April 2022 - Film and TV

Wow another month went by! It's time for another film and television post. If you are new here or have rediscovered my blog I started a new series were I share new or notable movies and Tv shows I watch every month.  I love movies and the film industry so I thought I would share that with you!  

LA BAMBA (1987)

9/10. I haven't seen this movie in AGES! I really enjoy Biographical films  (I also love reading biographies) I think as a society we don't take enough time to get to know one another. I have a theory that you can care very deeply about anyone if you just get to know them better. What makes them happy or sad, what makes them nervous, Seeing what they are passionate about, seeing the little quirks that makes them who they are. Everytime I watch or read a biography I have a soft spot for that that person. Does that happen to you too ??

 If you haven't seen La Bamba I highly recommend it, I think its wildly underrated. Its a biographical film about Ritchie Valens. Richie Valens was an American guitarist, singers and songwriter, he is regarded as a  rock and roll pioneer. However his career came to a tragic end when he died in a plane crash, along side Buddy Holly when He was only 17 years old. Although his career only lasted 8 months, his songs La Bamba, Donna, and we belong together are still classics to this day. The film showcases his rise to fame and his passion for music. 

Ritchie Valens came from humble beginnings, his mom was Mexican but living in Los Angeles, and they struggled to make ends meet. despite that, she was really supportive and its amazing to see him going after his dream of being a musician. There is brotherly conflict throughout the movie, and I think Esai Morales (Bob) did a phenomenal job in this movie, you really feel the hurt in his voice when he compares himself to Ritchie. Bob is not a good person and treats Rosie horribly, but its not hard to understand why he is the way he is. its quite heartbreaking.  

The movie is set in the 1950s and the costumes and set design really transport you back in time. There is amazing chemistry among the cast it feels like you are watching a real family. This is actually one of my favourite movies, I can't believe its been this long since I've watched it. I gave it a 9/10 ONLY because Lou Diamond Phillips doesn't look like Ritchie Valens and it slightly bothers me... I try not to think about it lol but other than that 10/10! 

EASTER PARADE (1948)

10/10 Easter Parade is a masterpiece !  I mean.... Fred Astaire and Judy Garland ? You can't go wrong. If you read my history of The Easter Parade post  You saw that I mentioned this movie and its importance in bringing the Easter Parade into pop culture. I look forward to watching this movie every Easter its so charming and fun. A lot of the jokes are quite modern and their comedic timing is perfect. 

The Movie of course has many fun Easter Bonnets, especially a the beginning of the film. Actually the fashion in the movie is quite swell! The movie is set in 1912 so the fashion is from that time period with some 1940s references thrown in (the makeup is especially 1940s)

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes musical from this time period. They really don't make them like this anymore.  The colours, the dance numbers, the singing! It just doesn't compare. I mean of course we are talking about Fred Astaire and Judy Garland who are LEGENDS but you don't see that type of talent anymore. 

ABOUT TIME (2013)

10/10. I watched this movie again after a few years of not watching it and omg its the most charming movie. Honestly if you haven't seen it I'm jealous because I wish I could watch it for the first time again.  The movie follows Toms life after his father tells him that all the men in his family can time travel after they turn 21. It has that science fiction element but the movie doesn't come off like a typical science fiction movie. It's more of a romance/joys of life type movie. I love the dynamic  between Tom and his dad (Played by Bill Nighy) they have great chemistry. 

However the main relationship is between Tom and Mary (Rachel Macadams). What I LOVE about this film is the way they show Tom falling in love, its written all over his face. In a lot of movies they just pair two people together and you assume they are in love and accept it. In this movie you feel it! One of my favourite scenes in the movie is the subway montage after they start dating. It's so cute! and so relatable to the average person.  

Another memorable scene is the montage where he relives his days, one normal, and the other one noticing life more. It's really eye opening and it makes you want to appreciate your everyday life more. But I think what makes the movie is Domhnall Gleeson he is SO perfect for this roll! He is so endearing and you cant help but smile when he smiles. He makes the movie, he is the movie lol. 

