Summer Netflix Binge List

Summer is here, which for many means much more time to do the important things in life: like watching endless hours of content on Netflix. So here are twelve movies and twelve TV shows to watch this summer - if you haven't already seen them all. And if you have, well, rewatches are fun, too! I've watched all of these and love them for so many different reasons. A few are on my summer "rewatch" list already!

Movies

Movies are great if you don't want to commit to starting a whole new show. It's easier to throw on a movie with friends than a TV show that not everyone has seen, too.

1. The Way He Looks: This is a Portuguese movie with subtitles and is based on a short movie that was originally on YouTube, I believe. Definitely gives off a summer vibe, showing the coming of age romance of two boys. 
2. Deep Impact: This is an oldie. You should probably just watch this disaster flick because young Elijah Wood is in it, tbh. 
3. Timeline: Based on a book, it's a thrill ride with time travel and an intricate plot that took me a few watches to really pick up all the ins and outs. 
4. Hot and Fluffy: Okay, this isn't quite a movie. It's Gabriel Iglesias' stand up and it's absolutely hilarious. 
5. Atlantis: The Last Empire: One of my favorite, sometimes unappreciated, Disney movies. The animation and plot are so spot on. 
6. National Treasure: Haha, laugh all you want. I can't count the amount of times I've seen this one. 
7. Struck by Lightning: If you ever felt out of place in high school (which was everyone, let's be real here) you'll love this realistic, often heart-wrenching, take on "that teen movie." 
8. Holes: Hands down one of my favorite movies ever. 
9. 50 First Dates: You know, before the Adam Sandler movies started to get too ridiculous. 
10. The Road to El Dorado: Again, one of those animated movies that doesn't get as much love, but is a fantastic good time. 
11. Legally Blonde: Funny, empowering, adorable - what more can you ask for? 
12. Treasure Planet: We have a theme aka, those Disney movies that aren't traditionally on people's "favorite" lists, but that I love to death. 

TV Shows

When you finish marathoning a TV show, there is this empty feeling inside that can only be filled by, of course, starting another TV show. So here are a few that you can add to your list. For this list, I'll also add the difficulty level for these shows (beginner: 1 season, intermediate: 2, advanced: 3-4 and finally, expert: 5+). 

1. The Walking Dead: Believe me, you'll get used to the gross factor real quick. With the spin off starting later this summer, it's the perfect time to dive into the wild ride that is TWD. Word of advice: Don't get overly attached to anyone. Like. Anyone. Difficulty: Advanced. 
2. Z Nation: Another zombie show, yet totally different. This is a sci fi show that has, at times, adorable graphics. It's campy, with much more humor than other zombie shows/movies. Difficulty: Beginner.  
3. Psych: This is a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Shawn has a photographic memory and convinces the Santa Barbra police that he's a psychic so he can help solve crimes. Difficulty: Expert. 
4. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Okay like, you've probably watched this. If you haven't literally what are you doing. Go. Go now! (Okay, finish reading this post first.) Difficulty: Beginner. 
5. Glee: There are some mixed reviews on this show. Obviously the quality is subjective, but in the end, if you like musicals and don't take yourself to seriously, it can be a good time. Difficulty: Expert. 
6. Revolution: I'm still in the process of watching this one, actually. The first season was amazing, while the second is dragging a little for me. However the first season was so good I'm still throwing it on the list. Billy Burke makes it for me. Difficulty: Intermediate. 
7. Daredevil: This is another one of those shows I'm sure everyone has watched or at least heard of by now. If you haven't given into the hype, you should. Difficulty: Beginner. 
8. White Collar: Okay like, who cares if this is a really well written show about an ex con man as long as Matt Bomer is the one playing that ex con man. Difficulty: Expert. 
9. Arrow: Hot guy becomes a superhero. Yes, we've seen it a million times, but it doesn't become any less beautiful or entertaining. I would also be recommending The Flash if it was on Netflix yet! Difficulty: Intermediate. 
10. Once Upon a Time: The unique spins this show offers on the traditional fairy tales we all know will keep you watching this show so long, Netflix will probably ask you if you're still alive. Difficulty: Advanced. 
11. Doctor Who: Okay do I really have to explain this one? With this time and space traveling show, you get a little bit of every genre. Difficulty: Expert (and if you watch the original as well, you are a Jedi Master level binge watcher). 
12. Broadchurch: If you like your crime dramas, but with a bit more plot, this is for you. Difficulty: Beginning. 

