longer stay. Shawn discovered that we were staying at the hotel where Frank Capra wrote It’s a Wonderful Life. Wouldn’t it be lovely to spend some time in such a tranquil setting, just writing? I think so.

pretty bits

Posted by miss alix – 15 Dec ’11



As the end of the year approaches, things start to get a little batty. There is the nervous anticipation of holidays and vacation and the possibilities of all that the new year could bring. There’s also lots of work. Finishing many things and tying up loose ends on projects and gift hunting and holiday decorating. For me there are numbers and spreadsheets and bills and late hours at work for everything must be finished before the clock strikes twelve on December 31st (actually days before that). Things are moving quickly and while there is lots of stress there is a sort of glee in it all too.

I’m looking forward to having some free time, to letting my brain relax and take in what’s around me instead of focusing on deadlines and things that must be done. I’m looking forward to doing some traveling and seeing places outside of Los Angeles. Is it really possible we haven’t left this city since our honeymoon? I feel like I need a reset on my brain, as it’s in an infinite loop of work, different kinds of work but work all the same. I know my true creative self is hiding in there somewhere.

And next year holds so many things, I’ll be attending Alt Summit and the Sundance Film Festival. We’re also planning to visit SXSW. So much too look forward to. But that’s next year. We’re only half way through December and there is still much to be done.

 

husbands and wives

Posted by miss alix – 8 Dec ’11

photo from deadline.com

The other day Shawn emailed me a link to this blog from the writers of Kill List, Ben Wheatley and  Amy Jump. I was excited to find out that the duo are actually a married team. Seeing this blog brought up a few things for me since, even though I’d looked at details of the film previously, and know Ben Wheatley, also the director, by name, I had no recollection of Amy Jump at all. Granted, in most cases, directors get more attention than writers do, so it’s easier to make an impression. It’s also Amy’s first and only writing credit (according to imdb). It did really make me consider the role of women in film (as if this isn’t something I’m always thinking about) especially regarding husbands and wives that work together.

On our own film projects, Shawn and I work together, particularly in the writing process. By talking to each other we are able to refine concepts or move forward when one of us might be stuck. It works out pretty well. We balance each other out. That is not to say we don’t have conflicts of opinion, but I think for the most part we compel each other and help stories move along. It’s nice having a partner to work with. When it comes to what we do, things are fairly balanced; though, that isn’t to say exactly equal, we both have our own strong points.

Knowing about our own balance of creative input, it becomes interesting to consider husband and wife teams who are more successful and more present in popular media. If I were to mention Peter Jackson, everyone would know who I’m talking about. But what about Fran Walsh? Raise your hand if you know who she is. Well that’s lovely Fran up top with her husband Peter Jackson. They’re also a writing team (and producing at this point) and have been since Meet the Feebles back in 1989. Together they’ve written some amazing movies from the beautifully haunting Heavenly Creatures to the blockbuster Lord of the Rings Trilogy (also working with Phillipa Boyens). Yet, Walsh remains mainly out of the limelight, despite winning 3 Oscars. Personally, I can’t help but believe it it because of Walsh and Jackson’s collaborations that they have made such interesting films, not just one’s singular talent.

It’s impossible to know for sure the reasons why one person is famous and the person right next to them is not as famous. It could be a personal choice but I doubt that is the case. It could be the cult of the director, giving more weight over other positions in film production, no matter their importance or role. Sadly, and more likely, it could just be that women do not get recognition in the film industry. With the exception of a few actresses, it’s not easy to make a name as a woman in film. How many successful woman directors can you name? You might be able to count them on your fingers. Obviously this is something that is pervasive in almost all industries, still in 2011, but it’s even more extreme in an industry with so many subdivisions where it is easy to tuck women away in “appropriate” positions.

I don’t know that I have any final conclusions about these ideas, nothing that isn’t already known, but I think it’s important to bring up every so often, just as a reminder of what progress has been made and is still yet to be made.