MY BEST FRIEND ANNE FRANK (2021)

8/10. This movie is a much heavier topic, but before I get into the story I want to talk about how beautifully its filmed. They really captured the time period, the clothing/hair and the sets were perfect. The whole colour palette of the movie is amazing, tons of pastels and bright colours in the "before" portions of the movie and the cool tones and greys in the scenes in the concentration camp. The movie flips back and forth between the two time lines so it makes the contrast that much more jarring.

It's a dutch film but I watched it dubbed in english on Amazon Prime,  you can watch it in its original language with subtitles if you prefer. The film tells the story of the friendship between Hannah Goslar and Anne Frank.  It is told from the perspective of Hannah Goslar, the movie used the book Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a childhood friend, written by American author Alison Leslie Gold as reference. I haven't read the book so I don't know how accurate its portrayed on film. I assume some creative liberties were taken to portray the story but I just wanted to mention the source material. 

Of course we all know the tragic story of Anne Frank, But its refreshing to hear the story from another perspective. You almost dislike Anne for most of the movie. She can be a bit selfish and self centered and doesn't value Hannah as much as Hannah values Anne. however  in the movie they are 13 and most 13 year old girls are a bit selfish. The story mostly follows Hannah and its a testament of her endurance, strength and courage. It also shows what an amazing friend she is, something that I find rare (especially these days). Whats crazy to think about is that Hannah Goslar is still alive today! I'm glad she became a nurse!  Something she dreamed of becoming as a child.  The movie is heartbreaking but so beautifully done! Highly recommend it. 

These are all the movies for this month!  I want to have all new movies next month so if you have any movie recommendations let me know in the comments!  I've been a bit busy this month so I haven't looked for new movies to watch. The only new one for me was my best friend Anne Frank. Let me know if you've seen any of these movies!

Opening weekend at Aberfoyle Antique Market

    It was the opening weekend for the Aberfoyle Antique market!  One of my favourite things to do when the warm weather arrives. It runs every Sunday starting April 24th all the way to October 30th! It's an outdoor market so its a great way to enjoy the nice weather and to spend the morning/afternoon surrounded by antiques. They also have a hotdog and ice cream stand in case you want to stick around and make a day of it (Trust me there is plenty to look at) I always find something to bring home every time I go. 

The Aberfoyle Antique market is Canadas oldest antique market. It started in 1961... which is crazy to think about the types of items they were selling back then !  Probably some amazing Edwardian and victorian pieces and maybe even older. These days you can find some items dating back to the late 1800s all the way to the 1980s... probably early 2000s, I'm just refusing to believe thats considered vintage lol...

So I grabbed my saddle shoes and headed to the market!  I went in with an open mind, since its opening weekend I just wanted to look around and see what caught my eye. As always I have my eyes open for hats. Aberfoyle has such a nice mix of items; jewellery, home decor, furniture, records, books, and some fashion items. There is a little bit of something for everyone! 

I saw a bunch of paintings, if you are looking for paintings in a more "traditional or classic style" this is the place to look! I love paintings with faces and people I don't know why I just really like them. I  love the rococo era so anything in that style always catches my eye. I also really love round paintings and frames, I don't see them very often at thrift stores or regular stores for that matter, but I think they are SO elegant and much more interesting than square/rectangle ones. 

Here are two items I regret not buying...I saw tons of these flower "figurines" (I'm not sure what the proper name is, but there were a bunch of them) I see them at thrift stores occasionally but they are always chipped or have broken petals. The ones I saw at the market were in much better condition and there was a variety of designs and sizes... They were actually cheaper than thrift store ones too. I should've bought one I don't know why I didn't.... I guess that means I will have to go back again this summer!  

Another item I regret not buying is this wall mount picture frame!  I saw it right when I walked in, which is a blessing and a curse because I wanted to see what else there was. So I took a photo to remind myself to go back for it at the end... not that it worked because I forgot. Now It might look like a typical frame but what I loved about it was the curved glass. I think it's stunning. Hopefully it's there next time I go back. 