I hope your summer is full of lots of fun things: including things besides Netflix, I guess. And if you have any other suggestions for movies or TV shows to watch on Netflix, leave a comment below!

Until next time,

Rose

"Talking is Hard" Cupcakes

I had the urge to bake at around 8 in the evening and as an adult, I decided to embrace this completely. I ran out to the store to grab a few things I didn't have on hand and got started.

I wasn't exactly sure that theme I wanted for decorating. Finally I decided to mimic the colors of Walk the Moon's most recent album, Talking is Hard. Why? Because I saw them this Thursday (for the fourth time) and already miss them! PLUS I love the colors a lot (it matches my car!)

The whole band is sweet as cupcakes, so I thought: might as well make it literal!

All I really did here (I used the same recipe as I have in previous blog posts) was put the batter in black, black with white polka dot and some really cool silver cupcake holders and dyed some of my white frosting yellow - and there you go! Baking is isn't hard!

The finished product:

    

If you haven't already listened to this band, I highly recommend checking them out! All of their music is killer and they put on a damn good show. I've gone to see them live four times now and they make it feel like the first time every time. Not only are their vocals and musicality completely on point (something you sometimes don't find when recording artists preform live) but so is their energy level.

Here are a few shots from the concert I went to on Thursday at the Rilato Theater (plus after the show my roommate and I finally met Nick!) Since we met Eli last time, we have finally met half the band. Maybe another four shows and we'll meet everyone else!

What album cover do you think would also make good cupcakes, theme wise? I wish I had some black icing to write the words "Talking is Hard" on this - something I'll have to do another time, maybe!

Until next time, 

Rose

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

This ended up turning out so well I had to write up a quick post for it. I got this recipe from a bargain book I recently picked up from work at Barnes & Noble. It's called "Real Simple: Easy, Delicious Home Cooking" and it's such a handy little cookbook. It even has the calories for each recipe at the back of the book! (If made to the recipe, this one had 969 calories per serving).

Now I did change this up a little bit - the recipe also calls for corn and I didn't use as much cheese as it called for (I just sprinkled a bit on top instead of incorporating it into the enchilada mixture) and you can definitely change it yourself if you wanted to try it out. (Perhaps using beef or pork instead of chicken!)

This is how you make these delicious babies:

1. Cook the chicken (I used chicken breast) in a saucepan with enough water to cover it. Cook all the way through and transfer to a plate or bowl and let cool for a bit. When it's cool enough to handle, shred it. 
2. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F. 
3. In a blender, puree a bottle of salsa verde, fresh cilantro and half a cup of sour cream until it is smooth. Put in a saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened (about 10-12 minutes). Then stir in another half cup of sour cream. 
4. Add the sauce and chicken together (this is where you'd also put in the corn). Then put some of your sauce on the bottom your baking dish. Put together your enchiladas - adding the chicken mixture to the tortillas and setting them seam side down on the pan. After you've filled the pan, put the remaining sauce you have on top of our enchiladas. 
5. Put in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until bubbling and beginning to brown. Right out of the oven I added sprinkled cheese to the top. 
6. (And as you can see I also made some white rice out of a box - as a good seasoning you can add cumin, salt and pepper or even a bit of taco seasoning to add more of a spicy flavor). 

And there you go! It was really simple and so good. I don't know about anyone else, but I just adore the smell of cilantro. (When I was cutting it up the kitchen smelled amazing!) It's so fresh and slightly spicy to smell and the taste is very strong in this recipe - I loved it. 