December

Posted by miss alix – 6 Dec ’11




December is here and the spirit of winter has settled into my mind. As the end of the year approaches it brings with it reflections on life. I turned 28 a few weeks ago and while it doesn’t really mean a whole lot, it does mean the end of twenty seven, the year I got married, which is kind of a thing. Time just passes by and brings new things and experiences and as always I’m looking forward to what the future will hold, while still being gratified with my present. These days are filled with contentment.

With the holidays just around the corner I’ve got gifts on the mind and it keeps occurring to me that I want to give so much to people that I feel lucky to know, whether in real life or through twitter or blogs or whatever. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. It’s never easy to pick the perfect gift but this year I really want to show friends and family how much I care for them. I hope I can make that happen.

This past weekend was filled with celebrations for friends and in some small personal way it was momentous for me. These days I often find myself plagued with anxieties to a degree that makes some simple things uncomfortable. Riding in someone else’s car for instance causes my heart to palpitate. My awareness of these minor phobias and easy rationalization can often get me through it, to calm myself, but they don’t go away altogether. The next ride I’ll have to face the same fears.

While some of these fears have been around forever and have just become more dramatic over the years, others seemed to never exist until now. Like singing. Did you know I used to perform, in bands, in musicals, in plays? As youth faded, my ability to get up in front of others in any capacity diminished until it turned into an almost paralyzing fear. I’ve often asked myself why my inhibitions have grown so strong over the years and I have no answers. This weekend I went to a karaoke birthday and in my mind there was no way I was going to participate. At the same time I knew that was ridiculous. After much debate, I just did it. I sang a crazy pop song in front of a group of mostly strangers. It was terrifying, and yet it happened. Even though my hands were shaking, a bunch of people got up and danced and sang along and it was okay.

Also this weekend, a friend of mine had a put on a puppet show for his 40th birthday. It was so cool. I just felt so fortunate to be there to see his performance for his nearest and dearest. I feel genuinely lucky to have creative and talented friends who follow their dreams. Growing up in the sprawling city that is Los Angeles, I’ve often felt disconnected from people. Here people seem to waft into your life and exit in the same manner. In the past few years though I have really grown to appreciate the people around me, for the first time feeling like I have a place and it is here whether I like it or not.

finished wedding quilt

Posted by miss alix – 2 Dec ’11




Finally I finished our wedding quilt. Once the sewing started it came together fairly easily. I found some lovely fabric for the borders and backing that I just love. Everything was going swimmingly until I got to the binding. Holy hell that took forever. There must be a more efficient way to sew the binding but as it was all by hand it cost me several hours in front of the tv. Not that I mind, but time is precious commodity at the moment.

In making this quilt I truly fell for quilting (as if I need another craft to love). I think I was done in when I went to a quilting store to get the remaining fabric for the border and backing. There were so many modern, beautiful, printed fabrics; I was smitten. I hope I can find time to make quilts in my future as It’s so nice to make something that feels like it has a use and will last for ages. That being said, I’m not sure what to do with this quilt as I’d like to preserve it with all the messages from our wedding guests. Ideas? I’m thinking it might look nice hung on the wall if i could find the space.

dress dying

Posted by miss alix – 29 Nov ’11




I bought this lovely vintage dress a few months back but have never had the occasion to wear it. It was so pretty but also kind of a drab white. Finally with a special event to go to, I decided to dye it. Originally I thought green would be best but I got nervous and went with brown. I sort of wish I’d stuck with green since I’m by no means an expert dress dyer, and the brown wasn’t so rich as I’d hoped. It turned out nice though overall and helped me blend in the natural setting.


Thanksgiving 2011

Posted by miss alix – 27 Nov ’11






I can’t believe our tiny Thanksgiving break is almost over. It flew by in what seemed like a matter of seconds. I suppose that’s what happens when you have lots to do over a few days. We started off our celebrations at Madeleine Bistro for a four course Thanksgiving feast. We’ve been to Madeleine’s for the past few years but this meal topped them all. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a delicious Thanksgiving meal in my life. Everything was exquisite. Next year we plan to have Thanksgiving at our house and I hope we can make something even just a fraction of how good this meal was.

We spent the rest of the weekend with friends and family relaxing and eating lots. I did very little cooking considering. I made this wonderful green bean casserole and an apple pie. Yesterday Shawn was in a short film so I had the day to myself. I spent it watching British period dramas, knitting and sewing. It was pretty nice to not have to worry about work and projects for a whole day.