This little desk is completely impractical as a regular desk in the modern age because we use laptops and the writing area is on an incline, but how amazing would it be for drawing!  Some of you know I love to draw portraits, it's something very personal to me,  I have to be in the right head space to draw but its a big passion of mine (I once thought I would turn it into my career) Maybe this is why I like paintings with faces? anyway... how perfect would it be as a drawing desk!  I could store my supplies on the side drawers and my most used items on the top storage area. Unfortunately I don't have the room for it so I left it behind.. one day I will own a little drawing desk! 

I HAD to stop at my favourite booth! Monica'S Magical Trove! This seller has a few booths around the GTA including the Hamilton antique mall, and a stand at the Toronto Vintage Clothing show. But I most frequently visit them at Aberfoyle. It's a girls DREAM they have everything you could want. Hats, Jewellery, scarves, gloves, items for a vanity, teacups, art and much more! I'm not exaggerating when I saw I could spend HOURS looking around.  

One of my favourite things that I saw was this white wicker handbag, I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in, in perfect condition. Unfortunately it was a bit out of my price range so I left it behind. But how perfect would it be for summer!! I hope it goes to a good home! 

Here are more photos of the same booth, look at all of those handbags on the wall and the jewellery boxes on the stand... oooh and the rack of gloves by the leather jackets. This is what I mean there is just so much to look at! You could get lost just in this booth alone.  

There is this one booth that sells more refurbished pieces in a shabby chic style, not my particular taste but its very popular. However On the outside of that booth they had some regular vintage furniture and THIS BEAR! I have 4 stuffed animals already and I don't need any more. so I didn't check how much he was... but now looking at the photo I'm regretting it! He is such a distinguished gentleman with his little outfit and his little chubby body is adorable. If he's still sitting there next time I go I might check the price.

That pretty much wraps up my day at the antique market!  I had so much fun shopping around, it was actually quite busy because the weather was beautiful. I also got so many compliments on my outfit! I was shocked because I wore something casual due to the nature of the market but a few people stopped me saying they liked my style. The sweetest older gentleman said I reminded him of being in High school, which as anyone who dresses in a vintage style will agree, is a top tier compliment!  

THE HAUL

Of course you guys know I can't go to an antique market and come home empty handed. I spent about 2 hours at Aberfoyle and found some amazing gems, I'm sure if I took my time I could've come home with a lot more haha. Anyway here is my little haul: 

The first thing that I found was this little pill box, I have been looking for a new one for my purse for a while now but I haven't been able to find one that I like or at a reasonable price. This one immediately caught my eye! Its a square little box in a gold tone with a pearl layer on the top, it has these thin hand-painted purple lines and tiny crystal gems. But my favourite feature is the embroidered flowers on top, I'm not sure how they got that on there! it looks like its actually embroidered on to the pearl (Obviously its not, but its so well done it looks like it is) I forgot to take off the price tag but as you can clearly see it was $12. A bit expensive for such a tiny item but it's so intricate and unique that I think its very reasonable. The lady from the shop said it was from the 1930s. 

Ok before you start judging and commenting that this looks like a sea urchin please look at the photos below because it will make sense... and to be fair the hat would photograph better on my head or a proper hat stand instead of flat on top of my bed haha. 

Here are two photos of my beautiful Grandmother! These are actually my favourite photos of her. Before she passed she gifted me the fur collar she is wearing in these photos, she even fixed up the lining for me so its good as new! Its one of my most prized possessions. Since then I have been on the lookout for a hat like the one she is wearing so that I can recreate this exact look. Now I know its not the exact hat, my grandmas was most likely all cream to match the fur and it looks like a thicker feathers, but this is the closest I've been able to find! The seller was super kind and sold it to me for $20 which I thought was a good deal. I have seen a hat like this at another antique market in a bright orange colour and it was $60 so I'm happy with the price I paid. I think its a really fun hat and I'll get some wear out of it, i'll keep an eye out for a more exact replica of the one my grandma is wearing in the photo but in the meantime this will do great! Oh and it also fits my head perfectly, I don't need to pin it to keep it in place,

I've been talking about how gloves are going to be huge accessory for me this spring and summer, I have a few cotton white gloves but I wanted to add a few more sheer ones. I got these for $8 each which isn't a bad price....however I have bought some at other antique markets for $3-$5. These ones were a but more unique so I decided to splurge. The one on the left is plain sheer with a ruffle cuff that closes with a little faux pearl button, super elegant. The one on the right has little pin stripes! I've never seen one like this before so I grabbed it. they are both in excellent condition!  The seller at this stand had tons of gloves ranging from $5-$25. There were some GORGEOUS ones but of course they were on the more expensive end haha. 