I'm not the best person to judge spice level, because I do have a pretty high tolerance, but this is definitely on the more mild side. Flavorful and with a tiny bite to it perhaps, but if you're not that into spicy things this would be okay for you. I was even thinking you could mix the cilantro and sour cream with a different sauce to suit your tastes. 

If you try out this recipe - or change it up in anyway - I'd love to see it! I was thinking about adding a tag (though I don't think nearly enough people read my post to consequent doing this) - but if you do end up making this and posting a photo on instagram, tag it with #chatterboxrose and I'd love to see it!

Until next time, 

Rose 

Instagram Snapshot

I must admit, I am completely borrowing this little idea from Lauren over at lipstick + lacquer. She recently made a post that sort of "sums up" her Instagram posting for the last few weeks and I thought it was such a clever, simple idea for a blog post. Definitely check both her blog and instagram out because her photos are always drool worthy and beautiful!

I bought a new "table runner" for my bedside table (the pink + white) and was emptying out my "night on the town" purse when I thought a little photo with the theme of pink would be a good idea. The lipstick is Mac's "Chatterbox" by the way. 

I finally was able to buy my first Fall Out Boy vinyl at work the other day. This is my first time playing it.

I was so thrilled when I found out Jane Lynch was going to be in Tucson doing a show. Not only is her voice beautiful, but my face hurt from laughing so much. 

Revlon's Wild Card - I'm not usually one for dark blues like this, but I do really like the way it looks so far!

Taking pictures of this fat cat is a hobby of mine. Oh, Miss Elphaba.

I absolutely love my planner and I don't know how I would keep things straight without it. Plus the art inside it is to die for.

This notepad is another Katie Daisy piece. This was a productive work day locked in Starbucks.

It was a lot of fun to go to the University campus to have lunch with my roommate. I've barely been there since I graduated in May. 

"Afterworlds" Review

I mentioned in this post (where I attended the Scott Westerfeld signing) that I would try to get a book review up for "Afterworlds" as soon as possible. That was in October. It's now March.

Oops.

I can only blame my two jobs and a dash of pure laziness - but I finally finished the book and am writing up this review. About damn time. (Warnings for some spoilers, though nothing major.)

The signed page from the copy I got in October (the day before my birthday). 

Let's get one thing out of the way: I loved it. Unsurprising, considering how much I've enjoyed pretty much all of Westerfeld's other books. If haven't read the book or haven't heard of it, the summary boils down to being about a girl named Darcy writing a YA paranormal romance novel, which you also get to read. Since brevity would mean this review would officially be over, let's expand a little bit.

I feel like the concept of this novel is pretty brilliant. The odd chapters are from Darcy's point of view and the even numbered chapters are the novel she is writing. Often, when you have a character who is a "writer" you never get to see what they are writing - which sort of slights them as a character, I feel. This way, you really get to see more into Darcy, the character, by seeing her own character. Don't they always say that the fictional character and writing is just an extension of the author? (Side note: does that mean that Lizzie (Darcy's character) is also an extension of Westerfeld, since Darcy is in turn an extension of himself? Like, a grand-extension? Okay. Stopping that "Inception" worthy thought right there).

Throughout the novel the reader sees Darcy, who is a recent high school graduate who got majorly lucky and is getting her first novel published, grow and dip her toes in the adult world. She moves to New York City, since that's where writers live, to work on the second book in her book deal as she edits "Afterworlds" (which, isn't just the title of this book, but Darcy's book). Through that growth and maturation, her novel also grows and matures as Darcy experiences more herself. Westerfeld said something along these lines at the book signing/Q&A I attended: if you look closely enough, you see words and concepts Darcy has learned slip into later chapters of her novel. It's one interesting way to look at the writing process on behalf of Westerfeld. Here you have a group of characters in the "real" world talking about writing - like word choice, researching how to write out a realistic scene, the publishing world, and more - and then on the flip side, you're seeing the fruits of that labor. As a writer, it's infinitely interesting.

