"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... 

but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. 

The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Once the leaves started changing colors, and the sun became a little bit more orange than yellow, Saturdays weren't our favorites anymore, but Sunday nights were. Fall is a favorite in so many ways, but so many of my reasons is simply because of home. Growing up, we had our ritual Sunday night walks, Sunday night movies, and best of all: Sunday night snacks like cinnamon and sugar toast, and marshmallows, and hot chocolate.

It somehow became a tradition along the lines that the first movie we'd always watch together as a family during the season was To Kill A Mockingbird. It was always my dad's favorite, and naturally, became one of mine too. My eyes always sting when I see Atticus sitting outside of Tom Robinson's jail, with his lamp, in his chair, reading his book. It just said so much. I always felt so much. I still do.

This movie, (and most especially), Atticus Finch has and always will be an out-of-the-ball-park-sort-of favorite; and with my dad in town for the weekend, Max gets to join in on the Christensen tradition and I just couldn't be any more excited for my Sunday nights again. Happy (conference) weekend!

you jump, i jump, remember?

Going back to school/work/reality this past week wasn't so bad after I made the following list:

12 Things to Look Forward to in Two-Thousand-And-Twelve:

1. A new President.
2. Valentines Day thanks to Pinterest.
(And throwing all originality out the window.)
3. The end of the world. (December 21, 2012)
4. The morning after.
5. The new Rocket Summer CD.
(please be like everything but your last CD?)
6. The return of Modern Family.
7. Turning 23!
8. Wallowa Lake next summer, and New Zealand (with significant others) next Christmas.
9. The Hunger Games, of course.
10. Titanic 3-D.
11. Titanic 3-D.
and
12. Titanic 3-D.

Now if there was anything I loved more than Mr. Dicaprio (besides Dream Street, BSB and JTT - in that order) it was Celine Dion. I remember a sleepover with my best friend Cassie in the third grade and all we did was sit by the radio to listen for Celine Dion singing My Heart Will Go On. No seriously, that's all we did. I remember that was the night we both heard the song including dialogue from the movie (which we still weren't allowed to see) and we went to school on Monday telling our friends that we had basically seen the whole thing after hearing this:




Cassie and I vowed we'd see the movie together one day when our mothers would actually let us, and when it happened, Titanic did not disappoint. So Titanic in 3D 15 years later may be one of the many reasons 2012 could never be a failure... and why starting life after two weeks of bliss wasn't all that bad, either.

wingardium leviosa!

I'm definitely not the most attractive one of the bunch,
but clearly, Harry Potter has me hooked.
(I was the only one who drew a scar - which signifies my dedication to the series).

Although I'm just reading book 2,
and the movie last night made little sense,
(since when did Malfoy take sides with Voldemort!)
I still felt like one among the many life-long Harry Potter fans.

And even when the people waiting in line would ask me questions about things I didn't know,
(like: can you believe Alaster Moody dies in this movie?)
My first thought was, who is this you speak of?
But instead, I would just smile and wave my straw wand and reply,
Wingardium leviosa!

So even though I've only been a Harry Potter fan for a week,
(and this probably goes without saying)
I want to go to Hogwarts and become a wizard,
I want a Nimbus 2000,
and I think that little elf Dobby is so cute I just might cry.

flipped.

so i went to see charlie st. cloud last night,
and although i want to be a supportive zac efron girlfriend,
i must say i wasn't a fan.
at all.

however,
i saw a trailer for the movie flipped
and i think it looks like something i will end up loving.
a lot.

north by northwest.

I've been waiting all summer to go see North by Northwest
in the park tonight,
mainly because 1. It's an Alfred Hitchcock film,
2. The leading role? Cary Grant.
And 3. There's always a sense of perfection that comes while watching a movie
underneath the stars in the summertime.


Has anyone else seen it?
I've heard several mixed reviews,
but lets be honest -
any opportunity to watch Cary Grant for 90 minutes isn't something to be missed.

(just an afterthought: longest. movie. ever. made.)

charlie st. cloud

my dreamy boyfriend is starring in this movie,
coming to theaters july 30th (52 days & counting)

i saw a preview for charlie st. cloud
for the first time yesterday,
and after seeing the trailer...
he has been worth day dreaming about ever since.

Kind-Of Obsessed.

With this CD.
(one week to go!)

Some favorites:
Topsy Turvy, Family Force 5
Follow Me, 3Oh!3 ft. Neon Hitch
Painting Flowers, All Time Low
Tea Party, Kerli

and now I'm pretty excited for the movie, too.

although is it just me,
or is alice way too young in the original movie
to even think about getting married?


(just an afterthought: worst. movie. ever.)

Meet Joe Black.

my plans tonight:
1. procrastinate french homework.
2. enjoy the rainy weather.
3. say goodbye to my best friend.
4. probably cry a little too much after that.
and then...
5. watch meet joe black.

for those of you who haven't seen this movie,
let me take a moment and say:

this movie is amazing.
and if you faithfully devote yourself and sit through the entire
three hours,
you'll watch the last five minutes feeling so happy to be alive.