This was my biggest splurge of the day, I got this late 1940s SILK VELVET  dress. It is absolutely stunning. If you don't know silk velvet is the epitome of luxury fabric. It's been woven from silk since medieval times and has been worn by royalty for decades. The difference between silk velvet and regular velvet is in the weave. Velvet is short and dense while silk velvet (which is woven from silk) creates the silk velvet (you can read more about the process and more information about silk velvet here). Silk velvet is the most expensive velvet available because of its shine and softness. And honestly I can tell you this is the most beautiful fabric I've ever touched, its so soft and sturdy, it is literally velvety smooth. It's really hard to photograph but in person it looks so plush and the light makes it shimmer in the best possible way. It has these two strands on the neck to tie a knot or bow and it also comes with a small "belt". The belt is a bit too big for me so I'm torn on if I should add another clasp to cinch in a waist more or if I should leave it. I showed my mom and she said to leave it but I'm not 100% sure yet, maybe I'll create a poll on my story and see what you guys think. 

Last but not least!  I got this fur brooch. The lady said it was real fur (its quite obvious when you touch it) but she didn't remember what type of fur it was. It's original from the 1950s, the lady actually said I should put it on with the outfit I was wearing because it would match my whole look haha. I love these little fur pins I think they are a great accessory for winter. I  have another brooch exactly like this in a dark brown that I found at a thrift store. Funny enough I paid $10 for this one at Aberfoyle which is the same price I for the other one at the thrift store.  And for a real fur brooch from the 50s in perfect condition I think its a great price! 

Overall I had an amazing day at the antique market! It was the perfect weather and I'm really happy with everything I found. I have a feeling I will be back again this summer to see what else they add to the market!  Have you ever been to Aberfoyle??  

Easter Sunday : New Easter Bonnet

8 Am: It's Easter Sunday, and I'm getting ready for brunch. I even have a new Easter Bonnet for the occasion! Easter Bonnets have a long standing tradition along with wearing something new for Easter. It actually Originated in Great Britain. There was a notion that bad luck would affect a person who did not wear something new on Easter, a Bonnet was more accessible than a new outfit so it fit the bill. It's been mentioned in text throughout history, like in the18th century when it was mentioned in the Poor Robin Almanac :"At Easter let your clothes be new or else be sure you will it rue".  And even a brief mention in Romeo and Juliet when Mercutio is taunting Benvolio: " Did'st thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before Easter?". However It wasn't until the 19th century that this tradition hit the Americas. It was Popularized in the United States due to the Easter Parade (I wrote a post on the history of the Easter Parade! Click here if you want to check it out!) and in pop culture due to Irving Berlings' Easter Parade, First the song and then the movie featuring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire (1948).  

I got my new Easter Bonnet from Etsy! I saw it and I immediately HAD to have it, I knew it would be perfect for Easter. The shop I got it from was Kitty Vintage Boutique the seller was incredibly kind and answered all of my questions! She even told me some information about the hat, it had previously belonged to one of the June Taylor Dancers in the 50s! The hat is in pristine condition... honestly it looks like it was purchased today. The velvet on the back of the hat is so plush and shiny, you can tell this hat was well taken care of all of these years. And look at that amazing vintage Saks Fifth Avenue tag! I swooned when I saw it. I decided to pair it with some really delicate vintage gloves, I got these from the garage sale at Vintage Soul Geek (Check out that blog post here!). 