When I was a kid, after every school break I would make a list of all the cool things I did in my time off filled with movies I’d watched or things I’d made. This year if I made a list, the two biggest things would be finishing the binding on our wedding quilt (which took FOREVER) and hanging up some clothes that have been sitting in our bedroom for about a month. Pretty simple, but a major relief to have finished at the same time.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. What would you put on your list?

Oslo August 31

Posted by miss alix – 21 Nov ’11





Oslo August 31 is the kind of film that sits with you, waits in the back of your mind and haunts you for weeks to come. It is a portrait of a man on his one day of leave from rehab. He takes the day to explore Oslo and reconnect with old friends as he tries to face his impending release. It’s a simple story, that goes beyond just one person’s struggle drug addiction.

Joachim Trier is able to create a perfect balance of emotion and imagery with his melancholic storytelling. There is beauty and hope mixed in with Anders’ disappointment and despair as he navigates the last day of summer. Anders Danielson Lie captures the nuances of his character with flawless realism. He is subtle and reserved, only occasionally letting his raw pain seep out, just enough to for you to connect to him and hope things will turn out okay.

The film is one of the saddest I’ve seen and yet one of the most honest portrayal of the reality of living today. Beyond the fact that I think it is a great film, if you’ve ever known anyone who has been severely depressed, I feel like you have to see this movie. I’m not saying this as some sort of public service announcement, but rather that I think Oslo August 31 is able to capture an unexplainable emotion.

dinner time

Posted by miss alix – 16 Nov ’11

I bet you thought I was going to talk about movies all week. I guess I tricked you, didn’t I?

I’ve been trying to make some more wholesome dinners. It’s easy to eat pasta or rice and broccoli every night when you’re busy, and as much as I love both of those, variety is good too.

I picked out some easy recipes this weekend and with the help of our slow cooker have made them in no time after work. The first experiment was lemony pan-fried chickpeas with rainbow chard. This lovely dish came together in about 20 minutes and was shockingly flavorful especially for how simple it was. I added in some seasoned jackfruit that I had cooked up over the weekend just to make it a little more substantial and used rainbow chard for a little bit of color. The whole thing was very satisfying and I loved the varied texture of chard, chickpeas and jackfruit together.

It was a nice reminder that meals can be simple and still be special.

Snowtown

Posted by miss alix – 16 Nov ’11





Snowtown is based on the true story of the serial killer, John Bunting, and his accomplices in the run down suburbs of Adelaide, Australia. It’s a tale of influence centered on a boy, Jamie, as he gets dragged in to a horrific universe of murder. It is possibly the most disturbing film, but also one of the most well crafted pieces of cinema I’ve seen. The thing that makes this film so effective is it’s simplicity and honesty. Everything you see is so real and matter of fact and believable, and yet so terrible, you don’t want to believe it. Snowtown‘s intensity is unrelenting.

The film is beautifully shot; stylized but still evoking the realism essential to the story. The performances are flawless. The music is powerful. Everything about the film is masterful. It is not for the faint of heart though. While it is based in the psychological and dramatic, it is the story of a deranged serial killer so you should know what to expect going in.

While I know it’s not for everyone, I can’t recommend Snowtown enough. It totally blew me away.

Kill List

Posted by miss alix – 14 Nov ’11




Dear readers, I am now going to ask you to have complete blind faith in me when I tell you that you must see Kill List. I want to tell you all about how fantastic it is, but I also don’t want to spoil a thing about it. I’m going to keep the chatter to a minimum and you’ll just have to trust me.

Here are the basics; it’s a film about a hit man, but one who outside of being a killer, is pretty much you’re average guy with a family and a bad back. He’s been out of work for the better part of the year when he reluctantly takes a job with his former partner. Then things get crazy. Really crazy.

I just loved this film and thought it was so well executed. It managed to be a perfect thriller wrapped neatly inside a character study with a few treats thrown in there for good measure. Kill List has already been released in the UK, but expect it early next year in the US. Seriously, go see it.