Friday, October 2, 2009

Tagged Times Two

A little gift tag I made several months back from some vintage paper and a Victorian button

What a Friday!  I've been tagged by two creative and lovely friends, Nicolette of Simply Colette and Carolyn of Pretty Pink Rat.  Here are Colette's questions:

1. What books are on your favorite shelf?  

Oh, wow.  That's a hard one.  I teach literature and creative writing for a living, so I have a teensy obsession with books.   Among my all-time favorites are Jane Eyre, The Magic Mountain, Mrs. Dalloway, and To Kill a Mockingbird.  I also adore children's books like The Secret Garden and Charlotte's Web.  Honestly, though, I'll read the back of a cereal box or a shampoo bottle when there's nothing else available.  Anyone else out there have this same addiction to words on the page/box/bottle?

2. What DVD's are on your favorite shelf?

I love vintage classics like The Thin Man with Myrna Loy and William Powell.  I also love, love, love Moonstruck.  La bella luna!  Food movies like Big Night are high on my list.  I adore Tim Burton's films, too, oh and I almost forgot one of the best heartwarming films ever: The Secret of Roan Inish.  A few more recent films I like are The Station Agent, Stranger than Fiction, and Lars and the Real Girl.

3. What are your two favorite cookbooks?

Just two?  Oh, I have a wee addiction to cookbooks, too.  Man, these questions are tough.  Can I go with three?  Two classics and a new treat:  The Joy of Cooking, Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and a recent favorite is Sophie Dahl's new book called Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights.  I bought it in London, but it's available on Amazon now.  Delicious recipes, good writing, and GORGEOUS photos of the the food and of pretty Sophie!

4. Select 1-3 recipes you would cook for guests.

It's fall, so I'll go with autumnal, homey favorites: corn spoon pudding, my roast chicken (I don't eat meat, but I make it for other people), apples and onions sauteed in butter, brown sugar, and pomegranate balsamic vinegar.  For dessert, a flourless chocolate torte with creme fraiche.  I hope everyone's hungry.

5. What will we be drinking?

These days I'll probably be drinking San Pellegrino, but I always have a selection of white and red wines for my friends.  Malbec is always nice in the fall.


Carolyn's tag is much harder.  I'm supposed to list 10 random things about myself.  I hope I don't put you to sleep, my friends! 

1. I love thunderstorms.  When we lived in Indiana, I used to adore the almost daily boomers we'd get in spring and summer--real crashing, wrath of the gods kind of stuff.  
  
2. If I were to choose another career, I'd be an architect or a landscape designer.  

3.  I'm a terrible singer, but I sing all the time anyway.  I also make up my own lyrics to popular songs.  

4.  I actually like cleaning the bathroom.  Nothing cheers me up like a sparkling bathtub.  

5.  Vacuuming, on the other hand, I loathe.  Good thing my husband doesn't mind vacuuming or we'd be up to our eyes in dust bunnies.

6.  One of my favorite treats is to take a nap.  I don't do it very often, but I can think of few things more delicious.

7.  I make a mean eggplant parmesan.  

8.  When I was little I secretly wanted to be a professional figure skater.  I, like a million other girls in the seventies, had my hair cut in a "Dorothy Hamill"--not a good look for me, I'm afraid.  

9.  I'm addicted to the show Glee.  This relates back to random fact #3.  When I was in high school I wanted to be in the movie Fame (which relates back to #8: the ice-skating fantasy had morphed into the singer-dancer dream by that point).  Imagine how excited I am that there's a new Fame movie.

10.  One of my favorite places on the planet is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.  Think they'd notice if I just sort of moved in?  


Rather than choose a few individuals, I'll pass this tag along to any of my blogging friends who'd like to play along.  I love learning new things about the people I meet online.  Thanks so much Carolyn and Nicolette for tagging me!

Happy weekend!  

Gigi





 


17 comments:

  1. Dear Lovely Gigi,

    I love finding out more delightful details about you! Just when I thought it would be impossible to like you anymore, you list so many great things...dream of being a dancer, Fame, The Secret Garden, Moonstruck, a non-meat eater...the list goes on and on and I adore every single detail!

    Now, just one huge favor, will you please share your apple/onion pomegranate balsamic recipe?!?!?

    Bisous,
    Melissa

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  2. Hiya sweet pea,
    You did a great job on the lists, I'm hopeless at doing these, but just adore it when my blog friends do it!

    Really loved your book and DVD picks.

    I'll be round for dinner as soon as I finish up at Colette's ... sounds divine.