Furthermore, in a very deliciously nerdy way, Westerfeld is winking toward the YA community with Darcy's chapters. The way YA writers in New York City community flock together to talk about writing and some descriptions of a particular character (that by far seems the most "famous" of all the YA writers) that could perhaps be a particular nerdfighter...put that together with the fact that Darcy wrote the first draft of her novel during NaNoWriMo, you have a sort of love letter to the community on a whole. To a bunch of teens and let's face it -  adults - who love to read YA fiction.

The book Darcy's writing is just as interesting as all of the above. It's one of those paranormal romances that you know would be a hit and it's no wonder that Darcy got her book deal. It's the story of Lizzie who, during a terrorist attack, wills herself into the afterworld by pretending to be dead and escape actual death. She ends up being the only survivor of the attack and as an after effect, is able to see ghosts. (Was there a sixth sense reference? Man, I can't remember if there was. Well, if there isn't, you lost your opportunity, Westerfeld.) Not only does she gain this ability, but a love interest in Yamaraj (or, just Yama if you don't want to be too formal), a boy who is just like her and too, willed himself into the afterworld. Now he acts as a sort of grim reaper, or guide, to help spirits be remembered (and has been for centuries).

Let's just say there is an age difference.

Another one of those funny YA romance tropes, if you will.

I liked how much mystery was involved in Lizzie's chapters. There is a murder of the childhood best friend of her mother that she pursues and it gets pretty dark. A lot darker than I was expecting at first but, as Darcy says in her own chapters, it's a book about death; it shouldn't be so surprising.

Probably one of my favorite things, despite some of the reliability to Darcy (like some insecurities she has, the struggle of both trying to be an adult and buy a mop for her apartment and not blow her money on food, and the how difficult writing can be at times) is how kickass her girlfriend is.

Yup. Girlfriend.

The issues with sexuality are pretty low-key in this novel and in fact, aren't really issues at all - not in the traditional after school special kind of way (I'm looking at you Glee - but I still love you). The fact that Darcy is gay isn't so much of a huge revelation or point of conflict for her; she sort of always suspected but had never been in a relationship before moving to New York. Her relationship with Imogen isn't necessarily about that, nor is its source of conflict have to do with being targeted by their sexuality. It's brought up a few times, yes, that Imogen was out in high school and it wasn't all good and that maybe Darcy had it lucky - but it's not dwelled on in the same way. It's just a fact of who they are and they move on and are established as just a normal couple with conflicts that all couples have: miscommunication and untruthfulness on occasion. Later, when Darcy comes out to her family, it's taken like she just told them the weather. Well, maybe a little more than that, but it's not the big deal Darcy feared it would be (though she fears that with her family's background it would be).

I think that Westerfeld should be applauded for this choice. He took a gay character and didn't make their whole plot revolve around that aspect of their character. Darcy, and Imogen, are both more than that. He is a popular writer and could have easily had Darcy fall in love with someone just as handsome and mysterious and male as Yama - as in Lizzie's part of the novel - but that wasn't what he did. It's touched on that Imogen's novel might have failed because of the lesbian character she has in it; well, that could have happened to Westerfeld as well, but it wasn't so much a problem. He created this character that I feel has so much life and believability to her and I'm just in love with that.

This review only really scratches the surface, but this is the take away of some of my big thoughts after reading the novel. One other notable thing was how invested into both worlds you get. I would be reading a Darcy chapter and when it would end I'd be so upset as I started Lizzie's chapter. I didn't want to stop reading Darcy's world. Then I would read Lizzie's and get caught up in the mystery and ghosts and then not want to part from that character when the chapter ended and another Darcy chapter began. That definitely shows the strength of both plots and on a larger picture, Westerfeld's writing ability.

In the end: I definitely recommend going out to buy this bad boy. It's a big book, believe me, but once you really get into it the pages go by so quickly. And while you're at it, go pick up Westerfeld's other works. If you like this, you'll like his other stuff. On the flip side, if you've been a fan of Westerfeld and haven't read this yet - do it!

Let me know if this review was interesting or helpful and if I should do any more. I really need to get to reading more books, even though I have been busy working a lot. Let me know if you have an suggestions (though working at Barnes & Noble, I find way too much stuff I want to read as it is).

Until next time,

Rose