9:30 AM: The Easter egg hunt is about to begin! As always I decided to wear a light coloured outfit to welcome Spring (I know its not the first day of Spring but its the unofficial start lol). I am wearing this white dress that has the most beautiful lace detail at the front. It has a bit of an Edwardian feel which I love. You will be surprised to know that this dress isn't vintage! I actually got it from Winners last year.... I think it was the only clothing purchase I made that wasn't secondhand/Vintage. But it has quickly become one of my favourites, I actually wore it on Christmas Eve with red ribbon on my waist and holly in my hair, so versatile! Today I added a ribbon at the waist for a pop of colour and I think it paired perfectly with the flowers on my hat, it's basically the same colour.  I am wearing my new-to-me white gloves that I mentioned above, which aided to that Edwardian look. For my shoes I am wearing this cream coloured heels that have a bit of a beige trim on them, the beige matches the colour of the hat! I love how the whole look turned out! Like I mentioned before you'll be seeing a lot of white gloves this spring and summer! It's going to be my go to accessory. 

10:30 AM: The table is set and decorated and we are about to have brunch! I love decorating so I always help out and come up with different themes and ideas to decorate the table! Of course since its Easter there are rabbits on the table (I'm pretty sure everyone and their grandmother has these ceramic bunnies lol) I added these leaf table mats and created a runner along the middle of the table (To mimic grass). My mom found this amazing carrot garland at Michaels and it laid perfectly around the rabbits. I always like hanging things from the light fixture above, so that you feel like you are fully immersed in the party. I don't know why it makes me think of New Years Eve parties in the 1920s when people are covered in tinsel ? (does that even make sense?) thats why I always make a point to have something dangling. This year it was floral Easter eggs (Yes the same ones I used for my basket in the photos above) I also scattered them on the table along the runner. I added two pink napkins per person so that each plate has rabbit ears and laid a pink flower in the middle to welcome spring. 

11 AM: Brunch is ready! My family sat down and enjoyed brunch. Its been a tradition for my family to have brunch for easter instead of dinner. We can start out earlier in the day and we have the rest of the afternoon to relax, hang out, maybe go for a walk and watch a movie. I didn't get too many photos, the lighting wasn't the best where the food was and I didn't want the food to get cold for everyone. 

BRUNCH MENU

Breads

- English Muffin (Toasted), Mini Ciabbatta (Hot from the oven), Brioche

- Ham and Cheese grilled sandwiches 

Protein and Meats

-Scrambled eggs, Canadian Bacon, Regular Bacon, Turkey Breast slices

Sauces 

- Hollandaise, Butter, Mayonaise 

Drinks

- Coffee, Tea, Orange Juice, Milk

Veggies

- Lettuce (To make a mini sandwich)

Dessert

Alfajor Cake 

( A cake version of the Alfajor cookie, Basically a cookie with Dulce de Leche)

1PM: Brunch is done and I'm sorting through my chocolates from the easter egg hunt! My basket got so heavy, I was worried my little wicker basket was going to break haha. Such a variety of different chocolates. My favourites are The Cadbury Dairy Milk eggs and rabbits (Obvs lol dairy milk is my favourite chocolate) and the Reese's peanut butter ones. I love chocolate with peanut butter so thats always a hit with me. The rest of them are cookies and cream, caramel, and plain milk chocolate. I really like the  milk chocolate ones because I eat them with peanut butter (like its a dip lol) 

4 PM: Just finished editing and writing this blog post, I'm about to sit down to watch Easter Parade! My favourite Easter movie. I could watch Fred Astaire dance all day and Judy Garland is always a joy to watch. If you haven't seen this movie I highly recommend it, especially if you watch it today. I wont go into more details because I am going to include it in my new series where I review new or notable movies/tv shows I watch. I made my first post last month, you can check it out here if you haven't seen it. 

Thank you so much for hanging out with my this Easter Sunday, I know this post was a bit longer than my usual posts but I actually had so much fun breaking it down with the time on the side. I also like adding more context to the outfit photos, it gives you a better idea of what I'm going that day instead of just giving outfit details. Let me know what you think of these types of posts! 

I hope you are having an amazing Easter if you celebrate