    Thank you SO much for your gorgeous comments, warms my heart,
    xoxo

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  3. Wonderful lists, so great to learn more about you, Have a great weekend!x

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  4. This was such fun, Gigi--loved learning these things about you! :o) Oh, I'm with you on the vacuuming... I do a lot round the house, but vacuuming is hubby's task--LOL! Happy Weekend, my friend ((HUGS))

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  5. It is always fun to find more connections with friends made through blogging...like our shared love of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum,thunderstorms, and Jane Eyre...and our shared dislike of vacuuming. I may just have to check out the show Glee:)

    Have a wonderful island weekend Gigi!
    xo

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  6. That was a fun read. I would love to have the meal you planned. I'm also hooked on Glee. It is comforting that someone else gets a thrill out of a clean bathroom. Sometimes I feel like such a dork that having my house clean makes me so happy.

    Have a great weekend

    Sue

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  7. I'm coming over for dinner. Then we can watch movies. Your cooking sounds divine. Once again I love your life!

    Did you know my boyfriends uncle, Christopher Gore, was the original Fame writer?! He is now deceased and the family never gave permission for the second, and Chris got a shoddy contract because he was young at the time so it has been a huge legal battle. I almost blogged about it but the family keeps it private. I think we still watch it though to honor Chris.

    Loved hearing more about you! I love to wash dishes and hate vacuuming as well! Have a peaceful weekend. :)

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  8. Wonderful list, Gigi....I will do my list later today....but by the looks of it you and Nicollete have alot in common with me...:)

    They filmed a few scenes from the new movie Fame at an Italian restaurant in my quaint little building where I work..so I can't wait to see it for that and just because I too loved the tv show many years ago...

    Have a wonderful weekend!!

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  9. Melissa: OK, this is one of those (many) times I wish we didn't live on opposite sides of the country. We really need to cook together! I'll email you the recipe for the apples.

    DJ Attic: It's easy to leave nice comments when your blog is so damn amazing every single day.

    Torie Jayne: Thanks, sweetie!

    Tracy: How lucky are we to have husbands who vacuum?!

    Oliag: You and I are seriously birds of a feather. Why am I not surprised that you love the Gardner? Such a magical place.

    Sue: So glad to hear I'm not the only Glee addict! Glad, too, that I'm not the only housecleaning dork!

    Colette: That is an amazing coincidence about your boyfriend's uncle. He was obviously a very talented man, and I'm so saddened to hear that he was treated this way by the filmmakers. What a tremendous and inspiring legacy he left for so many people.

    Cathi: Wow! A second Fame coincidence! Wish we could all get together to watch it. Wouldn't that be fun?

    Thanks for your comments, everyone! Hope you're having a great weekend. xo

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  10. How adorable you are Gigi! I can imagine you singing & scrubbing the bath tub! ;)
    I'm quite excited to watch the new "Fame" but I'm sure the original is still more wonderful! errr...wonder what happened to Irene Cara now?!

    ~Have a great weekend as well!
    xo*

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  11. Loved reading your list! And that dinner you would plan...boy am I hungry now!! Those apples and onions sound especially delicious, would you mind sending me the recipe too? Pretty please?

    prettypinkrat (at) gmail (dot) com

    I too make up words to songs, and sometimes I make up what I think I hear my boyfriend say (he mumbles sometimes, I can't help but fill in creatively). It drives him crazy.

    And I just saw Fame last night, very cute. Some of those kids have AMAZING talent. Makes me wish that I could sing or dance like that!

    Have a great weekend!

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  12. How lovely to learn these things about you, Gigi. Isn't it hard to answer some of the questions ? p.s. I still haven't opened my pressies yet !!! Have been a bit busy and I want to savour them !! XXXX

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  13. Lenore: Good question! Where's Irene these days. I loved her!
    PPR: I think I should do a post about the apples and onions!
    Jackie: You are amazing! How can you resist?! Such willpower.

    xoxo Gigi

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  14. Goodness, we share three favourite books!! Eyre, Dalloway and Mockingbird. And Magic Mountain is one of those I've always meant to get to but never have. Maybe this fall. Also, Roan Inish is always near our DVD. Just a perfect movie that we seem to watch over and over. And not just because I've been told by several very different people that I bear a strong resemblance to the little girl in the piece. Sigh.

    On the other hand, I love to vacuum and hate to clean the bathroom...so there you go!

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  15. Gigi,
    I love this! Getting to know more about you, is such a treat.
    I love this post! We have so much in common. xo

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  16. 1. oh shoot, yes.
    2. definitely going to have to check out your dvd picks!
    3. yikes, only two fave cookbooks - that's a toughy! ~ joy of cooking is a staple ...
    4. yum! i'm starving!
    5. thank you for introducing me to san pellegrino ~ sounds very refreshing ...
    ... and your random list was completely sweet ... totally also dislike vacuuming ~ mostly because i can't 'hear' anything with the roar of the machine and i get spooked that someone will 'boo' me ... like a few young boys i know!
    i went and took a peek at your favourite museum ~ wow, it really is something ... do you go to the musical events?
    can you get any sweeter?
    mwah,
    prairiegirl xo

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  17. "You'll eat it bloody to feed your blood." Oh, I do love Moonstruck! My favorite is the quiet scene where she is sitting in front of the fire, all beautiful, with a gorgeous dress in her lap.

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