DC Up Close: U.S. Botanic Garden

The U.S. Botanic Garden has always been one of my favorite places to go when I need an hour or two to unwind. It also happens to be a blissfully warm refuge during the winter months! This past weekend, I made it there just in time to catch the tail end of the popular Fairy Garden holiday exhibit, featuring handmade fairy village displays, along with stunning replicas of DC monuments and museums. The coolest part? Each design was crafted entirely out of plant material!

Pretty neat, huh? Have you ever visited the U.S. Botanic Garden? 

2013 Reading Challenge

The start of a new year means that it’s time to once again kick off the annual Goodreads Reading Challenge! Although I joined the 2012 challenge halfway through the year, I still managed to complete 25 books, especially given the significant number of cross-country flights I put under my belt between June and December.

This year, while I don’t expect to be doing quite as much traveling, I still hope to read more books than I did last year. Initially, I’ve set my 2013 goal at 30 books, but should I find that I’m burning through them faster than expected, I’ll definitely increase the number as I go along.

Are you joining the Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge, and if so, how many books are you hoping to read this year? Feel free to come say hi and link up with me! 

Movie Review: Les Miserables

After an entire year of anticipation, my curiosity about the new Les Miserables film adaptation was finally satisfied this past weekend, when Stephen and I ventured out into a lightly falling snow to catch a morning showing. By the way, before I get into discussing the movie, did you know you can get tickets for just $6 at AMC Theaters when you go to a showing before noon, any day of the week?! I just found this out recently, and let me tell you, the low price definitely made our trip to the movies all the more enticing.

As for the film itself, while I did enjoy it and would definitely recommend it to others, in some ways it also differed from what I had originally envisioned. Maybe I simply went in with overly high expectations, or maybe the fact that I have previously seen this musical performed on stage three separate times colored my perception. Whatever the reason, I thought that while the movie's star-studded cast did an excellent job overall, the vocal performances they gave were on the whole not as powerful as those I have seen delivered on stage.

Samantha Barks as Eponine. Image Source: Les Miserables iTunes Image Gallery

*SPOILER ALERT*

For instance, the scene where the villainous Inspector Javert commits suicide, one of the most heart-wrenching and dramatic moments in the entire play, seemed to come across in the film as much more restrained. Perhaps the reason for this is that some of the actors in the movie are not experienced stage performers accustomed to performing dramatically and vocally at the same time. The fact that some of the songs were performed while the actors literally cried for the cameras also, in my opinion, weakened the results. I additionally felt that the extensive use of close-ups on the actors' faces throughout the majority of the film eliminated some of the sweeping grandeur that comes with seeing this musical performed live. 

All of that said, however, while I may not be running out to replace my current Les Miz soundtrack with this one, would I see the movie again or consider buying it once it comes out on DVD? Absolutely. 

Have you seen Les Miserables on the big screen yet? What was your take on it, and how did it compare with any Les Miz productions you've seen on stage? 

Looking Ahead: Happy New Year

Happy 2013! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve, and that the first couple days of the new year have been good to you. Now that I’ve put 2012 behind me, I’m looking ahead to what 2013 will hold, including my turning 30 this coming September. While I definitely have mixed feelings about leaving my 20s behind, I'm also starting 2013 on a positive note by focusing on the various goals I’m hoping to achieve this year.

1. Maintaining my health and wellness

2. Completing my first novel

3. Attending the Writer’s Digest Conference in NYC

4. Making positive career-related decisions

5. Supporting my husband as he begins working toward earning his graduate degree 

6. Spending time with family and friends

7. Staying as grateful as I am today, even when it seems hard

8. Giving back

9. Traveling

10. Reading just as much as I did during 2012, if not more

What are your top goals for 2013? 

Looking Back: 2012 in Review

From my husband's broken shoulder to the devastation of losing my Nana to advanced cancer, 2012 was in many ways the most difficult year of my life to date. Still, even in light of the tough times this year brought, it also had its positive moments, including my completion of graduate school and our fabulous fall trip to Hawaii in celebration of my in-laws' 40th anniversary. Here, a New Year’s Eve look back at the good, the bad and the ugly of 2012.

January

-- Began my final semester of graduate school

-- Joined the ROW80 writing challenge as I got serious about working on my first novel, which is still in progress

-- Celebrated Stephen’s 29th birthday, plus the one-year anniversary of our adopting Molly and Twix

February

-- Saw my article on 2012 wedding trends published via The Favour Shoppe Blog

-- Attended the Kennedy Center lecture Budapest, Prague, and Vienna: Where the Coffee House Influenced the Opera House

March

-- Attended a Washington National Opera performance of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte 

-- Viewed a special 70th anniversary showing of Casablanca at a local movie theater

-- Took a sushi-making class, where Stephen and I learned how to create delicious California and spicy tuna rolls

-- Toured DC's gorgeous cherry blossoms in honor of the blooms' 100th anniversary

April

-- Sadly discovered that my 80-year-old Nana had been diagnosed with terminal cancer 

-- Rushed to the ER the very next day after Stephen fell down and broke his shoulder while trying to rescue a stray dog in the street
-- Helped create wedding-related infographics and blog content while working as a Taiolred.co editorial consultant

-- Watched the space shuttle Discovery fly above DC en route to its new home at the Air and Space Museum

May

-- Took the first in a series of trips out to California in order to spend as much time as possible with Nana and my family

-- Completed my two-year term as secretary of the board for Wish Upon a Wedding DC

-- Graduated from The George Washington University with my master's in publishing

June

-- Breathed a huge sigh of relief when Stephen's shoulder was declared fully healed

-- Saw my article on wedding photography and videography trends published in Inspire Smart Success Magazine

-- Returned to California to celebrate my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary, their last together

July

-- Attended The George Washington University’s annual publishing conference

-- Celebrated with friends and former classmates at our summer graduation party

-- Attended a tasty BBQ at Vintage Ridge Vineyards, my favorite Northern Virginia winery

August

-- Channeled my inner teen at the American Idol concert 
-- Celebrated Molly's second birthday

-- Took another trip out to California for more family time

-- Traveled to Seattle, where I explored the city with friends and spent an adventurous weekend hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park

September

-- Welcomed the final year of my 20s
-- Celebrated Twix's second birthday

-- Attended a Kennedy Center lecture on the symbolism behind Mozart’s Don Giovanni

-- As Nana’s health declined, returned to California once again in order to be with her during the final weeks of her life

October

-- Said my last goodbyes to Nana as she left this world behind following a courageous six-month stand against her disease
-- Celebrated Stephen’s acceptance into USC’s 2013 distance-learning astronautics graduate program

-- Took part in the White House's Fall Garden Tour

November

-- Attended The George Washington University’s annual publishing career night

-- Volunteered with a friend to help drive voters to the polls on Election Day

-- Spent a glorious week in Hawaii celebrating my in-laws’ 40th wedding anniversary

-- Attended a Thanksgiving weekend performance of Jekyll & Hyde at the Kennedy Center

December

-- Attended a Kennedy Center performance of JUBA: Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance 

-- Spent a week in California enjoying pre-Christmas festivities with family and friends

-- Returned to the Kennedy Center yet again for a holiday performance of the opera Hansel and Gretel

-- Celebrated Christmas in DC by enjoying a delicious dinner with a friend and her family 

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Since Stephen will be working overtime tomorrow, we'll likely keep things low-key here at home with homemade pizza, a glass of wine, and maybe even an extra helping of champagne as the night wears on. Do you have any special plans, or will you also be ringing in a quiet New Year? Either way, here's looking ahead to a fabulous 2013!